I was asked to help organize a collection of old Outlook emails for long-term archiving, which I thought would be a fairly straightforward task. The organization had been saving key correspondence in individual MSG files for many years and the goal was simple, to convert the required emails into PDF files for easier storage, sharing and record keeping.
But the truth was different.
The archive contained 18,742 MSG files collected from different departments and has a size of approximately 36.8 GB. Most emails came with attachments, client communications, invoices, internal conversations and project records. Manually converting a few files was manageable, but dealing with thousands of messages was a whole different ballgame.
That project eventually led me to try an automated MSG to PDF solution. This is my experience and whether I think it is something to consider for large scale Outlook email archiving.
The problem began with an overstuffed MSG archive
The organization had for many years been saving important emails as MSG files every time employees switched systems or left the company. At first this seemed a reasonable backup strategy.
But after several years the archive had become unmanageable.
There were 27 folders with the files and the files were inconsistently named. Some folders had only 50 emails. Others had more than 2,000. Finding a particular conversation required repeatedly opening individual MSG files.
The management team wanted a format that could be easily read without requiring Microsoft Outlook. PDF was the obvious choice of file format because it could be opened on almost any device and was more convenient for sharing and storing documents long-term.
Our demands were simple:
- Batch convert thousands of MSG files
- Keep email contents and important properties
- Retain attachments when relevant
- Do not open files one by one
- Process files in manageable batches
- Preview selected files before conversion
- Create an archive system
Why it was not possible to do manual conversion
My first idea was to use manual methods.
Opening an MSG file and saving or printing as a PDF may be fine for a small number of emails. But after applying this method to only 100 files it was clear that it would be unreasonable in terms of time to go through 18,742 messages by hand.
There was also a concern about consistency.
Several users may inadvertently select different print settings, output locations or PDF options. Thousands of individually created files would be handled, which would also increase the chance of missed emails and duplicate work.
After discussing the problem in a professional IT and email migration community, I looked for a dedicated solution. Some users recommended a dedicated conversion program rather than the tedious manual export.
That's how I got introduced to TrustVare MSG to PDF Converter.
Tool-Based Solution
I didn't want to run the software on the whole archive, so I worked with a smaller sample.
I picked 850 MSG files from 3 different project folders. The first workflow was simple: add the files you need, review them, select PDF as the output format, choose a destination location and start the conversion.
The interface did not require a great deal of technical knowledge, which was helpful as this type of project may involve records managers or administrative staff as well as IT professionals.
One feature that I really liked was the ability to preview uploaded data before processing it. If you have thousands of files, converting the wrong folder by mistake can be a lot of cleanup.
The official product information also mentions selective filtering by File Mode and Folder Mode, batch conversion, preview functionality, standalone operation without the need for Outlook or Adobe Acrobat and automatic log report generation.
Testing Software on a Larger Batch
After the first test I broke up the whole collection into batches rather than processing all 18,742 files at once.
This was the structure of my batch:
Batch 1: 2,100 MSG files
Batch 2: 2,450 MSG files
Batch 3: 3,175 MSG files
Batch 4: 2,890 MSG files
Batch 5: 3,420 MSG files
Remaining files: Smaller departmental archives
This made the project easier to keep track of.
Instead of just starting the conversion and assuming it was right, I checked every completed batch before moving on. I looked at example emails that had attachments and compared message details such as the sender, recipient, subject line and date information.
The software is designed to retain MSG email properties such as To, From, CC, BCC, subject details, dates, times and attachments while converting, as per the product page.
That is relevant for an archiving project, as a PDF with the message body alone is not necessarily a sufficient business record.
Features I Found Most Useful
Batch Conversion
That was probably the biggest benefit for my project. It would have been impractical to deal with files one by one. Batch processing let me organize the conversion by department folders and I could methodically check the results.
Selective File Processing
Not all the MSG files had to be archived. Some folders had duplicate exports and temporary messages. The ability to select the files needed before conversion eliminated unnecessary output.
No Outlook dependency
The archive was processed on a dedicated Windows system, and did not require a fully configured Outlook environment. That meant a simpler setup and no need to reconstruct old email accounts. The official page describes the application as a standalone program that can convert MSG files without having Microsoft Outlook installed.
Preview Option
The preview function may seem like a small feature, but it was useful on a big project. I could check the uploaded data before confirming a batch. This helped to avoid processing of wrong folders.
Report Log
For a project involving thousands of files, tracking matters. Having a conversion record made it easier to document completed batches and maintain a basic audit trail of the archiving process.
Were There Any Limitations?
Yes. And that is important in an honest review.
First, automated software does not replace the need for verification. I still spot-checked representative pdfs from each batch.
Second, conversion speed can depend on the computer's hardware, storage performance, file sizes and attachments. A tool can automate the process but you still need enough time to process a large archive.
Third, the output must be planned. Handling thousands of PDF files can be a problem if the destination folders are not well-organized.
I will also suggest to try the demo version before working on a production archive. On the official product page there is a trial version, so you can check the functionality before you buy it.
Is it suitable for large-scale email archiving?
In my experience with this simulated large scale workflow, it is worth considering when the alternative is to manually open and save thousands of MSG files.
The software is especially valuable for:
- Businesses with historical email records
- Legal/compliance archiving projects
- Organizations that retain former employees’ communications
- IT teams consolidating old Outlook archives
- Users who need to share MSG emails in a universally accessible format
The strongest benefit is not simply converting MSG files to PDF. It is reducing the amount of repetitive manual work involved in processing a large archive.
Final Verdict
Manual conversion wasn’t a practical option given the 18,742 MSG files and 36.8 GB of archived email data. Breaking the archive into smaller batches and having a dedicated conversion workflow made the project easier to organize and check.
Such a tool is well suited for structured email archiving projects due to its batch processing, selective conversion, previewing, standalone operation, metadata preservation and reporting capabilities. These capabilities are described in the official product documentation as core features of the application.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I convert multiple MSG files to PDF at once?
Sure. The software supports batch conversion, allowing multiple MSG files to be processed instead of converting each file individually.
2. Is Microsoft Outlook required for MSG to PDF conversion?
According to the official product page, the application works independently and does not require Microsoft Outlook or Adobe Acrobat for the conversion process.
3. Does it support large MSG archives?
The product page states that the application supports bulk conversion and unlimited MSG file processing. However, even for really big projects, it still makes sense to process the data in manageable batches and check each batch.
4. Can I select individual MSG files for conversion?
Yes. The software offers selective filtering options like File Mode and Folder Mode, through which users can choose the desired MSG files or folders.
5. Will email details be kept in the conversion?
The official product information states that conversion retains email properties such as sender, recipient, CC, BCC, subject, date, time and attachments.
6. Do I need to backup MSG files before converting them?
Yes. Whatever conversion option you choose, it’s a good idea to make a separate backup of the original MSG files before you start any large-scale data processing project.
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