OneDrive File Issues

How to Find Storage Used by OneNote Notebooks in OneDrive

Khadija Khan Oct 1, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to find the exact file size and storage space used by OneNote notebooks in a Microsoft 365 enterprise account.

How to Find the Storage Used by OneNote Notebooks in OneDrive for Business

Product: OneDrive for Business / OneNote
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to manage cloud storage space and verify how much data OneNote notebooks are consuming.
Observed behavior: OneNote notebook sizes are hidden in OneDrive for Business, showing only a small .onetoc2 shortcut file, and standard Storage Metrics options are missing from the OneDrive settings.

Before you start

Verify whether your Microsoft 365 account is a personal account or managed by an organization (like a school or enterprise), as organization-managed accounts often have custom permission policies that restrict access to storage metrics.

Solution 1Recommended

Contact Your Microsoft 365 Administrator

Reach out to your organization's IT department to request storage usage reports, as enterprise settings often hide these metrics from end-users.

In OneDrive for Business and SharePoint environments, IT administrators frequently disable detailed storage metrics to simplify the user interface or enforce specific storage policies. Personal OneDrive file-size instructions usually do not apply here.

Identify your admin

Determine the IT support contact for your university, school, or company who manages Microsoft 365 accounts.

Request a storage report

Ask the administrator to check the storage usage for your specific OneDrive for Business account or the SharePoint site where the OneNote notebook is hosted.

Ask for permissions

Alternatively, request that they temporarily enable 'Storage Metrics' visibility for your account under the site collection administration settings.

Contact Your Microsoft 365 Administrator

Note on .onetoc2 Files: The 'Åpne notatblokk.onetoc2' file you see is merely a Table of Contents shortcut used by OneNote to structure the notebook. It does not reflect the actual data size of your notes.

Solution 2

Check Storage Metrics via SharePoint (If Accessible)

If you have the appropriate permissions, you can bypass the limited OneDrive interface by accessing the backend SharePoint storage metrics.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my OneNote notebook show as a small .onetoc2 file?

A .onetoc2 file is not the actual notebook data; it is a table of contents shortcut that OneNote uses to organize sections. The actual data is synced to hidden folders in OneDrive, which is why the file size appears unusually small.

Can I see OneNote sizes on a personal OneDrive account?

Yes. Unlike OneDrive for Business where administrators often restrict visibility, personal OneDrive accounts usually display folder sizes clearly or provide direct access to Storage Metrics in the settings menu.

How do I free up space if I cannot see the notebook size?

To free up space without seeing the metric, open the notebook in the OneNote desktop app, manually delete unnecessary pages or large attachments, and ensure you empty the 'Notebook Recycle Bin' under the History tab.

Document & File Issues