What is a .MSG file?
MSG is a saved Outlook email or appointment, attachments and all. Created by Microsoft Outlook.
- Did you know
- An MSG file preserves a complete Outlook item outside the mailbox.
- An MSG file is a COM structured-storage compound document - the same OLE container Word and Excel use - holding the item’s MAPI properties as streams.
- Because the MAPI properties are kept as separate streams, an MSG can hold the body as plain text, HTML and RTF at once, plus every attachment.
- What Analyser reads
- Open personal-information files: iCalendar .ics/.ical and .vcs (events, times, recurrence, organiser/attendees), vCard .vcf contacts (fields + inline base64 photo), LDIF directory exports and Windows .contact - with Outlook .msg/.pst, IBM Notes .nsf, Exchange .edb and Outlook Express .dbx identified. Email messages (.eml/.emlx/.mbox) now open in a full viewer - see Email above.
- Depth of analysis
- .MSG is an identification-grade format: Analyser recognises it from its bytes and decodes the header metadata it carries, rather than opening it in a full viewer. Formats that do get a full viewer are marked "Full" on the formats page.
- Open a .MSG file
- Drag a .MSG file onto the Analyser home page (or tap to pick one). It is identified entirely in your browser - nothing is uploaded, there is no account, and it works offline once installed.