How to Import MSG files into Outlook: Best Reliable Methods

Understanding MSG and PST File Formats

The term MSG refers to a mail message file format that is used by MS Outlook and Exchange. The MSG file format includes single message information. It mainly consists of the date, sender’s or recipient’s information, subject, and message body, comprising formatting and hyperlinks. It primarily stores all the email data of Outlook, such as contacts, notes, attachments, etc.

Microsoft Outlook uses a PST file format to store Outlook data for POP3, IMAP, and web-based email accounts. Outlook is a popular email client that is mainly used for sending and receiving emails. Here, you can see that Outlook uses different file formats, i.e., MSG and PST. This means that one cannot directly share their MSG files with Outlook. Thus, it is difficult for users to import MSG into Outlook.

These situations influence the user to find different tips and tricks that can efficiently perform the whole process. To fix this issue, let’s start with the manual procedures.

02 Best Methods to Import MSG files into Outlook

There are two most effective methods to import MSG files into Microsoft Outlook. step-by-step instructions on how users can successfully transfer their MSG files. By following these methods, you can efficiently integrate your existing MSG files into Outlook for easier management and accessibility of their emails and related information. First, let’s move to the manual method:

Method 1. Import MSG files into Outlook Using Copy And Paste

This procedure is simple to use. Users are required to follow the below steps to transfer MSG to Hotmail.

• Visit the location where MSG files are saved and make a replica of all files.
• Then, open the Outlook application. Now, paste the replicas/ files into any selected folder in Outlook.

Method 2. Import MSG files into Outlook Using Drag and Drop

Users can use this method to import MSG files into Outlook:

• First, open MS Outlook. Generate a new folder under the Mail section and name it as per your choice to import all messages. Users can shift their MSG files into any available folder (Inbox, Sent Items, or, any custom).
• Visit the folder where users have stored all their MSG files. Now, choose all files (by pressing ctrl+a) and drag all selected emails. Then, drop them into the newly created folder (MSG Files).
• At last, Users can view all their messages that were successfully imported. Users can open MSG with Outlook, including the entire content, properties, attachments, etc.

These were some manual options that users could copy to transfer MSG to Hotmail. Users can try these methods, but they have some limitations too. Let’s know more about them.

Drawbacks of the Manual approach to Importing MSG files into Outlook

Some of the limitations that appear while performing the procedure manually are listed below:

• The manual approach takes a lot of time and is intricate. 
• The procedure is not suitable for importing the bulk of MSG files into Microsoft Outlook. 
• The drag-and-drop process is suitable only for an individual MSG file at a time. Thus, it requires a lot of time. Users are advised to use this approach only for small files.
• This manual approach is applicable only if Outlook is installed on the system. This will cause inconsistency and data loss if emails with similar topics exist.

Now that the users know the merits and demerits of the manual procedure, they can use it as per their choice. But if they want a quick conversion method, then try the alternative tool. They can try MSG File Converter to perform a quick MSG file conversion. It is a Windows-based utility that can run on all versions of Windows OS.

Conclusion

Various tips and tricks to import MSG files into Outlook are explained in this guide. Users can use either manual approaches or alternative solutions. These manual approaches have some limitations and are applicable only to small-sized files or a limited number of files. Thus, it isn’t delightful for many users who want to save time by importing a bulk of files at a time. Thus, to avoid this situation, users can use an alternative tool. The utility also helps you migrate your MSG files to Yahoo, Gmail, and many other email clients and file formats. This alternative tool performs the whole process in a fast and secure way.

About The Author:

Rohan Wiese

As a lead technical writer, I know the technical problems faced by office and professional users. So, I decided to share all my technical knowledge through this blog. I love helping you with tough challenges when dealing with technical issues.

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