How to open MSG files in Office 365: Methods Explained in Detail

MSG files are commonly encountered by users of Microsoft Outlook. These are a type of email files that save messages, attachments, formatting, and metadata. But, what happens when yoI u need to open the MSG files in Office 365? This can be a puzzling task, even for users who have a lot of experience with several file formats that Outlook uses.

How to open MSG files in Office 365 is a very common query for users who need to migrate from the Outlook desktop versions to Office 365 which is cloud-based. Several manual methods can be used to help with this query. Whether a user is dealing with a single file or wants to migrate hundreds of files at once. This guide will help you consider all the options so that you can make an informed decision to migrate your files without any loss of data.

Opening MSG files in Office 365 

To open MSG files in Office 365, you can manually drag and drop your files into the configured Outlook folder. The MSG files get created whenever an email message, a calendar entry, or a contact gets saved in Outlook file format. In addition to that, they also are rich in metadata, attachments, and original formatting which means it’s a good alternative for keeping emails from being displayed in your inbox. But if you are working on the cloud environment or are using a device that doesn’t have Outlook desktop client installed opening them directly within Office 365 may prove to be problematic.

Here are the steps to Open MSG files manually in Office 365: 

1. Initially, you will have to make sure that your Office 365 account settings are correct in the Outlook application present on your device.
2. Then in Outlook, create a folder where to keep your MSG files.
3. Now drag and drop the MSG file into the folder that you just created within Outlook and it should open without any hitches.
4. Finally, this allows you to have access to the document through various gadgets since an automatic synchronization takes place between Office 365 and your Outlook.

Why do Users Prefer Office 365?

Office 365 has become one of the most famous email services that is used by professionals due to its variety of features. These users prefer the use of Office 365 to fulfill the communication as well as email requirements. Office 365 is a subscription-based cloud email service so that all of the files can be accessed at any time and from any location. Many features are advantageous to users which is why users want to open MSG files in Office 365. 

1. Office 365 offers a huge variety of applications such as Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, and more. 
2. It is a cloud-based email app that can be accessible from any location using the login credentials of the user. 
3. Office 365 can integrate with other services such as email, video conferencing, messaging,  and sharing of documents. This makes the communication among the users seamless. 
4. Users who have a subscription to Office 365, always get access to the latest features, improvements, and security patches. This is done automatically without the need to manually install them. 
5. Microsoft 365 applications are optimized for various devices. This ensures a consistent experience for users across different types of devices. 

Manual Methods to Import MSG Files in Office 365

If you are unable to open MSG files in Outlook, then you can follow the steps given below. After this, anyone can easily import the MSG files into Outlook 365 admin and user accounts. 

1. Open the Outlook app on your computer. 
2. You can now add and configure the destination Office 365 account using IMAP. 
3. Now, wait for the downloading and the syncing of the emails. 
4. You can now select the email account that is configured with Office 365, and right-click on it. 
5. Select the new folder option, and rename it. 
6. Drag and drop the MSG files to the recently created folder. 
7. You can now see the MSG emails under the MSG files folder. 
8. Select the send and receive option from the Outlook ribbon and then click on the send/receive all folders option. 
9. Now, the Outlook application will sync with the Office 365 account and will create the same folder in Office 365 which also includes the email messages. 
10. Lastly, after you complete the sync process, you can see the MSG files in Office 365.

Manual Method Limitations

On your PC, install the desktop version of Outlook, which is currently free to use. However, the free version only allows a few MSG files to be opened in Office 365 due to slow sync times. 

It is mandatory to have technical expertise in configuring accounts, IMAP sync, and dragging and dropping files. Because there are many stages involved, this is a lengthy and time-consuming process for opening an MSG file with Microsoft Office 365.

