‘MSG Files are not Opening in Outlook’

This article focuses on the solution to the problem of not opening MSG files in Outlook. You will get a simple solution to resolve this problem.

MSG files contain individual message details and are used in MS Outlook. But sometimes, users face issues in opening MSG files in Outlook. If you are also struggling with this problem, then you can check the solutions in this post. We will also know the reasons behind this issue.

Table of Contents

Main reasons: MSG files are not opening in Outlook

Below are the major reasons for not opening MSG files in Outlook:

Incorrect configuration of Outlook
If the MSG file is already opened in Outlook and the user is trying to open it again
Damaged or corrupted MSG files
If you can’t access or open MSG files due to permission issues
If MSG files are in Unicode format and you are trying to open them with Outlook 2003 or earlier versions.

How do I resolve the ‘MSG files are not opening in Outlook’ issue?

Here are some troubleshooting methods to use when you face the ‘MSG file fails to open in Outlook’ issue.

1. Change Outlook Configuration

Below are the steps:

Open the Outlook application
Hit the ‘File’ tab
Pick ‘Account Settings’ from the drop-down list
Now, pick the email account that you are using and hit ‘Change’
Provide a password in the window that pop-up
Outlook will test the account settings
Press ‘Next’ and then hit the ‘Finish’ button
Finally, hit the ‘Close’ button.

2. Use the correct Outlook version to open MSG files

You can check the version of Outlook. It must be compatible with opening your MSG files.

Know the version of Outlook
After that, use a similar version of Outlook to open MSG files

Remember that you can’t have two Outlook versions on one device. So, you have two choices:

Option 1. Uninstall the current version before installing the new version.
Option 2. Install Outlook on a different computer and try opening MSG files.

3. Check for file corruption

If your MSG files are corrupted or damaged, you may face trouble in opening them with Outlook. To resolve the corruption of MSG files, you can use the options below:

Inbox Repair Tool (ScanPST.exe) of Outlook: This tool will help you fix minor corruptions of MSG files.
File Repair Tool: You can use specialized software that can directly repair corrupt MSG files.

4. Try opening MSG files manually

You can try opening MSG files manually. In some cases, Outlook is not the default client, and there is no relevant application to open MSG files.

Right-click on the MSG files on your system.
Pick ‘Open With’ and select the Outlook option.

You can also set Outlook as the default application to open the file by double-clicking on it. To do so, enable the ‘Always use this app to open MSG files’ option.

5. Disabling Add-Ins

To identify the reason, you can try disabling add-ins one by one to resolve this problem.

In Outlook, go to the ‘File’ tab and choose the ‘Options’
Now, pick ‘Add-ins’
You will see ‘Manage’ at the bottom. Select ‘COM Add-Ins‘ and hit ‘Go’
Now, uncheck all add-ins and hit ‘OK.’
Then, restart MS Outlook and check for the issue.

6. Update Windows and Office

In case you are facing issues opening MSG files, you can try updating your Windows and Office apps.

Update Windows:

Open Settings by pressing the Win key + I
Then, go to Windows update
Now, check for the updates and install them. After this, restart your computer.

Update Office:

Open the Office app and then go to the library
Now, look for the apps and install them from the store

Expert Solution to fix the ‘MSG files are not opening in Outlook’ issue

If after implementing the above methods, you are still experiencing the ‘MSG files are not opening in Outlook’ problem, then you must try the automated solutions suggested by experts. One such solution is Softaken MSG Converter.

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This is a safe and reliable solution that will back up your MSG files into any file or document format. It smoothly runs with different versions of Windows.

You don’t need any additional app to use this program. With its free demo, you can properly analyze its working and performance before purchasing.

Frequent Questions Asked by Users

Ques: How do I repair corrupted MSG files?

Ans: By using the Outlook Inbox Repair Tool or specialized tools to repair MSG files, one can fix corrupted and damaged MSG files.

Ques: What should I do if Outlook is not supporting my MSG files?

Ans: You must check the current version of Outlook. If still you face issues, then try converting the MSG file format to another format like PST, EML, etc.

Conclusion

Facing the issue ‘MSG files are not opening in Outlook’ is frustrating for users. Hence, this post will help you to know the causes and fixes. As per the issue, you can check the discussed solutions. With these tips, you will surely get rid of this issue and can open MSG files smoothly with Outlook.