How Do I Open a .msg File in Office 365 Windows?

Admin | How to's msg outlook 365 Software Technology | 5 minutes read | Modified on: 04-06-2026

Users nowadays, prefer to have more organized cloud based emails. However, that is not the case always, since users receive huge volumes of emails every day from varied sources, some are more crucial than the others. And thus, they ask this question “ how do I open a .msg file in Office 365 Windows?” 

Therefore, most users prefer to migrate  their MSG files to a cloud web mail such as Office 365; because sometimes, accessing scattered individual email messages such as .msg files can become a nightmare for an individual, especially in an email client that is not cloud based.

In this article, we will discuss the “What”, “Why” and “How” of converting a .msg file to Office 365 in Windows. The manual approaches a user can take and the drawbacks of choosing the manual methods, and also a better as well as faster approach to import the MSG files.

What is an MSG File?

Microsoft Outlook and Exchange employ the MSG file format (.msg) to store individual emails, appointments, contacts, tasks, or calendar entries. 

What is Office 365?

Microsoft 365 is a cloud-based subscription service that was once called Office 365. A suite of high-end productivity apps (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), safe cloud storage (OneDrive), real-time collaboration tools, and integrated AI helpers take the role of conventional one-time software purchases. 

The Advantages of Migrating to Office 365

  • Transferring .msg files to Office 365 helps improve productivity, consolidates crucial emails in one place, and protects the data from loss as well as unethical hacking.
  • Using Office 365 helps sync emails across platforms like phones, tablets, PC, etc. so users stay connected with their data from anywhere, anytime.
  • Users can easily scan through their crucial data using the “Search” feature. 
  • Office 365 seamless works with other Microsoft apps and services, boosting users’ workflow.
  • Outlook’s shared mailbox and collaboration capabilities make it simple for teams to share and manage emails.

These benefits clearly indicate why moving MSG files to Office 365 is more practical for individuals and businesses.

How Do I Open a .msg File in Office 365 Windows? An Overview of Approaches

A user’s technical expertise along with the volume of MSG files they have, there are three manual approaches a user can choose from. 

  • Import via Outlook Desktop: If users have moderate amounts of MSG files.
  • Drag and Drop: To import some MSG files.
  • A Professional Software: For bulk, complex imports, and if users want to minimize manual efforts.

Let’s explore the manual methods first and then the professional approach.

Method 1: Drag and Drop MSG Files into Office 365 

This method is appropriate for users if they have a few MSG files that they want to convert. For this users need the MS Outlook for desktop.

  1. Install and launch MS Outlook on the device.
  2. Move to the folder where the MSG files are stored in the computer.
  3. Select the MSG files to import to Outlook.
  4. Press and hold the chosen files, then drag them to an open folder inside Microsoft Outlook.
  5. Let go of the mouse button,to drop the files into the selected folder.  

Method 2: Copy and Paste Approach to Transfer MSG Files to Office 365

To import MSG into Office 365, users can choose to use the Copy & Paste option:

  1. Go to the folder on your computer where the MSG files are stored.
  2. Choose the MSG files to bring to Outlook.
  3. Right-click the chosen files and select Copy, or just press Ctrl+C.
  4. Next, open Microsoft Outlook and choose the folder where users want the emails to appear.
  5. Right-click in that folder and select Paste, or press Ctrl + V.

Things to Consider Before Choosing the Manual Methods

Before a user chooses to rely fully on manual approaches, here are a few key points they should be aware of:

  • Initially, manual steps may seem easy, but they often fail for bulk or organized imports.
  • Outlook distorts the original folder formatting during drag-and-drop.
  • Some emails may lose crucial credentials like date, category, or attachments.
  • Users need to have Outlook installed and configured to use the manual methods.
  • Chances to filter files or skip duplicates while importing are scarce.

Users handling a few files, the manual way can be considered. But for batch imports or business use, the approaches are risky due to the above mentioned drawbacks. Hence, users prefer to move to the automated solution.  

Method 3: Simplified Approach to Convert MSG Files to Office 365

For users dealing with a substantial volume of MSG files to import or when the manual approaches are not working, then the best alternative approach is to use an automated software such as the CubexSoft MSG to Office 365 Converter. It effortlessly converts the .msg files without data corruption or loss. Thus, this approach helps users with their question “how do I open a .msg file in Office 365 Windows?” using a faster and more efficient tool.

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Steps to Import MSG Files in Office 365 Using the Tool

  1. Install and open the MSG Converter Tool.
  2. Go to Add Files or Add Folders.
  3. Select the MSG files from your computer.
  4. Choose the files from the folders list.
  5. Click “Export”.
  6. Now, “Select Saving Options” > choose “Office 365” .
  7. Enter Office 365 account credentials. 
  8. Optionally, choose from “Advanced Filter Options”
  9. Hit “Convert”.

Advantages of Using Automated Tool to Convert MSG Files to Office 365

  • Support for Bulk Import: Thousands of MSG files convert quickly and move into a single Outlook 365 mailbox.  
  • Direct Login into Office 365: Users don’t need to convert to PST separately; they can log in and import directly into their 365 account. 
  • Maintains Folder Hierarchy: The original folder layout remains intact for seamless email management post conversion. 
  • Preserves Metadata: Essential email properties like subject, date, sender, attachments, and formatting remain as they were before conversion.
  • Compatible without MS Outlook: Users don’t need to have MS Outlook installed on their computers before they can use the converter software.

Final Thoughts

Throughout this article, we tried answering the question “how do I open a .msg file in Office 365 Windows?” Some are just more useful than others. Users have to decide whether they want to go with the manual approaches, which have their own challenges or use a professional tool like MSG to Office 365 Tool, which has multiple benefits as discussed above.

Note: Users can also try MSG File Converter to convert MSG to PDF, PST, EML, MBOX, IMAP, Gmail, Yahoo, Thunderbird, Office 365, Exchange Server, etc.