Data migration is undertaken for different reasons, but moving old emails into a new system can be tricky. Even though the same email client uses both formats, the conversion may be a hassle. Fortunately, there are ways to get the job done easily. Discover them below.
Peculiarities of the Format
You may transfer these files in seconds using an MSG file converter or take a lengthy and tedious manual path. MSG is how Outlook stores emails and other objects like tasks and calendars. A single file with this extension may contain one message and its attachments. It includes all related details like sender and receiver, subject and date of sending, formatting, and even hyperlinks.
Unlike *.msg data, *.pst files are folder files. It means that Outlook uses them to store larger volumes of diverse data. Such files contain mail folders and data items associated with an email account. Aside from emails, the range includes attachments, to-do items, appointments, contacts, and more.
Consider the following situation. Suppose you have a few thousand old emails sitting in your hard drive, and you want to import them into Outlook. Each of the files is in the *.msg format, and the overall size is 30 GB. The system allows two options.
1. View Each File in Outlook
The client may open every message so you can view it. Importing does not happen, so you cannot send or edit the content. If you had a dozen emails, you could drag and drop them separately and move into Outlook. In our case, this would take ages. Accuracy is not guaranteed, either. Of course, if you are hell-bent on doing everything manually, you may accomplish the goal.
2. Manage All Files in Outlook
The best solution is by conversion to PST, another format used by the mail client. All of your emails will become a single file. With an efficient converter, you should get the job done in no time. Such software will transform all messages and feed them into the mail system.
The Easiest Method
When users google ways to move their files, this means their data is valuable. Dedicated utilities reduce the process to a few simple steps. All you need to do is:
- pick the source folder containing your MSG data,
- select conversion options, and
- launch the transfer.
Manually dealing with the task does not guarantee the integrity of data or its structure. Automatically, you can transfer messages, attachments, contacts, notes, tasks, calendars, etc. When there are hundreds of files, you get the result in seconds instead of hours. There is no need to outsource to third parties, so cost savings are also possible.
The Bottom Line
As you can see, the batch transfer is complicated without special tools. If you want quick and accurate results for large-volume migration, consider getting a specific utility. Most popular tools have a trial period so, you can test their capabilities for free.