A type of EML extension is typical for emails that are generated in Microsoft Outlook Expres. The format can also be created in other postal complexes.

Files of this extension include the ASCII test type format and two additional parts.

The first is the header, and the second is the body of the message. The header contains the names of the email addresses of both the recipient and the sender. It also contains sending characteristics. The body of the message contains the letter itself, which can consist of various hyperlinks and additions.

Files with the EML extension are processed for archiving and storage. There is a possibility that it contains malicious elements, for which it needs to be scanned. A type of virus called “Nimba” creates post files.

If there is a file in the mail with the EML extension sent as an attachment, it is recommended to always check it for the presence of malicious files.

Several ways to open and use EML

  1. If available on your own PC Outlook Express or other email service operating with such an extension, you need to install a special program to change this message format in it. After importing, open the file.
  2. The second option is using a text editor. But first you need to change the original format in txt. The method is not the best, since it requires installing a converter, and is not very convenient for viewing attachments.
  3. Using the third method you can open EML immediately in any browser. Good for opening a couple of files, but when there are a lot of them, you will have to spend a lot of time browsing.
  4. When you no longer have the strength to install difficult programs, you can just use Coolutils Mail Viewer, which was created specifically for extending EML. It is compact, convenient and can be opened online for free.

Software for viewing EML files in Windows 7, 8, 10


Applications for MacOS

  • Microsoft Outlook 2016;
  • Apple Mail is the standard email client on MacOS;
  • Mozilla Thunderbird and SeaMonkey are free programs for free browsing on the Internet that have many features.

In Linux, only programs under the third item in MacOS open this format.

The EML extension is assigned to the message Email, which was created in one of the email programs, most often Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express. This type of file contains information typically stored in emails. It's not just about text messages, but also investments(documents, pictures, etc.).

The files include the usual text ASCII title And body messages, sender or recipient addresses, date and time of creation, links and attachments. EML document is possible export in order to archive or save.

Programs for opening eml format

Microsoft Outlook is not a stand-alone program, but is part of the MS Office suite. Therefore, it is not always convenient to use it, because you have to install the entire package. Let's consider options for how else you can open a document of this format.

Using Mozilla Thunderbird

E-mail client is fully distributed for free, will provide safety working with e-mail, the EML format in particular, which provides many opportunities and security when working with e-mail.

You can download it on the official website.

After installing and opening the program, go to the menu settings(button with horizontal lines on the right). Next point FileOpen saved message.

Further show the way storing the required file – Open.

Free EML Reader App

Also very comfortable and at the same time free a utility (you can download it on the official website emlreader.com), the purpose of which is to open EML format documents.

Having opened the reader interface window, mark check the folder containing the documents, then click the " Search».

Upon completion of the search, you will see a list of messages available for viewing from the specified directory. Viewing and all manipulations are standard, the same as in email clients.

– Igor (Administrator)

In this article I will tell you how to open eml files, what kind of extension it is and why it is needed.

At one time, when Internet speed was measured in kilobytes, a program such as Outlook Express was popular (it is still available in older versions, for Windows 7 and higher in the form of Windows Live). It was one of the first email clients that allowed you to store all your emails locally on your computer. The point is simple, the Internet is slow and you still have to get it, so it’s easier to store, view and perform other actions with email on your computer. However, from time to time situations might arise when it was necessary to save a separate letter (for example, then send it as a file or keep it at hand so that you can always familiarize yourself with the information). These letters were saved in files with the eml extension. This format is still used in many email clients, as it is simple, convenient and easy to maintain.

Today, online email clients are quite common (Internet speed is different, web capabilities have increased significantly, etc.), so some users periodically face the question of how to open an eml file. And oddly enough, you can do this in several ways. In this article I will present three of them, and two of them will not require you to install programs.

1. The first method to open eml is to use the standard Windows email client Outlook Express (now Windows Live). In addition, it is worth knowing that many alternative email clients also support the eml format. For example, Mozilla Thunderbird is great at opening such emails. However, the downside to this method is that you need a separate program. It’s good when it’s already there, but for the sake of one letter, downloading, installing, setting up is a little irrational, so you can always use the following methods.

2. The second method of how to open eml is that the contents of the file have a similar structure to the html page. Therefore, you just need to rename the file from eml to mht, and then open the resulting file in the browser. The disadvantage of this method is that some elements may not be displayed correctly. However, there is a very significant plus - in this case you can open eml using the browsers Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Google Chrome (one of them is on your computer in any case).

3. The third method of opening eml is simpler than the previous two and can be used everywhere. The fact is that in the eml file, all text is stored in clear text, so you can always read it using any text editor, such as Notepad. And this is the biggest advantage of this method. The downside is that the file stores additional technical information, as well as styles and html markup (if the letter used one). Therefore, the text cannot be found immediately. In addition, the pictures cannot be viewed either.

These are not all possible methods, but they are enough for almost all situations. It’s trivial, even because a text editor is available by default in any operating system, be it Windows, Linux or Mac.

