Reliable Ways to Extract Attachments from Multiple MSG Files?

Written By

Nick Rogers

Published On

February 11th, 2026

Reading Time

10 Minutes Reading

Short Summary: In this article, we will see how to extract attachments from MSG files effectively using the best and most reliable approaches. You can either extract manually by using online tools or a manual workaround, or directly use the automated tool. Any IT professional, lawyer, investigator, enterprise, or any other individual can use this article as a complete guide for saving attachments from MSG files via various approaches.

An MSG file is an Outlook proprietary file format that is only accessed in Outlook and Windows operating systems. These files are used widely as it contains email messages with all the other attributes like contacts, attachments, images, calendar, hyperlinks, metadata, and other properties.

But most of the time, not every user or a company needs a complete MSG file; some demand just the attachments or only the contacts, etc. Removing large attachments reduces the size of the files, which allows users to store data more easily and securely. There are a number of ways to extract attachments from MSG files; some are manual and risky, and some are automated and secure. Let’s throw light on both aspects, through which you can decide which method to choose.

Why does a User Need to Save Attachments from MSG files?

• Reduces the overall mailbox size.
• Easy access, as it filters out the required attachments separately.
• Extract specific file types like .xlsx for data analysis.
• Users may need to save attachments separately as a PDF, DOC, or in any other easily accessible format.

Manual Methods to Get Attachments from MSG Files

Let’s discuss all three manual ways to extract attachments from MSG files briefly.

Saving Attachments from MSG via PowerShell

1. Open Notepad and paste this script into it:
   # Create Save Folder
$SavePath = "D:\Outlook\"
if (!(Test-Path $SavePath)) {
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $SavePath
}
# Start Outlook COM Object
$Outlook = New-Object -ComObject Outlook.Application
$Namespace = $Outlook.GetNamespace("MAPI")
# Mailbox Name (as shown in Outlook left pane)
$Mailbox = $Namespace.Folders.Item("jarvisjames40@outlook.com")
# Folder Name
$Folder = $Mailbox.Folders.Item("test")
# Loop Emails
foreach ($Item in $Folder.Items) {
if ($Item -is [Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.MailItem]) {
if ($Item.Attachments.Count -gt 0) {
for ($i = 1; $i -le $Item.Attachments.Count; $i++) {
$Attachment = $Item.Attachments.Item($i)
$FilePath = Join-Path $SavePath $Attachment.FileName
$Attachment.SaveAsFile($FilePath)
}
}
}
}
Write-Host "Done!"
2. Save it as save-attachments .ps1 in D drive.
3. Open Microsoft PowerShell and write “cd D:\.”
4. Enter the command PowerShell> ExecutionPolicy Bypass> File “D:\extract-attachments.ps1.”

Extract Attachments through VBA Macros

1. Firstly, drag & drop your MSG file into Outlook and save it in your desired folder.
2. Open Outlook on your device and press “Alt + F11”.
3. Click on the Insert option> Module.
4. Now, copy the given code and paste it:
   Sub ExtractAttachments_From_TestFolder()
Dim olApp As Outlook.Application
Dim olNs As Outlook.Namespace
Dim olMailbox As Outlook.MAPIFolder
Dim olFolder As Outlook.MAPIFolder
Dim olItem As Object
Dim olMail As Outlook.MailItem
Dim olAttach As Outlook.Attachment
Dim SaveFolder As String
Dim i As Long
Dim j As Long
SaveFolder = "D:\Outlook\"
Set olApp = Application
Set olNs = olApp.GetNamespace("MAPI")
Set olMailbox = olNs.Folders("jarvisjames40@outlook.com")
Set olFolder = olMailbox.Folders("test")
For i = 1 To olFolder.Items.Count
Set olItem = olFolder.Items(i)
If TypeName(olItem) = "MailItem" Then
Set olMail = olItem
If olMail.Attachments.Count > 0 Then
For j = 1 To olMail.Attachments.Count
Set olAttach = olMail.Attachments(j)
olAttach.SaveAsFile SaveFolder & olAttach.FileName
Next j
End If
End If
Next i
MsgBox "Done!"
End Sub
5. Then, Ctrl + S to save, and then press Alt + Q to close.
6. Now, press Alt + F8> click on the new macro created and hit the run button.

