How to Convert Email to DOC

Emails locked inside an inbox are hard to share, archive, or review without a mail client. When you need to hand correspondence to a colleague, attach it to a legal case, or store it for compliance, Word DOC is the format everyone can open. Total Mail Converter reads EML and MSG files directly from disk, converts them to DOC with full control over layout and content, and handles hundreds of emails in a single batch.

Email vs DOC: Why Convert?

EML and MSG are standard formats for individual email messages. EML (RFC 5322) is used by Thunderbird, Windows Mail, and most IMAP clients. MSG is Microsoft Outlook's proprietary container. Both store headers, text or HTML body, and attachments — but require an email client or a dedicated viewer to open.

DOC is the Microsoft Word binary document format. It opens in Word, LibreOffice, Google Docs, and dozens of other applications. DOC files support formatting, tables, images, and page layout. Unlike EML/MSG, they can be printed, annotated, and shared without any special software.

Feature	EML / MSG	DOC
Content type	Structured email (headers, body, attachments)	Formatted document (text, tables, images)
Opens in	Email client (Outlook, Thunderbird)	Word, LibreOffice, Google Docs, any office app
Editable	Only in a mail client	Yes — edit, annotate, add comments
Searchable	Within email client only	Full-text search in OS file explorer
Printable	Requires mail client	Direct print from any application
Attachments	Embedded inside the email	Can be embedded or referenced

Why Convert Emails to DOC?

Share without a mail client — send a DOC file to anyone. Recipients do not need Outlook or Thunderbird to read the email content.
Archive departing employees' correspondence — when an employee leaves, their mailbox gets deleted. Emails saved as DOC remain accessible to the department indefinitely.
Prepare for legal review — litigation and eDiscovery require email records in standard office formats. DOC files are accepted by courts and review platforms.
Build reports from email data — merge multiple emails into a single Word document with a table of contents. Use the result as an appendix to contracts, audits, or case files.
Full-text search on disk — Windows indexes DOC files natively. Search email content through File Explorer without opening a mail client.

How to Convert Email to DOC — Step by Step

Step 1. Open the Email Folder

Launch Total Mail Converter. The folder tree on the left shows directories containing EML and MSG files. Click a folder to list every email inside it — sender, subject, date, and size appear in the file list.

Step 2. Select Emails

Tick individual messages or click Check All to select the entire folder. You can process ten emails or ten thousand in the same operation.

Step 3. Choose DOC Format

Click the DOC button on the toolbar. The conversion wizard opens with all DOC-specific options.

Step 4. Configure Settings

Set the output folder and file naming pattern. Choose:

Separate or merged — one DOC per email, or all emails combined into a single document
Email fields — include or exclude From, To, CC, Date, Subject, Body
Table of contents — auto-generated index when merging multiple emails
Page layout — paper size, orientation, margins
Attachments — embed images into the document, save to a subfolder, or skip

Step 5. Convert

Click Start. Each email is rendered as a Word DOC file: headers at the top, formatted body below, and attachments handled according to your settings. The log confirms every processed file.

Total Mail Converter — select email files

Email to DOC conversion settings

Command-Line Conversion

Total Mail Converter includes a command-line interface for scripting and automation:

MailConverter.exe "C:\Emails\*.eml" -oDOC -d "C:\Archive\doc\"

Parameters: source files with wildcards, -oDOC sets the output format, -d specifies the destination folder. Add -merge to combine all emails into one document, -toc to generate a table of contents.

Schedule with Windows Task Scheduler for automatic nightly conversion. Wrap the command in a .bat file to chain multiple folders or formats in one run.

Online Converters vs Desktop Converter

Feature	Online Email-to-DOC Services	Total Mail Converter
Privacy	Emails are uploaded to a third-party server.	Runs locally. No data leaves your machine.
Batch mode	One file at a time, manual upload.	Entire folders, thousands of emails at once.
Merge into one DOC	Not available.	Combine any number of emails into a single document with TOC.
Field selection	No control over which fields appear.	Choose exactly which headers and content to include.
Attachments	Usually stripped or lost.	Embed, save separately, or convert (Pro version).
Automation	Not available.	Command-line interface with scheduling.
Cost	Free for small files; subscriptions for more.	One-time purchase: $59.90. Free 30-day trial.

Why Use Total Mail Converter?

Reads EML and MSG without a mail client

Total Mail Converter opens EML files from Thunderbird, Windows Mail, and Apple Mail, plus MSG files from Microsoft Outlook. No email client needs to be installed — the converter reads files directly from disk.

Merge emails into a single document

Combine hundreds of emails into one DOC file with an auto-generated table of contents. Each email becomes a section. Use the merged document as a case file, audit trail, or project archive.

Choose which fields to include

Select the email fields that matter: From, To, CC, Date, Subject, Body. Exclude irrelevant headers to keep the DOC output clean and focused on the content you need.

Handle attachments your way

Embed attached images directly into the DOC. Save other attachments to a separate folder. The Pro version converts attachments themselves to DOC, PDF, TIFF, JPEG, HTML, or TXT.

Batch processing at local speed

Select a folder with thousands of EML or MSG files and convert them all in one operation. No file-by-file uploads, no internet dependency, no size limits.

Command-line automation

Schedule email-to-DOC conversion with a .bat script and Task Scheduler. Automate nightly archiving, compliance exports, or backup workflows without manual intervention.

When Do You Need Email-to-DOC Conversion?

Employee offboarding — an employee leaves and their email account will be deleted. Convert the mailbox to DOC so the team retains access to all correspondence in a standard format.
Legal and eDiscovery — attorneys request email evidence in DOC format for review, annotation, and inclusion in court filings. Batch-convert the relevant folder and deliver a set of Word files.
Compliance audits — regulations require email retention in accessible formats. Convert quarterly email archives to DOC for long-term storage outside the mail system.
Project documentation — merge all project-related emails into a single DOC with a table of contents. Attach the document to the final project report as a communication log.
Sharing with non-technical users — a client or partner cannot open EML or MSG files. Convert the emails to DOC and send them as standard Word attachments.

Download the free 30-day trial — no email or credit card required. A personal license costs $59.90 and includes one year of free upgrades. Works on Windows 7/8/10/11.

Download Free Trial Buy License — $59.90

Total Mail Converter Customer Reviews 2026

Rate ItRated 4.7/5 based on customer reviews

"We convert thousands of EML files to DOC for case review every quarter. The merge feature is a lifesaver — all emails land in one Word document with a table of contents. Attorneys can annotate directly in Word instead of juggling individual email files. Batch mode handles entire custodian mailboxes in minutes."

5 Star Catherine Aldridge Legal Assistant, Whitfield & Barnes LLP

"When employees leave, I run Total Mail Converter on their mailbox folder and archive everything as DOC. The department keeps a searchable record without needing a mail client. The command-line interface lets me script the whole process — one .bat file per department, scheduled weekly."

5 Star Robert Engel IT Manager, Reinhardt Logistics GmbH

"Regulatory audits require us to produce email records in a format auditors can read without specialized tools. DOC works perfectly for that. Total Mail Converter preserves all headers and formatting. The only feature I would add is automatic watermarking on each page."

4 Star Anita Desai Compliance Analyst

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