Now, you know how to open eml files and what features the methods have.

If you have installed on your computer antivirus program Can scan all files on your computer, as well as each file individually. You can scan any file by right-clicking on the file and selecting the appropriate option to scan the file for viruses.

For example, in this figure it is highlighted file my-file.eml, then you need to right-click on this file and select the option in the file menu "scan with AVG". When you select this option, AVG Antivirus will open and scan the file for viruses.


Sometimes an error may occur as a result incorrect software installation, which may be due to a problem encountered during the installation process. This may interfere with your operating system link your EML file to the correct application tool, influencing the so-called "file extension associations".

Sometimes simple reinstalling Microsoft Outlook Express may solve your problem by properly linking EML with Microsoft Outlook Express. In other cases, problems with file associations may result from bad software programming developer and you may need to contact the developer for further assistance.


Advice: Try updating Microsoft Outlook Express to the latest version to ensure you have the latest patches and updates.


This may seem too obvious, but often The EML file itself may be causing the problem. If you received a file via an email attachment or downloaded it from a website and the download process was interrupted (such as a power outage or other reason), the file may become damaged. If possible, try getting a new copy of the EML file and try opening it again.


Carefully: A damaged file can cause collateral damage to previous or existing malware on your PC, so it is important to keep your computer up-to-date with an up-to-date antivirus.


If your EML file related to the hardware on your computer to open the file you may need update device drivers associated with this equipment.

This problem usually associated with media file types, which depend on successfully opening the hardware inside the computer, e.g. sound card or video card. For example, if you are trying to open an audio file but cannot open it, you may need to update sound card drivers.


Advice: If when you try to open an EML file you receive .SYS file error message, the problem could probably be associated with corrupted or outdated device drivers that need to be updated. This process can be made easier by using driver update software such as DriverDoc.


If the steps do not solve the problem and you are still having problems opening EML files, this may be due to lack of available system resources. Some versions of EML files may require a significant amount of resources (e.g. memory/RAM, processing power) to properly open on your computer. This problem is quite common if you are using fairly old computer hardware and at the same time a much newer operating system.

This problem can occur when the computer is having trouble keeping up with a task because the operating system (and other services running in the background) may consume too many resources to open the EML file. Try closing all applications on your PC before opening E-Mail Message. Freeing up all available resources on your computer will provide the best conditions for attempting to open the EML file.


If you completed all the steps described above and your EML file still won't open, you may need to run equipment update. In most cases, even when using older versions of hardware, the processing power can still be more than sufficient for most user applications (unless you're doing a lot of CPU-intensive work, such as 3D rendering, financial/scientific modeling, or intensive multimedia work) . Thus, it is likely that your computer does not have enough memory(commonly called "RAM" or random access memory) to perform the task of opening a file.

What is the eml extension? It is a derivative of documents that were previously created in Microsoft Outlook Express.

Open and go to the settings context menu.

Immediately click on the “View” tab, scroll down the list of settings (do not touch any of the checked boxes) and uncheck the box next to the selected item.

We save and exit.

You can also change the resolution to TXT to read the mail directly in a notepad.

Mozilla Thunderbird

If you don’t know how to open an eml file, but you have this editor installed, use it. The client is quite popular, and it is distributed free of charge.

With it, you can not only read mail, but also save content, including attached attachments.

Important! Do not pay attention that the application constantly asks you for an account if you don’t have one. The system works fine without this and opens everything, although it claims that for correct operation the parameters will need to be adjusted.

To get started, open the settings menu at the top right.

Open the message, first select the file storage path. For example, it is in your “my documents” or on your desktop.

Now you can view your mail and attachments, as well as save the contents on occasion.

Everything is very simple, convenient and compact.

There is no need to worry about compatibility and other nuances, since all email clients have similar parameters and settings.

It is enough to download once.

Free EML Reader

This program also answers the “question” of how to open an eml file. By and large, it was developed for these purposes, based on the name.

It is also distributed free of charge, so if you are asked to make any payment for downloading, refuse it.

Use exclusively the official portal.

The beauty of the client is that it can open all EML files in one go. It is enough to pack them into one folder and put them in a visible place like your desktop.

Then open the program and click “Search”, indicating a specific directory. Otherwise, the search will take a long time.

A list of absolutely all letters that were found will appear at the top right. Choose what you need and do with it as you wish.

Coolutils Mail Viewer

A small but extremely well-built program that easily works with any type of EML documentation. Actually, it was developed for these purposes.

Firstly, it weighs very little, secondly, it is completely free, and thirdly, the interface is “tailored” only for the necessary functions.

Why do you need any set of additional software if you only need to open a letter, copy something, delete, move and create reports?

That's right - there's no need.

But it’s not here, so communication with the product becomes much warmer.

If you have been sent a file with this extension by mail or via Skype, do not rush to panic.

You just need to spend 10 minutes reading the material, select any convenient client for unpacking and use the contents of the letter.