Office Apps Freezing

Fix OneNote Freezing When Exporting Large Notebooks to ONE Files

Guest Writer Oct 1, 2026 868 views

Question details

Users experience freezing or stalling when attempting to export large notebooks or sections to .one files in OneNote.

How to Fix OneNote Freezing When Exporting Notebooks to ONE Files

Product: OneNote 2016 / OneNote for Microsoft 365
Device & OS: Windows 11
Scenario: Backing up or transferring large OneNote notebooks between accounts, such as migrating from a school account to a personal account.
Observed behavior: The export process stalls indefinitely, commonly hanging around 60 percent during the packing phase, while smaller page exports complete successfully.

Before you start

Ensure you have sufficient free storage space on your local hard drive and temporarily pause any cloud backup syncing tools that might interfere with the export packing process.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Move or Copy Section Instead of Exporting

Bypasses the file export process entirely by transferring sections directly between accounts within the OneNote application.

This method is highly recommended when transferring notebooks from a school or work account to a personal account. It avoids the intensive processing required to pack a large .one file and prevents the application from freezing.

Add your personal account

Open OneNote, navigate to File > Account, click 'Add a service', and select 'Storage' to sign in to your personal OneDrive account.

Create a destination notebook

Go to File > New, select your newly added personal OneDrive account, and create a new blank notebook.

Copy sections manually

Navigate to the original notebook, right-click a section you want to transfer, and select 'Move or Copy'.

Select destination and copy

In the dialog box, select the new notebook you created in your personal account and click the 'Copy' button. Repeat this for all necessary sections.

Use Move or Copy Section Instead of Exporting

Secure Transfer: Your notes are safely synced directly through the cloud without risking local file corruption or large file export timeouts.

Solution 2

Perform an Online Repair of Microsoft Office

Fixes underlying application corruption that may cause OneNote to freeze during intensive export tasks.

Solution 3

Export to a Local Drive and Isolate Notebooks

Prevents hardware timeouts caused by slow external drives and helps identify if a specific notebook contains corrupted data.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Switch to WPS Office for a Stable and Lightweight Experience

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does OneNote freeze at 60 percent during export?

This typically happens during the 'packing' phase of exporting large notebooks. The application may run out of memory, encounter a corrupted section, or time out when trying to write a massive .one file, causing the process to hang indefinitely at around 60 percent.

Can I export a OneNote notebook directly to an external hard drive?

While possible, exporting large notebooks directly to an external SSD or USB drive can cause data transfer timeouts and freezes. It is highly recommended to export the notebook to a local drive first, then manually move the completed .one file to your external storage.

Will repairing Microsoft Office delete my OneNote notebooks?

No, performing an Online Repair of Microsoft Office only replaces and fixes corrupted application files and registry settings. Your synced notebooks in OneDrive and your local application data will remain intact.

How can I transfer my school OneNote to a personal account without exporting?

The most reliable method is to add both your school and personal accounts to the OneNote desktop app. Create a new blank notebook in your personal account, then right-click the sections in your school notebook and select 'Move or Copy' to transfer them directly over the cloud.

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