Outlook email transfer to one drive

The practical no-code option is to test dragging a message from classic Outlook into the synced OneDrive folder in File Explorer; if it creates a usable .msg file, select and drag the remaining messages as a batch.

1. Prepare the OneDrive destination

1. Press Windows key + E to open File Explorer.
2. Open OneDrive – [OrganizationName] and create a folder such as Saved emails.
3. If OneDrive is absent:
   • Open Start, search for OneDrive, and start it.
   • Sign in with your work account and complete setup. OneDrive for Business then appears as a folder in File Explorer.^1^
4. Add a small test file to that folder and wait for its sync-status icon to show that synchronization has completed. Files placed in a synced folder are automatically synchronized to OneDrive.^2^

2. Test with one email in classic Outlook

First determine whether Outlook (classic) is installed:

• Open Start and search for Outlook (classic).
• If available, open it and access the required mailbox. The availability of classic Outlook may be controlled by your organization.

Then:

1. Arrange classic Outlook and the Saved emails File Explorer folder side by side.
2. Drag one message from Outlook’s message list into that folder.
3. Confirm that a separate .msg file appears.
4. Double-click it and verify that it opens correctly and contains the expected message and attachments.

Microsoft documents .msg as an Outlook message-file format. New Outlook can open .msg files, although doing so requires a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription.^3^

3. Transfer the batch

Only proceed if the one-message test succeeds:

1. In classic Outlook, filter or search for the messages to transfer.
2. Select a continuous range with Shift, or individual messages with Ctrl.
3. Drag the selection into the Saved emails folder.
4. Wait for OneDrive synchronization to finish before closing Outlook or moving/deleting the original messages.
5. Open several files from OneDrive to confirm the batch is complete.

This preserves each email as a separate file rather than combining the mailbox into a PST.

If only new Outlook or Outlook on the web is available

The available Microsoft guidance does not establish a supported bulk operation that saves selected messages directly to OneDrive as separate files. Save to OneDrive in new Outlook applies to email attachments, not the email message itself.^4^

In that situation:

• Ask your Microsoft 365 administrator whether classic Outlook can be installed or enabled.
• If classic Outlook is prohibited, ask IT for an organization-approved export or archiving tool. Avoid unapproved third-party exporters because they require access to mailbox contents.
• New Outlook can schedule an export of an entire mailbox or folder to a .pst, but that produces one Outlook data file—not one file per message—so it does not meet the stated requirement.^5^

References

1. [Windows](https://support.microsoft.com/onedrive/sync-your-computer-s-files-and-folders-with-onedrive)
2. Work with synced files in File Explorer | Microsoft Support
3. Open .eml, .msg, and .oft files in new Outlook and Outlook on the web | Microsoft Support
4. [New Outlook](https://support.microsoft.com/outlook/mail/open-save-and-edit-attachments-received-in-outlook)
5. Release notes for Outlook for Windows (new)