Deleted File Recovery

How to Restore OneNote Sections from a Backup Folder

Phi Hung Vo Oct 8, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to recover deleted notebook sections from an existing backup folder and reconstruct them without the original table of contents.

How to Restore OneNote Sections from a Backup Folder

Product: Microsoft OneNote
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: A OneNote notebook was accidentally deleted, but the local backup folder containing the individual section files (.one) is still available.
Observed behavior: The user wants to open the backed-up sections and reorganize them into a completely new notebook to restore their notes.

Before you start

Verify that you are using the OneNote desktop application for Windows, as the local backup folder recovery method is not available in OneNote for Web.

Solution 1Recommended

Restore Sections Using the Open Backups Feature

Use OneNote's built-in backup access to open your saved sections and copy them into a newly created notebook.

OneNote for Windows automatically creates local backups of your notebooks by default. Even if a notebook is deleted, its individual sections often remain in the backup directory. You can retrieve these sections and manually transfer them into a new notebook to fully restore your work.

Access OneNote Info

Launch OneNote for Windows. Click on 'File' in the top left corner of the ribbon menu, and then select 'Info'.

Open Backups

Click the 'Open Backups' button on the Info page. This action will open a file explorer window directed to your default OneNote backup folder.

Locate and Open Sections

Find the folder carrying the name of your deleted notebook and double-click to open it. Select the section files (.one) you wish to recover and click 'Open'.

Create a Destination Notebook

Go to 'File' > 'New' to create a brand new notebook. This will serve as the safe destination for your recovered sections.

Move or Copy Sections

Right-click the tab of each recovered section you just opened, choose 'Move or Copy', and select your newly created notebook as the destination.

Restore Sections Using the Open Backups Feature

Restoration Complete: By copying the sections into a new notebook, your notes are fully restored and will begin syncing again without relying on the deleted notebook's original table of contents.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the default OneNote backup folder located on Windows?

By default, OneNote for Windows stores its local backups in your AppData folder. The typical path is C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneNote\[Version]\Backup.

Why can't I just open the backup folder as a complete notebook?

When a notebook is deleted or corrupted, the table of contents file (Open Notebook.onetoc2) is often lost. Without it, OneNote reads the backup folder as a collection of individual sections rather than a unified notebook.

Can I use this method to restore OneNote backups on a Mac?

No, this specific local backup method is unique to OneNote for Windows. OneNote for Mac does not create local backup folders in the same way and relies exclusively on OneDrive's cloud storage and version history for recovery.

Migration & Recovery