Fix OneNote Notebook Sync Errors Due to 2GB Size Limit on OneDrive
Question details
The user wants to understand the file size limit for OneNote notebooks on OneDrive and needs a solution for resolving synchronization failures when a notebook exceeds this limit.

- Product
- Microsoft OneNote and OneDrive
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Attempting to synchronize a large, continuously updated OneNote notebook to OneDrive.
- Observed behavior
- OneNote accepts local edits but fails to synchronize the changes to OneDrive because the notebook has exceeded the 2 GB size limit.
Before modifying your notebook structure, ensure your internet connection is stable and manually copy any unsynchronized, critical text to a separate local document to prevent accidental data loss during the moving process.
Split Content Across Multiple Smaller Notebooks
Divide your oversized notebook into multiple new notebooks to keep each file well under the 2 GB threshold, allowing OneDrive synchronization to complete successfully.
Microsoft enforces a strict 2 GB size limit for OneNote notebooks saved to OneDrive. This is a practical architectural limit that currently cannot be bypassed or increased, even if you have available cloud storage.
To resolve the synchronization failure, you must reduce the file size of the affected notebook by distributing its sections into entirely new notebooks.
Open OneNote and click on 'File' > 'New'. Choose 'OneDrive' as the location, give the new notebook a relevant name, and click 'Create Notebook'.
Navigate back to your oversized notebook. Right-click on a section tab that you want to transfer and select 'Move or Copy' from the context menu.
In the dialog box that appears, select the newly created notebook as your destination and click the 'Move' button. Do not use 'Copy', as copying will not reduce the original notebook's size.
Repeat the moving process until the original notebook is significantly smaller. Then, right-click the original notebook's name in the sidebar and select 'Sync This Notebook Now' to ensure the error is cleared.

Remove Large Media and File Attachments
Reduce the current notebook's size by locating and deleting heavy embedded files, videos, or high-resolution images.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does the 2 GB size limit apply to the entire OneNote notebook or to individual sections?
The 2 GB limit applies to the entire notebook as a single entity when it is synced through OneDrive. Although OneNote manages sections individually behind the scenes, the total combined size of all sections, pages, and attachments within one notebook cannot exceed 2 GB.
Can I upgrade my OneDrive storage plan to increase the OneNote notebook size limit?
No. The 2 GB restriction is a hard technical limit built into the OneNote and OneDrive synchronization architecture. Upgrading to a premium Microsoft 365 plan with 1 TB or more of OneDrive storage will not allow a single notebook to bypass this 2 GB ceiling.
Why does OneNote accept my edits but fail during the synchronization process?
OneNote caches all your edits and additions locally on your device's hard drive, which does not enforce the 2 GB limit. The synchronization error only triggers when OneNote attempts to upload and merge these local, cached changes with the OneDrive server, hitting the cloud's file size limit.




