Guide · Outlook data files
Open a PST or OST file without Outlook
A .pst file is Outlook's mail archive; an .ost file is Outlook's offline copy of a mailbox. Without Outlook neither will open. MSGView shows the folders, lists the emails and opens them with their attachments, right in your browser. The file is never uploaded.
Open a PST file in 3 steps
- Open MSGViewGo to msgview.app in a desktop browser. Nothing to install, no account, no Outlook.
- Drop the .pst or .ost fileDrag it onto the page. MSGView reads the folder list and opens the mail folder that holds the most messages.
- Pick a folder, open an emailChoose another folder from the list, search by subject or sender, and click an email to read it. Save it as PDF, EML, HTML or text, or save its attachments.
Large files
Outlook archives can be tens of gigabytes. MSGView never loads the whole file: it reads only the parts it needs, the folder list first, then the folder you open, then the email you click.
What it does not do
MSGView does not open password-protected PST files and does not try to get around the password; it says so instead. It does not recover deleted emails, and it does not create or convert to PST. An .ost file may hold only part of a mailbox, because it is a local cache; MSGView says that too.
Private by design
A PST holds years of mail. It is opened in your browser and never sent to a server. You can check this in the Network tab of your browser's developer tools.
FAQ
How do I open a PST file without Outlook?
Drop the .pst file on msgview.app. You see its folders and emails in the browser; nothing is installed and nothing is uploaded.
Can I open an OST file?
Yes, including the OST files of Outlook 2013 and later. An OST is Outlook's local copy of a mailbox, so it may not contain every message of the account.
My PST has a password. Can MSGView open it?
No. Password-protected PST files are not supported, and MSGView does not try to remove or bypass the password.
Can I export all emails or convert the PST?
Not at the moment. You can open each email and save it as PDF, EML, HTML or text, and save its attachments.
Is there a size limit?
There is no limit on the file size: only the parts you open are read, so files of many gigabytes open (checked with a 6 GB test file). The attachments of one email open up to 200 MB in total; past that, the email says that some attachments were skipped.