Opening MSG files

Did your computer fail to open a MSG file? We explain what MSG files are and recommend software that we know can open or convert your MSG files.

What is a MSG file?

Files containing the .msg file extension are most commonly created by or saved within the Microsoft Outlook email application. The MSG file contains information about a saved email file including the date of the message, who sent it, who received it, the subject and the contents of the email associated with the file. If an attachment is included with an email, that information will also be saved within the associated MSG file.

These files allow users who download email via POP 3 clients to view their email messages and attachments even when they are not connected to the Internet. Users can even send replies to the emails or forward the emails using the MSG files, but the files will not actually be sent by the client until the user has Internet connectivity.