Many users need to save some messages a folder on their computer or a file server. While you can just drag and drop messages from Outlook to the file system, this method creates *.MSG files – these are Outlook message files and only Outlook can open them.
If you need to open the message on a computer without Outlook, you will need to save the messages in a universal format, such as Text, HTML, or PDF.
You can use the Save as command to save individual messages in Text or HTML format. To save multiple messages, you’ll need to use VBA or a utility. See Tools for a list of utilities that can automate the process and save messages in a variety of formats. Several replicate your Outlook folder structure, which is handy if you are archiving the messages.
| Text | You can save individual messages in Text format (.txt). When you select several messages, the only option is to as text. This creates one long text file containing the selected messages. |
| HTML | File, Save as will allow you to save HTML formatted messages as HTML pages. Outlook 2007/2010 include “support files” for HTML messages. See Save Message as HTML (and delete the folder) for the steps needed to delete the support files.MHT file type will save a single file that is viewed in a browser. |
| Adobe Acrobat can save messages in a “PDF package”. The selected messages (and attachments, if any) are saved in one PDF. Each message is a separate page (or pages) and indexed in the PDF table of contents. It’s pretty cool, but you need to own Acrobat.If you have a PDF printer installed, you can print to PDF. The result is not as nice as the PDF package, but it works. | |
| Print to Electronic Image | You can print to any electronic format printer you have installed. In general, text in images is not searchable unless you have an OCR program installed that can search image documents. |
Tools in the Spotlight
HTML Email Archiver works with all types of Microsoft Outlook folders and archives Outlook items to HTML format or platform-dependent CHM format. This allows you to publish Microsoft Outlook folders on the Internet, or move data from Microsoft Outlook onto other software and hardware platforms, including mobile devices. These archives reproduce the structure of Microsoft Outlook folders, can contain messages or other elements in any language and with any types of attachments, support sorting by several criteria and can be searched with advanced options. |
Tools
Archive Outlook data as individual files, preserving the Outlook folder structure. | |
Outlook archiving tool that allows you to store messages with the same folder structure as Outlook, keep archives on CD-ROM, maintain up to 10 archive databases, search archived messages, and compress them to save space. | |
Irradiant's eFiler software is a plug in toolbar for Outlook which enables emails to be filed as msg files into network folders very easily and it also has a very powerful search tool which makes finding emails fast. eFiler allows a list of filing locations to be built up and associates email addresses with filing locations so the location the user needs is always at the top of the list. There is a filter to make finding a location fast and foolproof. Locations can be given friendly names to replace hard-to-read UNC paths. eFiler's search tool is very powerful and returns results quickly. | |
Copies key Outlook email properties to an Access or MySQL database. May also work with other ODBC databases. Triggers Outlook security prompt. Free. | |
MailToFile for MS Outlook is the integrated solution for filing emails outside your Outlook application. You can store your emails directly into a customer or project folder, with only a few mouse clicks. An archived message doesn't change: it remains a regular email! You can easily open, reply and forward all messages. With MailToFile you always have all your digital correspondence filed together. | |
MessageSave is an Outlook add-in for archiving and saving email messages. This powerful and intuitive plugin supports msg, txt, eml and mbox formats. It enables manual, rule-based and schedule-based operation. Use MessageSave to save e-mail messages for archiving, data retention, regulatory compliance, document management, backup, email sharing and exporting Outlook email to other mail clients, such as Mac Mail.app. Version 4.0.4.303. | |
Document Exporter brings PDF, XPS and other widely used formats such as DOC, MHT and HTML to Outlook 2007 enabling you to save or simply attach your emails as PDF/XPS. You can batch convert multiple mail (or post) items to multiple file documents in a single-click. Additionally, you can merge and save multiple related mail (or post) items to a single file document. Whatever the technique you use, Document Exporter preserves all the inline/embedded images, hyperlinks in the generated documents. | |
Exports Outlook messages to a text file with complete Internet headers. Visual Basic 6.0 source code included. | |
Sperry Software is now beta testing a new add-in, Save As PDF. This add-in for Microsoft Outlook saves emails and their attachments as PDF files. Useful for project or case backups, legal discovery, and more, the add-in can convert emails, Word docs, Excel files, and many more formats without the need of a PDF printer driver. This new tool is only for Outlook 2007 or Outlook 2010 (either 32-bit or 64-bit). | |
Sharepoint Upload is a command line freeware tool (with .NET source) that can extract e-mails from PST, Public Folders, and Exchange Mailboxes and place on a file system in MSG format (using Redemption). The extracted files are compatible to SharePoint naming conventions. |
More Information
Housekeeping and Message Management – Outlook
Attachment Management Tools
SaveAs Method (MSDN)
Save Message as HTML (and delete the folder)
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Last reviewed on Dec 14, 2011
1) I have tries several time to save e-mails to my files. but every time I am clicking on “save file” tool it disappear. When I am marking the e-mail I want to save, and scrolling to the desired file, it does not work at all.
2) After having red an e-mail I cannot go back to the in-box. Instead I have to click to the “enter” for inbox.
My experiemce of the new EMAIL ! system is that it is too slow and too complicated to handle in many aspects. Some is very simple, i.e. enclosing pictures from my “My pictures”.
Awaiting your reply soonest possible
Kind Regards