Office Compatibility Issues

How to Fix New OneNote App Opening Older Office 2019 Version

Partner Editor Oct 1, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users find that launching what they believe is the newly installed OneNote app from the Microsoft Store actually opens an older Office 2019 version.

Fix: New OneNote App Opens the Older Office 2019 Version

Product: Microsoft OneNote
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Opening the OneNote application after installing the newer Microsoft Store version on a system that already has an existing Microsoft Office installation.
Observed behavior: The system relies on an outdated shortcut or file association pointing to the ONENOTE.EXE file located in the Office16 directory, launching the wrong application version.

Before you start

Verify exactly which versions of Microsoft Office are currently installed on your PC, as having both a traditional desktop Office suite (like 2019) and the newer Microsoft Store app can lead to conflicting application shortcuts.

Solution 1Recommended

Check and Update Shortcut Target Paths

This is the most common fix. You need to ensure that the shortcut you are clicking actually points to the new Microsoft Store app instead of the older Office executable.

Even if Windows shows only one main OneNote installation, leftover shortcuts from older Office installations may still persist on your taskbar or desktop.

The internal folder 'Office16' is shared by Office 2016, 2019, 2021, and Microsoft 365, meaning an old shortcut pointing here will always launch the traditional desktop version.

Inspect the current shortcut

Right-click the OneNote icon on your taskbar or desktop that is opening the incorrect version. Right-click the application name again in the jump list, and select 'Properties'.

Check the Target field

In the Shortcut tab, look at the 'Target' path. If it displays 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\ONENOTE.EXE', it is pointing to the old desktop version.

Unpin the old shortcut

Right-click the incorrect taskbar icon and select 'Unpin from taskbar', or delete the desktop shortcut.

Pin the new application

Open the Windows Start menu, search for 'OneNote', look for the app icon (usually marked as a trusted Windows Store app), right-click it, and select 'Pin to taskbar'.

Shortcut Replaced: Clicking your new pinned icon will now properly launch the updated version of OneNote.

Solution 2

Update Windows Default App Associations

If opening specific notebooks or clicking web links still launches the older version, you must update your Windows default app settings.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is there an Office16 folder if I have Office 2019 installed?

Microsoft uses 'Office16' as the internal version number and folder name for several successive versions of Office, including Office 2016, Office 2019, Office 2021, and traditional Microsoft 365 installations.

Can I uninstall the old OneNote without affecting the new app?

Yes, if the older OneNote was installed as a standalone application. However, if it was installed as part of the main Office 2019 suite, you generally cannot uninstall just OneNote without modifying or uninstalling the entire Office suite.

Will fixing this shortcut delete my existing OneNote notebooks?

No. Your OneNote notebooks are safely synced to your Microsoft account (OneDrive) or saved locally on your hard drive. Changing shortcuts or app defaults only affects which program opens them, not the data itself.

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