OneDrive File Issues

How to Recover Missing OneNote Notes After an Office Upgrade

Chanuka Geekiyanage Oct 1, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to recover OneNote notebooks that appear missing after performing a Microsoft Office upgrade, and wants to know how to locate both local and cloud-stored notes.

How to Recover Missing OneNote Notes After an Office Upgrade

Product: Microsoft OneNote
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Upgrading to a newer version of Microsoft Office and attempting to access previously saved OneNote files.
Observed behavior: OneNote notebooks are missing or not automatically displaying in the upgraded application because they are stored in local folders or under a previously used Microsoft account.

Before you start

Verify which Microsoft account you used with your previous version of OneNote and ensure you have full access to your local computer files via File Explorer.

Solution 1Recommended

Locate and Reopen Local OneNote Notebooks

Use this method if your older version of Office stored OneNote notebooks locally rather than in the cloud.

Older versions of Microsoft Office typically saved OneNote files directly to your computer's hard drive. Upgrading to a newer version might change the default directory to OneDrive, causing local notes to disappear from the recent list.

Check the default local folder

Open File Explorer and paste '%userprofile%\Documents\OneNote Notebooks' into the address bar, then press Enter to see if your old notebook folders are present.

Reopen notebooks in OneNote

Launch OneNote, click on 'File', and select 'Open'. Choose 'This PC' or click 'Browse' to navigate to your local Documents folder and select the missing notebooks to reopen them.

Locate and Reopen Local OneNote Notebooks

Local Storage Location: If you successfully moved older notes to your current folder, they will continue to be stored locally unless you intentionally share them to OneDrive.

Solution 2

Check OneDrive and Microsoft Account Sync

If your notebooks were synced to the cloud, you need to sign in with the correct Microsoft account to restore them.

Solution 3

Verify and Change Notebook Storage Locations

Check where your current notes are being saved and configure OneNote to save locally if preferred.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do Microsoft Office upgrades delete my personal OneNote files?

No, Office upgrades generally do not interfere with or delete personal files. Your notebooks are likely still on your hard drive or in your OneDrive cloud storage, just not automatically linked in the newly upgraded application.

How do I know if my OneNote notebook is stored locally or in the cloud?

In OneNote, go to 'File' > 'Info'. Look at the file path listed under your notebook's name. If the path begins with a network URL (such as https://), the notebook is stored in the cloud. If it shows a local drive letter (like C:\), it is stored locally on your device.

What if I forgot my Microsoft account password to access my OneDrive notes?

You will need to use the Microsoft account recovery page to reset your password. Because of security reasons, Microsoft support agents cannot reset account passwords on your behalf.

Document & File Issues