Deleted File Recovery

How to Restore a Missing OneNote Tab or Section from OneDrive

Adam Davis Oct 9, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to recover a missing tab or section from a shared OneNote notebook stored on OneDrive that is not appearing in standard recovery locations.

How to Restore a Missing OneNote Tab or Section from OneDrive

Product: Microsoft OneNote and OneDrive
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: A tab or section has disappeared from a shared OneDrive notebook and standard recovery methods have failed.
Observed behavior: The missing OneNote section does not appear in the OneDrive Recycle Bin, OneNote Deleted Notes, or the available version history.

Before you start

Ensure you have access to the primary desktop computer where you frequently use OneNote, as local automatic backups are often saved there and provide the best chance for recovery.

Solution 1Recommended

Recover from Local OneNote Backups

Use this method to retrieve missing sections from the automatic local backups created by the desktop version of OneNote.

Even when a notebook is stored on a shared OneDrive, the OneNote desktop application typically creates automatic local backups on your computer's hard drive.

Open the Backup Folder

Launch the OneNote desktop application. Go to 'File' in the top ribbon, select 'Info', and then click on 'Open Backups'.

Locate the Missing Section

In the backup folder directory, open the folder that matches the name of your affected notebook. Look for a .one file corresponding to your missing section and double-click to open it.

Restore the Section

Once the backup section opens in OneNote, right-click on its section tab at the top of the page, select 'Move or Copy', and choose your original shared notebook to restore it.

Backup Check: If you are using OneNote for Windows 10, backups may be stored in your AppData folder. You can manually navigate to C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneNote to check for backup files.

Solution 2

Review OneDrive Activity and Storage History

Check for recent migrations, sync errors, or storage limit issues that may have hidden or misplaced the notebook section.

Solution 3

Contact Microsoft or OneDrive Support

If local backups are unavailable, reach out to official support for advanced server-side recovery assistance.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Where are local OneNote backups stored by default on Windows?

By default, the OneNote desktop application stores local backups in the C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneNote\[Version]\Backup directory. You can usually access this directly from the 'Open Backups' button in the application.

Why isn't my missing section in the OneNote Deleted Notes folder?

If the section was lost due to a severe sync error, a server-side glitch, or was permanently deleted by another user in a shared notebook before syncing properly, it may bypass the Deleted Notes folder entirely.

Can I recover a missing OneNote section from OneDrive version history?

OneNote handles synchronization differently than standard Office files. While OneDrive keeps version history for standard files like Word documents, OneNote notebook structures often require using OneNote's built-in 'Page Versions' or local backups instead of OneDrive's file version history.

Does OneNote for Web create local backups?

No, OneNote for Web does not generate local backups on your hard drive. Local backups are only automatically created if you frequently open and edit the notebook using the desktop versions of the OneNote application.

Migration & Recovery