Office Apps Crashing

How to Fix OneNote Crashes When Selecting a Pen or Eraser

Maira Mehtab Sep 22, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to stop the new OneNote Office app from freezing or crashing every time the pen or eraser tools are selected.

Product: Microsoft OneNote
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Taking notes or drawing using the pen and eraser tools within the new OneNote desktop application.
Observed behavior: The application freezes or crashes immediately upon selecting a pen or eraser, even after a standard app reinstallation. Legacy versions of OneNote and other Office apps remain unaffected.

Before you start

Before proceeding with deep troubleshooting, verify that your graphics drivers are fully up to date, as drawing tools rely heavily on hardware acceleration and outdated drivers can trigger freezing.

Solution 1Recommended

Perform a Clean Uninstallation of Microsoft Office

Use the official Microsoft Office uninstall tool to clear out deeply embedded registry entries and leftover corrupted files that a standard uninstallation misses.

Standard uninstallations from the Windows Control Panel often leave behind configuration files. If the crash is caused by a corrupted registry key related to the pen tool, only a deep clean will resolve it.

Download the Uninstall Tool

Download the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant (SaRA) or the official Office uninstall tool from the Microsoft website.

Run the Uninstaller

Launch the tool, select your version of Microsoft Office, and follow the on-screen prompts to completely remove all Office files and registry entries.

Reinstall Office

Restart your computer, log into your Microsoft account, and install a fresh copy of the latest Office suite.

Data Safety: Uninstalling the application will not delete your OneNote notebooks, as they are securely synced to your OneDrive cloud storage.

Solution 2

Test with a New Local Administrator Profile

Create a new user profile on your computer to check if the issue stems from a corrupted Windows user profile.

Solution 3

Submit Diagnostic Details to Microsoft

If local troubleshooting fails, report the crash directly to Microsoft so their development team can investigate the bug.

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Try WPS Office for a Stable and Seamless Experience

If Microsoft Office applications continue to crash or freeze, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly stable environment for all your document, spreadsheet, and presentation needs without unexpected interruptions.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the free installation package.
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3. Open Your Documents: Open your existing Office files directly; WPS Office seamlessly recognizes and supports Microsoft formats.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does OneNote only crash when selecting the pen or eraser?

The pen and eraser tools rely on specific graphic rendering components and hardware acceleration mechanisms. If there is a corruption in the app's drawing tool registry keys or a conflict with your display drivers, selecting these tools can instantly trigger a crash.

Will reinstalling OneNote delete my existing notebooks?

No. Your OneNote notebooks are continuously synced to your Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage. Reinstalling the application only replaces the software files on your device. Once reinstalled, simply sign back in to access all your synced notes.

How can I access the legacy version of OneNote?

You can download 'OneNote for Windows 10' (the legacy version) from the Microsoft Store. It uses a different application architecture and rendering engine, so it is typically immune to the crashes affecting the newer unified OneNote desktop app.

Office App Problems