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MSG TXT
File conversion

Convert MSG to TXT

Verified by Adam B.· reviewed by FE Editorial ·updated Sep 4, 2026
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Is it possible to convert MSG to TXT?
Yes - MSG converts to TXT.

In Outlook, open the .msg and use File > Save As > Text Only (.txt) to export headers and body as plain text. PstViewer Pro (EML Viewer Pro) also exports the message body directly to .txt. Renaming the file from .msg to .txt does not work - it produces binary garbage.

1 programs
Also to TXT: RTF · KKSRC · HVE

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Tested on macOS, Windows & Linux
Last verified Sep 2026

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Why convert MSG to TXT?

An .msg file is a binary OLE container that stores one Outlook email. Plain text is universally readable in any editor on any operating system, easy to search, and easy to import into other tools. People extract MSG content to .txt when they need only the email body and metadata without formatting or attachments.

How to convert MSG to TXT

PstViewer Pro (EML Viewer Pro) APP

Open the .msg in PstViewer Pro and use the export option to save the message body as a plain text .txt file.

Microsoft Outlook APP

Open the .msg in Outlook, go to File > Save As, set the type to Text Only (.txt), and save.

Programs that convert MSG

PstViewer Pro (EML Viewer Pro)

About these formats

.MSG Outlook Message (Microsoft Outlook saved email)

An MSG file is one email - with subject, sender, recipients, body, and any attachments - saved from Microsoft Outlook in Outlook's proprietary binary format. On Windows, double-click it in…

Open .MSG details →
.TXT Plain Text File

A TXT file is plain, unformatted text - the simplest document format on any computer. Double-click it: Windows opens it in Notepad, macOS in TextEdit, Linux in gedit. Nothing to install. If…

Open .TXT details →

Quality & what to watch

  • Renaming .msg to .txt produces binary garbage - MSG is a Compound File Binary container, not a text file, and requires a parser to read.
  • Converting to TXT drops HTML/RTF formatting, inline images, and all attachments; only the plain text body is preserved.
  • Outlook's File > Save As TXT includes email headers (From, To, Subject, Date) at the top of the output file.

Frequently asked questions

Why doesn't renaming .msg to .txt work?
MSG is a Microsoft Compound File Binary container; its content is stored as binary streams that require a parser, not a plain-text reader.
Are attachments included in the TXT output?
No - TXT is plain text only; all attachments are dropped and must be saved separately from the viewer.
If I need formatting or attachments preserved, what should I use instead?
Convert to PDF to keep the visual layout, or to EML to keep the full MIME structure including attachments.