How to Backup OneNote for Windows 10 and Restore Your Notes

OneNote automatically saves your notes while you work, but you should always backup your notebooks. Scroll down to get two easy ways to do OneNote backup and restore.

By @Lily Last Updated March 19, 2024

Why backup OneNote in Windows 10?

Just like other computer files and data, you should always backup your notebooks in OneNote. Your notes can be gone forever if you encounter the following situations:

  • Hardware Failure: If your computer's hard drive fails without warning, you could lose access to all data stored locally, including your OneNote notebooks.
  • Software Glitches or Bugs: OneNote, like any software, is susceptible to glitches or bugs that could result in data corruption or loss if not addressed promptly.
  • Accidental Deletion: Human error is a common cause of data loss. Accidentally deleting a note or notebook in OneNote without a backup means losing it permanently.
  • Virus or Malware Attacks: Viruses or malware can infect your computer and potentially corrupt or delete your OneNote files if proper security measures are not in place.
  • Sync Errors: Syncing issues between your device and the cloud storage (e.g., OneDrive) can result in data discrepancies or loss, especially if conflicts are not resolved correctly.

To protect your important notes from potential risks, it’s time to make OneNote backup in Windows 10.

Way 1: Backup OneNote with the best free Windows backup tool

Are you seeking a reliable solution for safeguarding your valuable OneNote data on Windows? Look no further than AOMEI Backupper Standard, the best free backup software trusted by millions worldwide. It offers comprehensive backup features:

๐ŸŒŸ Various backup types: You can choose from System Backup, Disk Backup, Partition Backup, File Backup and Cloud Backup as per your need. ๐ŸŒŸ Multiple backup destinations: You are allowed to save your backup images to a lot of destinations, including USB flash drives, external hard drives, network-attached storage (NAS), and popular cloud storage services such as Google Drive and Dropbox. ๐ŸŒŸ Scheduled backups: Never worry about forgetting to back up your data again. AOMEI Backupper enables you to schedule automatic backups at regular intervals, such as daily, weekly and monthly. ๐ŸŒŸ User-friendly interface: Thanks to its intuitive interface, whether you're a novice or a seasoned professional, you'll find AOMEI Backupper easy to navigate and utilize for your backup needs.

Download AOMEI Backupper and follow the steps below to backup OneNote in Windows 10:

AOMEI Backupper

Best free Windows backup software for personal use.

Step 1. Install and open AOMEI Backupper. In the left tab page, select Backup and then select File Backup to create a OneNote backup.

Step 2. Give the backup a distinguishable name in the “Task Name” box. Then, click Add File or Add Folder to choose your notebook files/folders to be backed up.

Note: Your notebooks are stored in “C:\Users\Username\Documents\OneNote Notebooks” by default.

Step 3. Choose a destination path to store the backed up data.

Step 4. Click Schedule Backup in the left bottom to configure an automatic backup. You can choose the “Daily”, “Weekly”, “Monthly”, “Event triggers”, or “USB plug-in” mode.

Step 5. Confirm your settings and click Start Backup to launch the backup process.

Restore notes from a backup

To restore deleted or lost notes, go to the Home tab, find your OneNote backup task, and select Restore from the drop-down menu. Then follow the wizard to complete the recovery process.

Way 2: Backup OneNote for Windows 10 with the built-in option

OneNote offers the Save & Backup option to help you make a backup. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1. Open OneNote for Windows 10 on your computer. Click File > Options to open OneNote Options.

Step 2. Click Save & Backup from the list of options on the left. Then customize your settings:

  • Under Save, you can choose Backup Folder Modify to choose your desired backup location. The default OneNote backup location in Windows 10 is “C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneNote”.
  • Under Backup, you can change the backup frequency. The default time interval is “1 Week”.

Step 3. Click Back Up All Notebooks Now to run OneNote backup immediately.

Restore notes from a backup

To restore notes from the backup you created, follow these steps:

Step 1. Click File Info Open Backups.

Step 2. In the Open Backup dialog box, double-click the folder of the notebook you want to restore, select the notebook section you want, and then click Open.

Step 3. OneNote now displays the Open Sections area, where you can review the pages in the section you just opened from your backup files. To restore notes, do either of the following:

  • To restore the entire backed-up section, right-click its section tab and then click Move or Copy.
  • To restore only specific pages from the backed-up section, right-click the page tabs you want and then click Move or Copy.

Step 4. In the Move or Copy dialog box, select where the backed-up section or pages should be placed, and then click Copy.

Step 5. When your notes have been restored, right-click the backed-up section and click Close.

Step 6. Re-select your original notebook from the Notebooks list to continue working in it.

Summary

If you plan to backup OneNote for Windows 10, try the two methods offered in this article. Both AOMEI Backupper and the “Save & Backup” option can give you a hand. Actually, AOMEI Backupper can do far more than OneNote backup. It works well as Crucial SSD clone software. Try it now to discover more!