Microsoft OneNote has gone through a number of iterations. However, users often complain about losing notebooks, sections, and individual notes. Several users reported lost notes or entire notebooks on their Windows computer. We’ll show you what to do when OneNote Notebooks is lost on your Windows PC.
It could be a simple sync error or the notebook in question was closed and no longer exists. Part of the problem is that Microsoft has multiple versions of OneNote, which makes it hard to keep track of things or even fix issues like this.
Let’s start.
1. Open Closed Notebook
You can close a notebook in OneNote to declutter the interface. Closed notebooks are disappearing, disappearing and maybe that’s why you can’t see them.
Stage 1: Click the downward facing arrow in the left window pane to view a list of currently open notebooks.
Step 2: Click on Other Notebooks to find the closed ones.
Stage 3: Select the notebook you want to open and then click the Open button at the bottom.
It may take a few minutes for the data to download and sync, but if you can view the notebook you won’t lose any data. This is for OneNote for Windows, but the user interface is slightly different for OneNote (formerly OneNote 2016).
2. Sync Error
Microsoft relies on OneDrive to save and sync OneNote notebooks, sections, and notes between devices. Close the application and reopen it. OneNote starts syncing every time you open the app.
You can sync manually by clicking the cloud icon. A checkmark indicates that the synchronization is complete.
For OneNote (2016), click the sync icon integrated inside the notebook button to reveal a popup. Here you have more control and can sync individual notebooks. You can also find it under File > Sync Status.
3. OneNote Backup on Computer
There isn’t yet a way to store notes locally in OneNote for Windows. It uses OneDrive to store notes. However, OneNote still lets you store notes both locally and in the cloud, and there is a way to recover the same once you delete them.
Stage 1: Open File > Info and click Open Backups. This will open a local folder on your computer where you will see a separate folder for each notebook you create.
Step 2: Select a Notebook and click Open, or you can drill down further to find the sections inside a notebook.
4. Check the Recycle Bin for Deleted Notes
Any notes you delete are moved to OneNote Recycler, where they will stay for 60 days. Post this and the app will delete it completely. The steps are slightly different for both versions of OneNote.
For OneNote for Windows
When you click on the Deleted Notes button, you can find the deleted notes under the View tab.
for OneNote
Under the History tab, you will see the Notebook Recycle Bin button.
All deleted pages and notes will appear there. OneNote will keep them for 60 days.
5. Check OneDrive
Open the OneDrive home page and you will find OneNote notebooks, sections, and notes in the Documents or Notebooks folder. Deleted notes and notebooks may still be in the Recycle Bin folder. Check there too. Right-click the notebook to restore deleted items.
6. Check OneNote Website
Open the OneNote web app home page and check if you can find the missing notebook or notes there. The web app works like the OneNote app for Windows, but any notes and notebook you create in OneNote should be here.
7. Open From OneDrive
Sometimes, due to sync errors, you’ll notice that notes appear in OneDrive on the web but not in the OneNote app on your Windows computer. In such cases, open the OneDrive account in your favorite browser, locate the missing OneNote notebook, right-click on it and select Open in OneNote to open it in the OneNote desktop app on your computer.
There is another option called Open in OneNote Online which will open the OneNote app in a new tab on the web. Notepad/note syncs when opened in the installed app and you can open it directly from there later.
Note in a Book
The problem is usually an accidental deletion or sync error, but there may be other issues as well. You should also call and try to check if you or someone else with access to your computer accidentally moved the note to a different location. Chances are low but worth a try.
OneNote isn’t the only note-taking app out there. Apps like Notion are changing the game with modular productivity where users have much more format and flexibility.
Next: Thinking of exploring Notion? We’ve compiled a list of some great and productive templates to get you started in no time. Click the link below to learn more.
