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I have lost a bunch of my OneNote files

Super Host 0 Reputation points
2025-11-07T06:53:12.5166667+00:00

My OneNote told me I was running out of storage and that I was working offline. I used the link to get more storage and now all the files that were uploaded while offline are gone. How can I get them back?

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneNote | For business | Android
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  1. Michelle-N 16,635 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-11-07T07:39:07.9833333+00:00

    Hi @Super Host

    Thank you so much for contacting Microsoft Q&A Forum. 

    Based on the information you've provided, I understand you were working offline in OneNote on your Android device because you were out of storage. After you purchased more storage, the files you created while offline disappeared during the sync. That is a very stressful situation, and I'm sorry you're dealing with it.

    To help me understand what might have happened, could you please share a bit more about the steps you took? For example, how did you buy the new storage and what steps did you take to "sync" the app after that? Did you close the app, sign out, or do anything else?

    In the meantime, here are a couple of places to check and a key support channel to use:

    1. Check OneDrive Recycle Bins

     Since OneNote syncs to OneDrive, it's possible the files were moved or deleted during the sync process.

    OneDrive Recycle Bin: Please go to the OneDrive website on a computer, sign in with the same account, and check the Recycle Bin.

    SharePoint Recycle Bin (if applicable): If this is a work or school notebook, the file might be in a SharePoint recycle bin.

    1. Contact Phone Support

    For an issue as critical as data loss, the best and most direct path for help is to contact Microsoft's live support. They have the tools to look into your account and see what happened during that sync.

    You can call them directly via Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support.

    Please make sure you choose the right region.

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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  2. Super Host 0 Reputation points
    2025-11-07T06:57:13.6366667+00:00

    how do I get in contact with Microsoft support

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  3. AI answer

    2025-11-07T06:53:55.61+00:00

    To recover your lost OneNote files, you can check the following:

    1. Check if the content is visible on another device: Sometimes, the content may still be accessible on a different device where you have OneNote installed and synced.
    2. Look for shared notebooks: If your notebook was shared with other users, check if they can access the content. If they can see it, you may want to move the available content to a new section.
    3. Restore from OneDrive for Business: If your OneNote files were stored in OneDrive for Business, you can follow the steps in Restore your OneDrive to restore the content to a previous state.
    4. Check SharePoint Online: If your notebook was stored in SharePoint Online, you can also follow the steps in Restore your OneDrive to see if the content is in a restorable state. Remember that SharePoint Online retains backups for 14 days after deletion.

    If you cannot find your files using these methods, consider contacting Microsoft Support for further assistance.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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