How do I open a msg extension file?

[Cruella]

I saved an e-mail message from MS Windows 2000, SP4, and am trying to open it
in MS Windows XP, 2002, SP2. It's not allowing me to open an .msg extension
file. It asks for an associated program, but doesn't given me Outlook as an
option. Saving to Word results in garbage.

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

You're specifying operating systems (MS Windows 2000, SP4 and MS Windows XP,
SP2). More relevant would be exactly what email program you used. Given the
..msg extension, I'm guessing that it was Outlook.

By default, if Outlook is installed, then double-clicking on an .msg file
causes the file to be opened by Outlook. If that's not happening, then
either Outlook is not installed, or it's not installed correctly. If Outlook
works otherwise, I would try Help - Detect and Repair.

Another approach is to drag the message from a file folder into one of
Outlook's folders, and you should be able to open it from there, simply by
double-clicking.

 

[Cruella]

Thanks for the quick response and apologies for not providing the appropriate
information. The machine that I saved the e-mail message has Outlook 2000
SP-3. The machine that I'm trying to open the saved e-mail message on has
Outlook Express 6 on it. There doesn't appear to be any Help-Detect and
Repair on this package, although there is one on the regular Outlook 2000.
Dragging the file from the removable disk (where I saved the e-mail message
in message format) into Outlook Express still doesn't allow it to open; it
just causes a new e-mail message to be created with the file as an
attachment. Doesn't matter what folder I drag it into, it still does the
same thing. Any suggestions?

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

If the computer doesn't have Outlook, then that's the problem. Outlook
Express can't open an .msg file. Those files are specific to Outlook. So,
that's the problem. To open the file using OE, go back to the other computer
and save the file from Outlook in .txt format.

 

[Cruella]

Herb: Thanks again! Unfortunately, that's what I was afraid of, as I've
saved several hundred in this way. Oh well!