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How to Transfer or Export OneNote Notebooks to a New Work Account

Maira Mehtab Sep 22, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs a way to preserve and transfer existing OneNote notebooks to a new work account after an organizational email change.

Product: Microsoft OneNote
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: An organizational email address change has been processed, requiring existing notes to be migrated to a new account.
Observed behavior: Existing OneNote notebooks no longer sync or allow editing under the old credentials, while new notebooks are automatically created under the new account.

Before you start

Verify that you can still access your old notebooks via OneDrive online and ensure all your recent local changes have been fully synced before attempting the transfer.

Solution 1Recommended

Export Notebooks as a Package and Re-login

Use the OneNote desktop application to export your notebooks as a local package, clear old credentials, and reopen them with your new account.

This method requires the full OneNote desktop application (formerly OneNote 2016) because the Windows 10 app and Mac versions do not currently support exporting full notebook packages.

Check online synchronization

Log in to OneDrive online using your old credentials and verify that your old notebooks are present and fully synchronized.

Export the notebook

Open the OneNote desktop application. Go to File > Export > Notebook, select 'OneNote Package', and click 'Export' to save the file locally to your computer.

Sign out and clear credentials

Close all open notebooks and sign out of Microsoft Office. Open the Windows 'Credential Manager', navigate to 'Windows Credentials', and remove all credentials related to Microsoft Office. Restart your computer.

Reopen with new account

Open the notebook from OneNote Online, choose 'Open in Desktop App', and when prompted, sign in using your new work account credentials.

Note on OneDrive URLs: Changing a user's email address changes the OneDrive for Business URL but does not necessarily create a brand-new OneDrive or delete old files automatically.

Solution 2

Manually Copy Content from OneNote Online

If synchronization errors prevent you from exporting the notebook package, you can manually copy and paste the contents using the web version.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the export option missing in my OneNote?

The export option is only available in the full desktop version of OneNote for Windows. It is not available in 'OneNote for Windows 10', OneNote for Mac, or OneNote Online.

Does changing my organizational email delete my old notebooks?

No. Changing a user’s email address updates the OneDrive for Business URL, but it does not instantly delete your existing OneDrive files or notebooks. However, it can break the synchronization path in your desktop apps.

How do I remove Office credentials from my PC?

Open the Windows Start menu, search for 'Credential Manager', and click on it. Select 'Windows Credentials', scroll down to the entries starting with 'MicrosoftOffice', click on them, and select 'Remove'.

Can I transfer OneNote notebooks to a personal Microsoft account?

Yes, the process is similar. You can export the notebook as a OneNote Package (.onepkg) from your work account using the desktop app, log out, log in with your personal account, and unpack the notebook to save it to your personal OneDrive.

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