Using an Automated Tool to Import MSG Files to Office 365

You can download one of the best-automated tools in the industry which is the SysTools MSG to Office 365 Importer. This software supports all emails, contacts, calendars, tasks, and more in .msg format. Users can migrate multiple folders that contain the MSG files at once. The tool always retains the internal hierarchy of the folder throughout the import process. There are several other benefits of using this tool which are discussed below:

1. Allows users to import the MSG file data to Office 365 securely. 
2. Offers users the option to import data from MSG to Office 365 mailbox. 
3. Helps users import MSG files to Office 365 with attachments. 
4. Delta import feature allows users to import newly arrived data. 
5. Provides users with priority settings to set the order of files before initiating the import process. 
6. Retains the metadata of the MSG files after the completion of the process. 

Steps to open MSG file in Office 365 using the automated tool: 

• Download and run the tool

• Choose MSG as the source and Office 365 as the destination. 

• Select the Email option under workload.

• Select the path where the MSG files are saved. 

• Enter the Office 365 admin email and application ID for the destination and validate them. 

• In the users' screen, choose from the Fetch Users, Import Users, and Download Users options. 

• Now the list of all the source users is going to be displayed on the screen.

• Finally, click on the start import process.

Common Issues That Users Face When Opening MSG Files

 After following the proper manual steps to MSG files in Office 365, users can occasionally experience problems. These issues often occur due to outdated software. If a user is using outdated software, then you could suffer from file compatibility issues and corrupted files. Fortunately, most of these problems can easily be resolved. Here are some of the most common errors and how you can easily solve them: 

• Outdated Office 365 or Outlook Software

One of the main reasons why users have trouble opening MSG files in Office 365 is using outdated software. If users are using an older version, then the MSG files created especially in the newer versions will fail to open. The resolution to this is to update the applications to the newest versions which will resolve the compatibility issues. 

• Corruption of Files

MSG files can get corrupted during their import, or their incorrect use. These files may not correctly open, or wouldn’t open at all. If you have received the MSG file as an email attachment, then you can ask the sender to resend the file. 

• Compatibility of File Format

MSG files are saved in either the ANSI or Unicode format. Unicode is the default for modern versions of Outlook. However, this file was created in older versions of Outlook using ANSI. This may not open in newer versions of Office 365 environments. You can convert the MSG files to the Unicode format. Users can also use the SysTools MSG Converter tool which helps them to convert the file to a format that is compatible with Office 365. 

• Cannot Open MSG File Error

Some of the users encounter error messages that say “cannot open MSG file”. You can restart the Office 365 application and ensure that they have permission to access the files. You can also check the path file that ensures that the MSG files are not stored in a network or restricted location. 

Conclusion

In this article, we have provided users with solutions to open msg files in Office 365. The manual method allows to import of MSG files into Outlook 365, but there are some limitations to this. By using professional apps, users can complete this process without any issues. We also discuss the process of using these automated tools. The user doesn’t have to have any technical skills to perform this process. We also provide a demo version of this software so that you can be completely satisfied with the functions of this tool before purchasing the application where you would be able to transfer unlimited emails. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 

Q1. Is it possible to open MSG files directly in Office 365?

Unfortunately, it is not possible to open MSG files without using Outlook in Office 365. The best way is to import them to the Outlook app or use third-party tools that convert MSG files to formats compatible with Office 365.

Q2. How do I convert MSG files to Office 365?

For converting the MSG file format, you can simply drag and drop it into the Outlook app which automatically synchronizes it with Office 365 or any other third-party conversion software such as SysTools MSG Converter for bulk importing several number of msg formats at once.

Q3. Why can’t I open MSG files using Office 365?

There are several potential reasons for this including software that is not updated, corrupted files or there might be incompatible file formats like Unicode and ANSI. Make sure that both your Outlook as well as Office 365 applications are updated latest.

Q4. Is there an option to open MSG files in Office 365 for free?

Yes, the manual drag-and-drop method in Outlook is free; however, if you have many such files then free third-party tools may have limitations or may need an upgrade to unlock full functionality.