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How to Save OneNote Notebooks Before Your University Account Closes
Question details
The user needs to know how to retain access to their OneNote notebooks because their university account is closing.
- Product
- Microsoft OneNote
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- A university account is scheduled to be closed, putting all associated OneNote notebooks at risk of permanent deletion.
- Observed behavior
- Notebooks owned by the university account will become permanently inaccessible when the institution deletes the account, even if they are currently visible from a personal account.
Ensure you have a personal Microsoft account ready with sufficient OneDrive storage space to receive the transferred notebooks before your university account is deactivated.
Transfer OneNote Notebooks Using Export and Import on Windows
Use the built-in Export feature in the OneNote desktop application for Windows to create a local backup and then import it to your personal account.
Sharing a notebook or connecting your personal OneDrive to your university account does not transfer ownership. You must physically copy the notebook files to your personal account to ensure they are not deleted.
Launch the OneNote desktop app on your Windows PC and open the specific university notebook you want to save.
Click on 'File' in the top ribbon, then select 'Export'. Under 'Export Current', select 'Notebook'. Choose 'OneNote Package (*.onepkg)' as the file format and click 'Export' to save it to your local hard drive.
Sign out of your university account within OneNote, or go to 'File' > 'Account' to sign in with your personal Microsoft account.
Locate the saved .onepkg file on your computer and double-click it to unpack it into OneNote. Once opened, navigate to 'File' > 'Share' and select your personal OneDrive to permanently upload and sync the notebook under your personal account.
Copy Sections to a New Personal Notebook on Mac
Since the Mac version of OneNote does not support exporting full notebooks, you must manually copy individual sections into a newly created personal notebook.
Need a Free Office Suite After Your University Account Closes?
Losing your university Office 365 account means losing access to premium Microsoft apps. WPS Office is a lightweight, completely free alternative that offers high compatibility with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formats, ensuring your post-grad studies and work continue seamlessly.
- 1. Download and Install: Download WPS Office for free from the official website and install it on your PC or Mac.
- 2. Open Existing Documents: Launch WPS Office and directly open your saved Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files without losing any formatting.
- 3. Enjoy Free Office Tools: Use the all-in-one workspace to manage your documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and PDFs effortlessly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I just share the university notebook to my personal email?
No. Sharing a notebook only grants viewing or editing permissions. The university account remains the owner, and when it is deleted, the notebook will be permanently deleted as well.
Does connecting my personal OneDrive to my university OneNote save my files?
Connecting a OneDrive account makes it easier to view files, but it does not automatically transfer ownership of existing notebooks. You must manually export or copy the files to the new connected storage.
What happens if I use the 'Move' option instead of 'Copy' on Mac?
Using 'Move' can sometimes cause synchronization errors, especially between different organizational and personal accounts. Using 'Copy' ensures that the original data remains intact on the server if the transfer is interrupted.
