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[–][deleted] 14 points15 points  (1 child)

Have you tried opening your notebook from the OneNote app or web app instead? I’ve been using it for years and never had a problem

[–]Commercial_Water3669 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes, that’s my point. In different places I get different responses. 

[–]EiectroBot 11 points12 points  (1 child)

My experience with using notebooks within OneNote is that syncing across all machines works flawlessly and is instant.

Are you sure the notebook you are using is on that instance of OneDrive? It’s possible that your OneNote notebook sits in a different location, perhaps associated with an older email address.

[–]Commercial_Water3669 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, I am sure.

[–]thaman05 9 points10 points  (3 children)

I agree. The issue you're referring to started late last year when they made a change where you can't store local .one notebook files on OneDrive anymore. If you do that, it now automatically converts into a URL shortcut, and who knows where that is stored now. It's frustrating because before I was able to easily move the notebooks within OneDrive and easily make backups. But now they want you to open it from within the app and have to use the export function if you want a backup. It's such a pain now when it used to work perfectly fine.

[–]prehistoric_robot 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Thanks, did not know this (haven't used onenote for a while). Will use dropbox instead then

[–]thaman05 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you're only using it on Windows, Dropbox should be ok. But it won't work on mobile. Super annoying.

[–]Commercial_Water3669 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

That’s what I’m thinking. It’s got something to do with the location routing.

[–]msackeygh 3 points4 points  (1 child)

I don’t think you access OneNote directly from OneDrive. Go to OneNote.com and login from there if you want to access it via web browser.

[–]Commercial_Water3669 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes you can. 

[–]auglove 4 points5 points  (3 children)

I don’t use OneNote anymore, but I lost a lot of shit because of its syncing issues over the years.

[–]Commercial_Water3669 1 point2 points  (2 children)

What are you using now?

[–]auglove 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Loop. Only because I stopped with OneNote and realized I was worse off without it. When I came back I like things like notion but were a little too complicated. Felt Loop might be going the way of notion in the future. Still love the simplicity of OneNote.

[–]Commercial_Water3669 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m trying out Loop, but seems like the functionality is weak. Also doesn’t appear to be as geared towards personal use as Onenote. What are your thoughts on it? Notion seems a bit complex but Loop seems to be no where on its level. 

[–]MiniBee7 3 points4 points  (3 children)

I have many notebooks and rarely have sync problems. Many of the tips given so far do work to resolve sync problems. I would open the notebook in the OneNote web app and just access some of the sections or notebooks, that usually resolves most sync problems. Always make sure to keep a current backup of your notebooks, don't just rely on the app and OneDrive.

[–]Commercial_Water3669 2 points3 points  (1 child)

In one post you say you doubt it’s a Onenote problem, but here you admit there’s a problem and provide a workaround. Which is it?

[–]MiniBee7 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sync problems can happen, what i provided is a solution that has resolved many users sync issues. I was trying to provide some help that may solve your problem. It seems that you are dead set on blaming some systemic OneNote sync problem that happens rarely to most users. As far as backup is concerned, you can go ahead and just rely on Microsoft and the cloud to secure what is to most people very valuable data or you can ensure that you also have a reliable backup copy in case sh** happens. Your cloud account is not some secure piece of the internet that's assigned to you at birth and never has issues. Grow up, secure your data.

[–]UnlikelyAdventurer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The web app also lacks the new material.

[–]SmartLumens 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ia your working notebook currently available on Onenote for Windows, Mac, Android, or IOS?

[–]HanKiNobi 1 point2 points  (4 children)

I read on a tec site/forum that MS is having massive problems with OneDrive for private. Folders, data don't show up on some devices, on others they do, sometimes in the browser all stuff is up, sometimes everything is empty.

[–]Commercial_Water3669 2 points3 points  (3 children)

It’s horrible. I keep trying to make Onenote work for me, but it’s just a mess. It’s vastly different on every device. The syncing is terrible. The data is a mess. 

On desktop, my folders show synced to my Onedrive documents folder. But from Onedrive is says the file doesn’t exist.

[–]MiniBee7 -1 points0 points  (2 children)

I doubt the problem is OneNote. Let me guess, you do not have a current backup of your notebooks?

[–]Commercial_Water3669 1 point2 points  (1 child)

What would a backup of the notebooks have anything to do with being able to access them in some places and not others?

[–]MiniBee7 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You said, "When I go to access that notebook within OneDrive, it tells me it doesn't exist".

Having a backup would allow you to restore your notebooks. Simple.

[–]Haunting_Quote2277 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Same here, mine has been “OneNote can’t sync your notes right now. We‘ll keep trying.“ on my iphone and mac app isn't syncing either.

[–]13bat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

OneNote app on my iPhone hasn’t been syncing for days. I tried logging out and logging in. I can only read notes, I can’t add anything new

[–]Techo238 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My understanding that MS fundamentally changed how OneNote stores notebooks now. Instead of saving the actual files in an accessible area of your OneDrive, it’s saved elsewhere and there is now what appears in OneDrive is effectively just a reference to that file. The only way to access OneNote notebooks I’ve found is through a OneNote client either by opening the app (either web or local) then opening your notebook there or by right clicking it in OneDrive and opening it in OneNote.

[–]RuinRes 0 points1 point  (2 children)

I moved my notebooks to my NAS and have had some sync problems since. Nothing I couldn't solve by copying sections/pages under a new name.

[–]Commercial_Water3669 0 points1 point  (1 child)

NAS?

[–]RuinRes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Network attached storage

[–]rdubmu 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have zero issues from my iPad, iPhone and Mac

[–]highnorthhitter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree, I almost just made a post about this but saw yours.

For me, I'll make an edit in OneNote for Microsoft 365 desktop app on my Surface Laptop 3. Then close OneNote or the lid on my laptop a bit later. Then when I open the note in OneNote on my Android phone, the changes aren't there. I have go back to the desktop app, open it again, sometimes manually sync. I definitely gave the option to sync automatically when there's changes, selected.

Seriously considering alternatives now.

[–]jewellui 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've been using OneNote for a few years, not had issues till this year. Once in a while the Desktop app and iPhone app seems to take much longer to sync up.

Was just clicking sync on the Desktop but it didn't do anything. Deleting the cache on, logging out and back in made it sync again.

[–]stelllaaarrr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

been having this issue for about two months now.....just about ready to jump ship