Extract Attachments via Outlook Drag & Drop

1. Go to your MSG file on your device and right-click> open with> Outlook.
2. Locate the attachment icon at the top of the message and right-click on the attachment, and click on Save as option.
3. Choose the destination path and save it.

Drawbacks of Using the Manual Way

• Manual ways require compulsory Outlook installation. Without a subscribed and configured Outlook, it is not possible to extract manually. Plus, it is not compatible with macOS, server environments, or enterprise or cloud users.
• If you have large amounts of data to extract attachments from, then using the manual way is not a good choice. Firstly, it does not support bulk extraction, and trying with large-sized MSG files may cause data corruption and loss.
• There is a high risk approach as the data is transferred via cloud/internet, which makes it an unsafe platform to use for your sensitive data.
• The inline images or logos are also considered as attachments, which messes up the original attachments and results in false output.
• It cannot handle errors or recover any corrupted files. If any file gets corrupted, the process will fail without any warning. You will not be able to know whether all the attachments have been extracted or not.
• Outlook often freezes or crashes while extracting, or it stops working in between when trying to save large attachments from MSG files.

Working Process to Save Attachments from MSG files Automatically

• First of all, download the free demo of the MSG Attachment Extractor software.
• Once the solution is downloaded, install and run it, then click the Open button.
  
• Here you will find two options: click on Choose Files or Folders to browse your Outlook MSG files.
  
• This application will instantly load all the Outlook MSG files on the left panel.
  
• Now, go to the option Extract and select Email Attachments from it.
  
• Choose the location where you need to get the extracted attachments and click the Save button.
  

You can see that the app starts extracting attachments from MSG files. This extraction process will not take more than a few moments. So, wait.

This is how one can safely and accurately extract attachments from Outlook MSG files using our application.

Some Powerful Features of the Utility

• Supports Bulk Extraction: You can easily extract email attachments from multiple MSG files at once.
• Selective Extraction: With this app, it is also possible to extract attachments from selected MSG files or folders.
• Preview Outlook MSG Files: Before extracting MSG attachments, you can get the detailed preview of content, message headers, hex values, properties, and raw messages.
• Outlook Not Required: In order to extract attachments from MSG files, there is no need for a supportive application. So, if you don’t have the Outlook application, no worries.
• Maintains All Data: During the extraction of MSG attachments, the utility preserves all the properties. You will definitely get the accurate results without losing a single bit of information.
• Choose Output Location: MSG Attachment Extractor allows you to choose the required Destination Path. With this feature, you can get the resultant output at the required location. It will help you to easily access the extracted email attachments.
• Windows Compatible App: This MSG Email Attachment Extractor is compatible with all editions of Windows. You can install and run it on Windows 11 and other earlier editions.

Conclusion

We believe we have answered your question on how to extract attachments from MSG files. The most reliable and secure solution is what we’ve offered. Users are always advised to choose a professional app if they have a significant demand. The accuracy of results from manual and online applications is not guaranteed. So, if you need to get attachments from multiple MSG files, you can opt for the expert tool; otherwise, if you have just a few MSG files, try the manual method.

Troubleshooting and FAQs

Q1. Is it possible to extract attachments from multiple MSG files without Outlook?

Yes, manually saving attachments from multiple MSG files is not possible, but you can directly get attachments from MSG in bulk using the expert 4n6 MSG conversion tool.

Q2. Why are inline images also extracted with attachments via Outlook?

Outlook considers inline images and attachments the same, and extracts them all if not given any additional script.

Q3. What will happen if my MSG file gets corrupted while extracting attachments from it?

In the manual approach, it will directly skip the file without any report or warning. On the other hand, the expert will save attachments from corrupted MSG files also, and if it faces any error, it will give a warning or a report.