Can Adobe Open .msg Files? Complete Guide

Mark Regan
Published: January 9th, 2026 • 8 Min Read

Short Summary: In this article, we will talk about a major question: Can Adobe open .msg files? We will learn how to open .msg files in Adobe Acrobat using different approaches. What are the pros and cons of both approaches, and how can we tackle them?

Why does a user want to open .msg in Adobe Acrobat? Introduction

There are many reasons to open .msg file in Adobe, as not every user wants to open MSGs in Adobe every time there are actual reasons to do that:

Firstly, Adobe is universal and easy to use. It is compatible with every device and operating system, so it becomes very easy to share and store your important MSG files.
Also, MSG files are used in evidence showcasing, compliance work, business data storing, etc., and in these types of cases, messages should be fully accessible and easy to share or read on any device.

But most importantly, the most common issue that a user faces is when a user tries to open MSG files directly. The user right-clicks on the file, and by default “Open with Adobe Acrobat” option appears on top, especially when you don’t have any email client installed on your device. Now, when you try to open .msg in Adobe, it does not support it. Here, the user gets stuck. Now let’s see how we can solve this problem.

Can Adobe open .msg files? Direct Answer

You cannot open .msg file in Adobe, as MSG files are an Outlook-specific format and Adobe Acrobat does not support MSG files directly, due to which it fails to open .msg files. But still, you can open .msg in Adobe using the “print to PDF” method using Outlook and “drag & drop” method using Word manually, or directly open by choosing the dedicated solution. Let’s see both approaches briefly and understand which method is best for whom.

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How to open .msg in Adobe Manually?

We will learn two manual ways here to open MSG files in Adobe Acrobat, first by using Outlook and another by using Word.

Method 1: Open .msg file in Adobe using Outlook

Go to your MSG files and right-click > open with > Outlook Classic.
Then, your MSG files will be opened, and now press Ctrl + P > print > Microsoft print to PDF > print.
Now, you can open and view your MSG files in Adobe easily.

Note: Firstly, this is a lengthy process; you will have to open MSG files one by one and save them as PDFs. Secondly, you should have Outlook installed and subscribed to your device to use this method.

Method 2: Open .msg in Adobe via Word

Open your MSG file in Outlook using the same step mentioned above and copy the email body.
Then, paste it in Microsoft Word > press Ctrl + P > select the Microsoft print to PDF option, and print.
Repeat the process for each MSG file and open/view in Adobe Acrobat.

Note: This is like a manual workaround to open your MSG files in Adobe. It is not at all a professional method and not advisable, as it can lead to huge data losses and disturb the original data structure.

Major Limitations of opening MSG files in Adobe

First, a major problem or drawback of this manual way is that you need Outlook to be installed; without that, it is nearly impossible to open MSGs manually.
This way is very time-consuming and does not support bulk conversion. You will have to open each file one by one first in Outlook, then in Adobe.
Most importantly, important attachments, metadata, properties, headers, etc., get easily lost while manually opening MSG files. Also, the original structure and folder hierarchy are disturbed.
Outlook or any other email client does not guarantee data security if data gets lost during the process. It is not suitable for professional or legal work as it can be a risky approach.

Note: Here we have discussed the ways to open .msg file in Adobe Acrobat, but the user’s main query was that it didn’t have any email client installed or any other platform, and when trying to open MSG files, it had the option of Adobe, but it didn’t; supported directly. So, basically, the user wants to open MSG in Adobe but cannot open it, which means there is still an issue. To solve this, we have one more way that can be used to solve this problem.

Can Adobe Acrobat Open .msg files Directly in Bulk? Verified Solution

YES. You can directly open .msg in Adobe using the automated MSG to PDF converter in bulk, without losing attachments or metadata. To overcome the manual limitations, this smart way will allow you to open your MSGs into Adobe in one go while preserving data elements and original folder hierarchy. You do not need to install Outlook or any other email platform when using this tool. In a few clicks, you will be able access your MSG files in Adobe Acrobat.

How to Open .msg file in Adobe using the Expert Tool? Steps

Firstly, install the software on your device and click Next to run it.
Then, choose the “select files” or “select folders” option to browse and add MSG files in bulk. Select the scattered folder, and it will automatically sync and display the entire MSG data.
After that, you will see various options like convert attachments as PDF to change all the attachments in PDF, and “black & white mode” to make your PDF more secure and non-searchable.
Then, select your destination path and file naming options to finally convert and then open .msg in Adobe.
In this optional step, you can choose your required settings, like exclude meta headers, print documents, save attachments, and many more features for a specific type of conversion in bulk.
Lastly, just hit the convert button, and it is ready to open in Adobe Acrobat.

Core Features of the Professional Software

It properly maintains the original hierarchy and folder structure throughout the process. When you add your MSG data, it displays in the original hierarchy of the folders, sub-folders, and files. Where you can easily select and deselect according to the requirement.
All the attachments, metadata, headers, links, images, and other attributes are converted along with the MSGs without losing any data. It is a fully secure tool and does not save the data in its own environment.
It is a fully-desktop based and does not upload data on cloud, which makes it a safer option to use. The tool works offline without internet connectivity and Outlook dependency.
The software has advanced settings like excluding meta headers, printing documents, advanced mode, saving attachments, etc., from which you can convert your data precisely and open .msg in Adobe. You can also request more features.

Which Approach is the Best? Final Verdict

In conclusion, in the blog to answer the query can Adobe open MSG file we have two verdicts: if you are a normal user having a few .msg files to view in Adobe, then you should use the manual way. But if you are a user with large MSG data with a complex hierarchy, or you are an IT admin, investigator, or lawyer with some sensitive data, choose the smart solution to open .msg in Adobe Acrobat, as it is the safest and fastest method compared to the manual ones.

FAQs

What programs can open .msg files?

You can open and import MSG files into Outlook easily, as MSG files are Outlook supported format.

Can Adobe Acrobat open .msg files directly with attachments?

Adobe alone cannot directly open .msg files as it does not support Outlook formats. But by using the automated converter, you can convert your MSG into PDF in one go and view all the files in Adobe Acrobat easily

Do I need Outlook on my device to open MSG in Adobe?

If you’re going for the manual way, then yes. But if you are opening via an expert tool, then you don’t need any email client or email platform to open .msg in Adobe Acrobat.