How to Fix OneNote Not Syncing

To access your notebooks across different devices, they need to sync with your account. Fortunately, there are simple fixes available when OneNote isn't syncing. Below are proven solutions to get OneNote working smoothly again.

Why Won't OneNote Sync?

OneNote stores notebooks in the cloud via OneDrive, so there’s the potential for internet connection problems, delays when collaborating on a notebook, and glitches when working on the same notebook from different devices. Unresolved bugs could be another reason for OneNote syncing issues.

What to Do When OneNote Isn't Syncing

Despite the many possible reasons for this problem, you should be able to fix this yourself rather quickly. Here are the solutions we recommend:

1. Sync OneNote manually. This will force the app to look for updates on the server, syncing any changes you've made to the notebook on your other devices.
   

   It's easy to do: right-click the notebook name from the column on the left, then click Sync This Notebook Now.

   This step is necessary if you're getting either of these error codes: 0xE000005E or 0xE000002E.
   

   A manual sync is unnecessary if you have automatic syncing enabled. Go to File > Options > Sync, and check the box next to Sync notebooks automatically. Press OK to save and exit the options window. Now, the notebook will update when changes are made.

2. Close and reopen OneNote. Like most tech problems, a restart of the problematic app is often enough to clear out simple issues like this one.

   If you find yourself having to do this often, walk through the rest of these steps for some better solutions.

3. Confirm you're signed in to the right account. If you edited the notebook under a different account, those changes won't be reflected on your other devices unless they're all using the same account.

   Open the File menu, then select Account to see the email address listed under User Information. Ensure all your devices are using the same account.

4. Update OneNote. A bug in the software is unlikely to cause syncing problems but it's possible, especially if you haven't updated OneNote in a long time.

   Depending on how you installed the program, you can update OneNote from the File > Account > Update Options menu, or via Microsoft Store.

   You might see the 0xE40105F9 error code if OneNote is outdated.

5. Check your internet connection. If other programs, like your web browser, are having internet-related issues, this is less of a OneNote problem and more of a general network issue. OneNote will sync correctly once your internet connection is restored.

   You might see the 0xE4010641 error when there's a network issue.
   

   If your internet is to blame for OneNote not updating your notebooks, it's probably just slow. The link above provides several simple solutions you should try. However, this could be a much bigger problem; see how to fix it when there's no internet connection if that's what you suspect.

6. Free up space on your hard drive or purchase more OneDrive storage. There might not be enough space wherever the notebook is stored.

   To confirm if this is the problem, right-click the notebook's name on the left side of the program and select Notebook Sync Status. You might see the error 0xE00015E0 or a message about Quota Exceeded.

7. Check the Office.com Service Status. This page will tell you which of Microsoft's services are having problems. If you see anything other than a green checkmark next to OneDrive or Microsoft 365, then all you can do is wait for Microsoft to fix OneNote's syncing problem.

8. Clear the OneNote cache. Files in the cache can become corrupt and cause all sorts of issues.

   Close OneNote, open the Run dialog box (Win+R), and enter this path:

   %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneNote\
   

   Then, open the folder that corresponds to the app's version number, such as 16.0. From there, open cache and erase all the files and folders inside it.

9. Reinstall OneNote. Sometimes Windows software simply needs to be reinstalled to fix a particular issue.

   If none of these solutions have worked for you, remember that you can access OneNote online for free. Working from the website eliminates most of the syncing issues that plague the desktop app.