MSG File Conversion Explained: A Beginner-Friendly Guide

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Today, email (electronic mail) is a vital aspect of how we conduct business and communicate with our friends and family. Users of Microsoft Outlook often have to deal with MSG Files when they want to save one or more messages from their inbox. While MSG Files operate effectively within Outlook, this becomes a problem when users wish to access or migrate their email messages from the MSG Format to different internet email service providers (ISPs). This is where MSG file conversion becomes important.

This guide explains MSG files in simple terms, why conversion is needed, how to do it manually and when using a professional solution is the better option.

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Understanding MSG Files

An MSG file is a proprietary file format used by Microsoft Outlook to save a single email message. It can include:

Email content (plain text or HTML)
Attachments
Sender and recipient information
Date, time and subject details

MSG files are mostly limited to Outlook, which makes them difficult to open or use in other email clients or operating systems without conversion.

Why Convert MSG Files?

There are several practical reasons why users need to convert MSG files:

Platform Compatibility—Most email clients currently cannot open or read MSG files.

Email Migration—By converting MSG files to another format, it allows for the ability to move emails from one email system to another.

Archiving Purposes—The PDF or HTML format allows for more effective long-term preservation than the MSG format.

Legal and Compliance Obligations—It is typically necessary to maintain email records in an easily viewable format due to various laws and regulations governing record retention, including compliance rules.

Ease of Distribution—Emails that have been converted from MSG format are much easier to send to those who do not use Outlook or have access to it.

Common Output Formats for MSG Conversion

MSG files are commonly converted into the following formats:

PST – For importing emails back into Outlook

EML – Compatible with Thunderbird, Apple Mail and others

PDF – Ideal for documentation and legal records

HTML or TXT – For browser viewing or text editing

MBOX—Used by various open-source email clients

Method 1: Do-It-Yourself Manual Conversion

Manual file conversion methods can be effective for small quantities of files; however, when attempting to convert a large number of files at one time, they can become quite inefficient. Below are some examples that illustrate the manual file conversion process.

How to Convert MSG Files: The Microsoft Outlook Method (Save As)

1. Start Microsoft Outlook.

2. To open the MSG file, double-click it.

3. Choose "Save As" after clicking the "File" tab.

4. You can save in one or more formats; configurable options include txt, html, and mht.

5. When prompted for a save location for your MHT file, select one of your stored locations and then click Save.

Limitations:

Cannot convert to PST or PDF directly
Loss of email formatting and attachments
Time-consuming for multiple files

Method 2: Drag and Drop to Outlook Folder

Steps:

Open Outlook.
MSG files can be dropped into an Outlook folder.
Use Outlook export option to create a PST file.

Limitations:

Requires Outlook installation
Not suitable for large-scale conversions
Risk of data loss or duplication

Method 3: Print to PDF (For PDF Conversion)

Steps:

Open the MSG file in Outlook.
Click File > Print.
Select Microsoft Print to PDF.
Save the file.

Limitations:

No batch conversion
Attachments are not saved separately.
Manual effort for each file

Why Manual Methods Are Not Ideal

Although manual methods are free, they are not recommended for professional use because:

No batch processing
High risk of data loss
Lack of advanced export formats
Requires technical knowledge
Time-consuming and inefficient
This is why users prefer professional tools.

Professional Solution for MSG File Conversion

For users dealing with large numbers of MSG files or requiring accurate results, a dedicated converter tool is the most reliable choice. TrustVare MSG Converter efficiently converts multiple MSG files to multiple formats while keeping all components (email structure, metadata and attachments) intact. This type of professional tool is simple for anyone to use; it offers a user-friendly interface, converts to many file types, is not dependent on Microsoft Outlook, and is intended for both amateurs and professionals.

Benefits of using a Professional Solution

Converts MSG to PST, EML, PDF, MBOX, HTML and TXT
Preserves original email structure and metadata
Supports bulk MSG file conversion
Maintains attachments and formatting
User-friendly interface suitable for beginners
Works without Microsoft Outlook installation
Compatible with all Windows versions

Steps to Convert MSG Files with that tool

Download and install this MSG Converter.
Launch the software.
Add single or multiple MSG files/folders.
Select the desired output format.
Choose the destination location.
Click Convert to start the process.

Within minutes, your MSG files are converted safely and efficiently.

Conclusion

If you need to access, share or safeguard your emails outside of Microsoft Outlook, you need to convert your MSG files. The problems of using manual methods are very restricted and the time it takes to use the manual methods can be lengthy. Therefore, using an automated process is the logical choice for converting MSG files. As you select a method to convert MSG files to another file format, you should carefully evaluate which file formats will continue as trusted sources of email storage into the future. This will ensure that the converted messages remain as usable as possible.