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OneNote sections disappearing

John Allen 0 Reputation points
2026-04-04T03:41:23.11+00:00

When I insert a new section in OneNote in the desktop app it disappears, however, on checking the online version it is present. All my old section are still found in my desktop app

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneNote | Other | Windows
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  1. Kai-H 18,195 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-04-05T13:31:30.9+00:00

    Hi, John Allen

    Since the new section shows up in OneNote on the web, the notebook itself is usually fine, and the problem is more likely the desktop app not refreshing its local view correctly. If the web version has the latest content, the issue may be with the desktop client connection rather than the notes being lost.

    Here are some suggestions you can try:

    Close that notebook in the desktop app, then reopen it from OneNote on the web using Open in Desktop App. It can reset the connection between the desktop app and the OneNote service.

    Make sure OneNote is fully updated. Some section sync/display issues were fixed in later updates, so installing the latest Office/OneNote updates is worth doing before anything more drastic.

    If the notebook is stored in SharePoint/Teams, ask the admin to check the document library settings. Required check-out, versioning, or required metadata columns can cause OneNote sync problems even when the notebook still looks fine online.

    If it still only happens in desktop, it is suggested that clearing the local OneNote cache may help, so the app downloads a fresh copy of the notebook instead of reusing a bad local copy.

    Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you. 

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment."    

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  2. AI answer

    2026-04-04T03:41:35.05+00:00

    The behavior indicates a sync or section-location issue between the desktop app and the online notebook rather than true data loss.

    Try these steps in the OneNote desktop app:

    1. Confirm sync status
      1. Select File > Info > View Sync Status.
      2. In Shared Notebook Synchronization, look for any notebook with a yellow triangle and select it to see section errors.
      3. Select Sync Now for the affected notebook and wait for completion.
    2. Check for misplaced sections
      1. In the Notebooks list, select Misplaced Sections at the bottom.
      2. If the new sections are listed there, right-click each section tab and choose Move or copy.
      3. In Move or Copy Section, select the correct notebook/location and move or copy the section.
    3. If a specific section will not sync
      1. In the affected notebook, create a new section in the same notebook.
      2. Copy all pages from the problematic section into the new section:
        • Right-click each page > Move or Copy > select the new section > Copy.
      3. Press Shift+F9 to manually sync the notebook and wait for the progress bar to finish.
      4. If the new section syncs correctly and appears in both desktop and online, delete the old section and (optionally) rename the new one.
    4. Check Notebook Recycle Bin for corrupted sections
      1. Go to the History tab > Notebook Recycle Bin.
      2. If any section there is causing sync errors, move/copy needed content to another section, then delete the problematic section from the Recycle Bin.

    If the sections appear online but not in the desktop app after these steps, continue working in the online version temporarily and use manual sync (File > View Sync Status > Sync All) until the desktop client fully updates.

    References:

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

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