Someone sent you an email saved as a .msg file, or you found old .msg files in a folder, and Windows can't open them. A .msg file is a single email saved by Microsoft Outlook. Here are your options.
| Option | Cost | File leaves your PC? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Ask the sender to forward it | Free | No | A single email |
| 2. A desktop MSG/EML viewer | Free to view | No | Many files, confidential mail |
| 3. The new Outlook for Windows | Free | No* | If you already use it with an account |
| 4. Thunderbird (for .eml) | Free | No | .eml files only |
| 5. Online MSG viewers | Free | Yes, uploaded | Non-sensitive files |
If the .msg file was sent to you as an attachment, the easiest fix is to ask the sender to forward the original message instead. You will get it as a normal email in your inbox. This does not help with old .msg files saved in a folder or an archive.
A viewer app opens the .msg file directly and shows the sender, recipients, date, the formatted message and the attachments. Because it runs on your PC, the email is never uploaded – important for contracts, invoices and HR mail.
Our own MSG & EML Viewer – Email File Reader for Windows is free to read emails and save attachments one at a time. It blocks remote images by default (so the sender can't tell you opened the message) and lists the other emails in the same folder. A one-time Pro upgrade adds PDF export, saving all attachments at once and converting a whole folder to PDF.
Windows 11 includes the new Outlook app. Recent versions can open .msg files, but you have to add an email account first. If you don't want to sign in with an email account just to read a file, use a viewer instead.
.eml is a standard email format used by many mail programs. Mozilla Thunderbird, a free email app, opens .eml files. It does not read Outlook's .msg format by default.
Some websites open .msg files in the browser. They are convenient, but you must upload the email and its attachments to someone else's server. Avoid them for anything personal or confidential.
.msg is Microsoft Outlook's own format for one saved email. .eml is a standard text-based email format that many programs (Thunderbird, Apple Mail and others) can save and open. Both can include attachments.
No. The formats are different inside. Renaming gives you unreadable text or an error.
Treat them like any email attachment. Be careful with program and script files (.exe, .js, .bat and similar), especially from senders you don't know. Our viewer warns you before opening these.
Many emails load images from the internet. Privacy-focused viewers block these by default; you can choose to load them for a message you trust.