Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Is there a viewer for OneNote files? 
Not a viewer, per se, but you can certainly download and install the OneNote 2010 Trial edition.  The trial is fully functional for 60 days after which it will go into read-only mode unless you buy the full version.  That means that you can use it to view and edit OneNote files for 60 days, after that it will still be fully functional as a viewer only. Click here to go to Microsoft's site to get it now.

2. I want to move my notebook to a different location, how can I do that? 

In OneNote 2007 or 2010 click File | Notebook Properties.  There's a button for change location right there.

If you want to move the notebook to SkyDrive instead then the best way do to that is not with the Change Location button but rather go to the Share tab on the Ribbon, click "Share This Notebook" and select "Web" as the share location. (see below)

It's o.k. if you only intend to share it with yourself (on one or more machines).

If you don't have a SkyDrive folder you can get one, for free, by going to http://www.live.com and signing up. SkyDrive folders are 25GB of free storage space.

 

3. I just upgraded to OneNote [2007/2010], how do I transfer my OneNote [2003/2007] files to it?
When you first open OneNote 2007 it should automatically ask if you want to convert your OneNote 2003 files. but if it doesn't then go to File | Open | Notebook and open each of the notebooks you want to convert.  Note that once they're converted you CAN'T go back to OneNote 2003 format.

4. Why is there no OneNote for Mac and when it is coming?

There's no OneNote for the Mac because, if we're honest, the marketshare just hasn't been there. It would be a major rewrite of the application to port it to OS X and it's not clear that it makes sense economically. They'd have to sell enough copies to justify the significant development resources and the Mac is still much less than 10% of the market.

Also if Mac users want to run OneNote there are several ways for them to do that already. Probably the best way is to run OneNote 2010 under Parallels or Fusion or one of the other VM platforms that enable Windows apps under the Mac.

Another option is to use the OneNote Web App in SkyDrive. All you need is to go to your SkyDrive (http://www.live.com; free) in your web browser and you can view/edit your notebooks there.

As for when a native OneNote for Mac is coming...at this point there are no announced plans to make one. That doesn't mean it won't happen, Microsoft sometimes surprises us, but considering how increasingly easy it's getting to run Windows applications on the Mac OS I sort of doubt there will be a lot of resources committed to writing a native Mac version.

5. Can I password protect sections of OneNote?  Individual pages? 

Sections, yes.  Pages no.  To password protect a section just right-click the section on the navigation pane or on the tab at the top and select "Password protect this section" from the context menu.

Pick a good pass phrase to encrypt your section with. "Hello" isn't a good passphrase. "Keep out of my notebook!" is much better.

6. Does OneNote have a Find/Replace feature?  Like Microsoft Word does?

No, but it is a frequently requested feature for the next version.  There is a powertoy that can do it and you can find it here: http://blogs.msdn.com/descapa/archive/2007/06/23/onenote-search-and-replace.aspx

7. How do I "flip thru" the pages in my section? 

Press CTRL+Page Down.  If you do it a lot and have a mouse with programmable keys you might consider programming one of your mouse buttons to do that.

Also if your mouse has a scroll wheel on it you can hold down the CTRL key while rolling the mouse wheel up or down. Note that to do that you have to be hovering your mouse pointer over the page tabs.

8. I don't see the Tray icon for OneNote and my Windows Key+S doesn't work!  (OneNote 2007)Tools | Options | Other...check the box next to "Place OneNote icon in the notification area of the taskbar.

(OneNote 2010) File | Options | Display...check the box next to "Place OneNote icon in the notification area of the taskbar.

9. Can I sort the pages in OneNote?

Not natively, but there's a powertoy that will do it.  See here.

10. Where's the "Save" button?

OneNote doesn't have a Save button. OneNote automatically saves your work on an almost constant basis in the background.  If you want to save your notebook with a new name you can use the Save As feature located under the File menu.

11. I want to use the Cloud to sync my notebooks. Should I use Dropbox?

Well, you CAN use DropBox (many people do) but I would use SkyDrive instead. Dropbox is going to create multiple copies of your notebook and it's possible, especially if you're editing your notebook in multiple places or with multiple users that those copies could get out of sync and corrupted.  It's unusual, but it happens.  Dropbox is not OneNote-aware and OneNote is not Dropbox-aware.

SkyDrive lets you store your notebooks in the "Cloud" and share them with others if you choose to. SkyDrive *IS* OneNote-aware and OneNote is SkyDrive-aware. So the sync is much cleaner (and faster).  Plus with SkyDrive you get the benefit of the OneNote Web App if you want to use that. So while Dropbox is one of the Top 10 Cloud Storage options, it's not compatible with OneNote, but SkyDrive is.

Note: SkyDrive sync REQUIRES OneNote 2010. It won't work with older versions of OneNote.

Frequently Asked Questions About OneNote and SkyDrive

12. When Will I Get a OneNote for iPad App?

Right now, if you want it. It's available in the Apple App Store. Read more...

13. Whenever I print it tries to go to OneNote! How do I stop this?!?

Go to your print settings (under Control Panel) and change your default printer. Right-click the printer you DO want to print to and choose "Set as Default".

Print to OneNote Fails

14. Does the OneNote for iPhone app work with SharePoint?

No, not yet. At present it's SkyDrive-only for the iPhone app. I expect that eventually there will be a version that supports SharePoint but that hasn't been announced yet. The Windows Phone OneNote app DOES support SharePoint and Office 365.

15. Can I use Templates in OneNote?

Yes, we have an article about that in fact. Read more...

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