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How to Open MSG File without Outlook? Simple Methods

Antonio Gosling ~ July 28, 2025 ~ 7 Minutes Reading

Are you dealing with how to open an MSG file without Outlook? So no need to worry, there are various solutions available that help users access the content of MSG files without using Outlook. This can be done by using various methods, like the manual method or the automated method. But before starting the process, it is important to understand the features and drawbacks of both methods. Microsoft Outlook is a widely used email client, but not all users can afford the subscription because the subscription cost may be higher for some users, so we have various other alternatives.
Table of Contents
  1. Why Do Users Need to Access MSG Files Without Outlook?
  2. How to Open an MSG File Without Outlook: Quick, Automated, and Manual Solutions
  3. Manual Method
  4. Frequently Asked Questions
  5. Conclusion

Why Do Users Need to Access MSG Files Without Outlook?

There can be various reasons why users need to open MSG files without having Microsoft Outlook installed. Below are a few of them:

  • No Outlook Installed: All the users do not have Outlook, mainly those who have switched to other email services or who are using devices without it.
  • Subscription fee for Outlook: Outlook is the paid part of Microsoft Office, which requires a subscription. It is not that everyone can afford it because it requires a paid subscription.
  • Migrating data: Users, after switching to another email service like Gmail, may still require their old MSG files.
  • File exchange: When any user sends you an email, they usually attach a file that is saved in MSG format. In these files, there are original email messages, but if you don’t have Microsoft Outlook on your device, then you will not be able to open and read the MSG files.

How to Open an MSG File Without Outlook Using Automated Solutions?

If users want to access and read their MSG files without installing Outlook, they can use an automated method. This method involves solving the problem using a professional and reliable tool called Jagware MSG Viewer; it is the best solution. It does not require any technical knowledge.

Step-by-Step Guide to Open an MSG File Without Outlook

  • Download and install the tool: Start by downloading and installing the Recommended Software.
    download and install MSG File Opener
  • Add MSG Files: In the menu bar, choose Add Files, then browse and select the MSG files you want to open. The tool will automatically scan and load all the selected MSG files.
    Select MSG file
  • View MSG File Content: After loading, you can easily view the content, whether it’s the email body, date, and subject, or any type of attachment.
    View MSG file content

Features of Recommended Software

  • Easily view and read MSG files instantly using this freeware.
  • Preview the MSG Files data in multiple view modes on the panel.
  • Dual options to load MSG files on the screen without any issues
  • Supports all types of MSG files, whether they are corrupted.
  • Display all the MSG files, including their attachments.
  • Search for a specific email using the quick search feature.

How to Open an MSG File Without Outlook Using Manual Solutions?

Let us learn how to open an MSG file without Outlook, through the manual method. Here are some of the manual ways that you can use to access your MSG file content in the absence of an Outlook application. Below are different solutions to open an MSG file without Outlook on both Mac and Windows:

Read an MSG file using Notepad

  1. Open Outlook and select the email that you need to save.
    Select email
  2. Click the file and then select Save As.
    clcik on file
  3. In the Save As Type dropdown, select txt only.
    save as
  4. Choose a location, name the file, and click on save.
    file name
  5. Go to the saved file, right-click it, and choose Open with Notepad.
    MSG file open in notepad

Use WordPad to open an MSG file

  1. Open Microsoft Outlook and then select email.
    open microsoft outlook
  2. Then go to files.
    click on file
  3. Select save as under info.
    choose save as
  4. In Save As Type, select txt.
    select txt in save as type
  5. Right-click, then select Open with WordPad.
    open with WordPad

Open MSG without Outlook using a browser

  1. Start with double-clicking on the MSG file.
    select MSG file
  2. It will open in Microsoft Outlook.
    select Outlook option
  3. With the email open, click on the file menu in the top left, and now select Choose as.
    select email
  4. In the Save As Type dropdown menu, choose HTML. Then select a location, give a name to your file, and save the file.
    save as
  5. Go to the folder where you have saved the file, then right-click on the HTML file and choose Open with browser (Chrome, Edge, or Firefox).
    save file with a name

Drawbacks of Manual Methods

  • Risk of security and privacy: When you use online tools, they ask you to upload your MSG file, which may contain some personal data. You cannot do anything if someone uses your data for any fraudulent purpose. So there may be risks of data storage, sharing, or misuse of your data.
  • Issue with attachments of files: As we know, many manual methods usually don’t support viewing or downloading attachments. Emails containing attached files like PDFs, Excel sheets, etc.—those may become unreadable.
  • Basic functionality: It does not provide any options like reply, forward, or move the email. But if we see that Outlook provides all of them by importing MSG to Outlook
  • Limitations of the platform: Some desktop viewers work only on Windows. If you are currently using macOS, then there are very limited choices for you, which are often less reliable.
  • Problems in converting files: When you convert an MSG file, some parts of the email might have a change in appearance in the file. The attached links may not work properly. Important details like the sender, date, or subject could be missing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Can I open an MSG file without having Outlook?

A1. Yes, you can easily open an MSG file without Outlook by using a manual method, like using Notepad/Wordpad or a reliable professional tool mentioned above.

Q2. What is the difference between the automated and manual methods for opening MSG files?

A2. Manual methods usually provide free online tools, or they convert the MSG file to another format, such as converting MSG to PDF. Whereas, automated methods provide a pro tool or specialized software through which you can open and preview the files.

Q3. Is there any kind of risk involved in losing email content during the conversion process?

A3. Yes, it happens usually when we are using the manual method. Manual conversion usually results in listing the parts of emails, such as formatting, metadata, etc.

Conclusion

Opening an MSG file without Outlook can be accomplished in many ways. Here are a few main ways through which we can open an MSG file without Outlook. The main methods are the automated method and the manual method. In the manual method, you can use online viewers or file converters, and in the automated method, you can use the above-mentioned. Manual methods are easy and more convenient to use, but they do have some drawbacks, like problems in converting files, limitations of the platforms, and issues in attaching files. It has more compatibility with Windows only. On the other hand, automated recovery tools offer many premium features, like previewing MSG file data in multiple view modes, dual options to load files, and displaying all the MSG files. Users who want accurate, safe results can select the automated method.