Msg-file details in Windows File Explorer

Sometimes I save received email messages outside of Outlook and store them directly on disk as msg-files. These messages are then stored with their filename only.

Even when looking at the properties of the file I can only see the date I stored it on the disk and can no longer see any details of the messages itself such as date received and the name of the sender without first opening the message.

Is there any way to view more details without opening the message or store these messages with more info than the subject alone?

Preview Pane buttonWhen you’ve got Outlook installed, then you can make use of the Previewer function to look at the message directly in File Explorer.

Most formatting will be left intact but things like embedded pictures will not show. Any attachments of the message will be listed as well, but you cannot open them directly from the Preview Pane though.

To enable the Preview Pane in File Explorer;

  • Windows 10
    View-> Preview Pane
  • Windows 8
    View-> Preview Pane
  • Windows 7
    Organize-> Layout-> Preview pane

Preview pane Windows 7
In Windows 7 there is a separate button to quickly toggle the Preview pane.

Export to msg-file and control file name

Add-Ins buttonAnother way to go would be to include the info in the filename itself.

If you want to do this in bulk, then it would be handier to do this via an exporter/converter add-in such as ReliefJet Essentials which contains an “Export Outlook to MSG” feature.

ReliefJet Essentials - Export Outlook to MSG
Save the messages with the predefined file name format.