Convert MSG to PST — Merge Outlook Messages into a PST Archive

Hundreds of individual .msg files scattered across folders make searching, archiving, and migrating email nearly impossible. Each MSG file holds a single message, so managing thousands of them means navigating an endless directory tree. Total Mail Converter solves this by merging MSG files into organized PST archives that Outlook opens directly.

• Merges hundreds or thousands of MSG files into a single PST archive
• Preserves sender, recipient, date, subject, body, and attachments
• No Outlook installation required for conversion
• Groups messages by source folder structure inside the PST
• Command-line interface for batch scripting and automation
• 30-day free trial — no credit card or email required

Download Total Mail Converter and consolidate your MSG files into clean PST archives today.

 

MSG vs PST: What Is the Difference?

MSG is Outlook's single-message file format. When you drag an email from Outlook to a Windows folder, it creates a .msg file containing one message — headers, body text, and attachments packed into a Microsoft OLE Compound Document (binary structured storage). MSG files are useful for saving or forwarding individual emails, but they were never designed for bulk storage. A folder with 5,000 MSG files is hard to search, slow to browse, and painful to migrate.

PST (Personal Storage Table) is Outlook's archive database. A single PST file can hold thousands of emails organized in a folder hierarchy, along with contacts, calendar items, and tasks. The Unicode PST format (used since Outlook 2003) supports files up to 50 GB. Outlook opens PST files natively — just double-click or use File → Open → Outlook Data File.

MSG files work for one-off message storage. PST works for organized archiving at scale. If you have a collection of MSG files and need them in a single searchable archive that Outlook can open directly, converting MSG to PST is the practical solution.

How to Convert MSG to PST

• Step 1. Launch Total Mail Converter. Click Add files to select individual MSG files, or click Add folder to scan an entire directory (including subfolders) for .msg files.
• Step 2. The converter lists all loaded messages with sender, subject, and date columns. Select the messages you want to convert, or click Check All for a full batch.
• Step 3. Click the PST button in the format toolbar at the top of the window.
• Step 4. Set the destination path and filename for the output PST file.
• Step 5. Configure options: merge all messages into one PST, group by source folder, select which fields to export (sender, date, subject, body, attachments), and set file naming rules.
• Step 6. Press Start. The converter processes all selected MSG files and writes them into the PST archive.

Once conversion finishes, open Outlook and go to File → Open & Export → Open Outlook Data File. Select the PST you just created. All converted messages appear in Outlook's folder pane, fully searchable and organized.

Command-Line Conversion

Total Mail Converter includes a command-line executable for scripted and automated conversion. Merge all MSG files in a folder into a single PST:

MailConverter.exe "C:\Emails\*.msg" -sPST "C:\Output\archive.pst"

Wrap this command in a .bat file or a Windows Task Scheduler job to run recurring merges automatically. Point the script at different source folders to create separate PST archives per department, project, or date range — all without opening the GUI.

Why Use Total Mail Converter?

Merge thousands of MSG into one PST. Select 50 or 50,000 MSG files and combine them into a single PST archive. No file count limit, no size cap beyond the 50 GB PST format maximum.

No Outlook required for conversion. Total Mail Converter reads MSG files and writes PST output using its own engine. You do not need Outlook installed on the machine that performs the conversion. Outlook is only needed when you want to open the resulting PST file.

Full metadata preservation. Sender, recipient, CC, BCC, date, subject, message body (HTML and plain text), and all file attachments survive the conversion intact. The PST archive is a faithful copy of your original messages.

Folder grouping. Organize messages inside the PST by replicating the source folder structure. If your MSG files are sorted into folders by year, client, or project, the PST mirrors that hierarchy.

Batch processing without limits. Process an entire folder tree of MSG files in one run. The converter handles files in sequence with low memory usage, so even very large collections complete without errors.

Multiple output formats. Besides PST, Total Mail Converter also exports MSG files to PDF, DOC, HTML, TXT, TIFF, EML, and other formats. One tool covers all your email conversion needs.

Manual Import vs Total Mail Converter

Feature	Manual Outlook Import	Total Mail Converter
Batch import	One MSG at a time (drag & drop)	Unlimited — entire folders at once
Outlook required	Yes — must be installed and running	No — standalone converter
Folder structure	Manual sorting after import	Automatic folder grouping
Speed (1,000 files)	30+ minutes of manual work	Under 2 minutes
Automation	Not available	Built-in command line
Field selection	No control	Choose which fields to include
Pricing	Requires Outlook license	One-time $59.90

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Total Mail Converter Customer Reviews 2026

Rate ItRated 4.7/5 based on customer reviews

"We migrated 400 users from an old Exchange server and ended up with over 30,000 MSG files dumped into network folders. Total Mail Converter merged them into PST archives grouped by department in about 20 minutes. Opened perfectly in Outlook 2021 with all attachments and folder structure intact. Saved us days of manual drag-and-drop work."

Kevin Driscoll IT Manager

"We use this for case file archiving. Attorneys save relevant emails as MSG files during discovery, and I merge them into one PST per case at the end. The metadata preservation is exact — dates, senders, CC fields all match the originals. Opposing counsel has never questioned the integrity of our archives."

Sandra Okafor Paralegal

"I had years of saved MSG files scattered across backup drives with no organization. Total Mail Converter pulled them all into a few clean PST files that I can actually search in Outlook. Conversion was fast and nothing was lost. My only wish is a built-in preview pane so I could glance at message content before converting, but that is a minor thing."

Thomas Brennan Freelance Consultant

MSG to PST Conversion: FAQ ▼