OneNote sync issues with Macbook

Question

Hello, I use a lot of Microsoft apps at work on my MacBook and I have got everything mostly setup. One issue however is with OneNote. I'm signed in to the same account on my iPhone, iPad, and my Windows laptop, and they all sync between each other no problem. However, I'm also signed in to the same account on my MacBook, and none of my notes are synced

Any ideas on how to sync my MacBook OneNote app?

Thank you!

Answer 1

Hi Pyke

Thanks for outlining the steps, but none of this seems to be working either. Its not giving me the option to open in OneNote from the webpage. I also noticed that the notebook does not appear in OneDrive. I've checked my phone and other laptop, logged into the same account, and this notebook is not there. I'm not even sure how its managed to sync between my other devices. My colleagues also use this notebook (it was created by me, and shared with them) so we can all collaborate, and they have never had any issues

Do you know if there is any place I can take my MacBook to get this looked at, or book an appointment for someone to remote in and have a look?

Thank you

Answer 2

Dear Danny,

Thanks for your reply. You can't find any OneNote notebook files on Mac in OneDrive, right?

If so, it does indicate that OneNote on Mac is not syncing files to OneDrive. Here are the steps you can try:

First try to sync it manually:

1. In the Navigation panel on the left, select the notebook you want to sync.
2. Ctrl+click the name of the notebook.
3. On the menu that appears, select Sync This Notebook.

If that doesn't work, have you tried the steps I mentioned above? If not, you can try this:

1. On the OneNote for Mac menu bar, select Notebooks > Notebooks > Close This Notebook.
2. Switch back to the notebook in OneNote for the web in your web browser, and then select Open in OneNote on the ribbon.

If the above steps still don't sync the notebook to OneDrive correctly, log out of your account from OneDrive and then log back in. If that still doesn't work, you need to uninstall OneNote and reinstall it.

There is another possible way to upload it. Open a notebook from your Mac and save it as a copy, or find the local path of the file. Manually upload it to the notebook's folder in OneDrive. Then see if it can be synced to other devices.

You can also create a new account and check if the problem exists in the new account.

1. From your existing administrator account, open the Apple menu and go to System Preferences > Users & Groups. Click the padlock and enter your administrator password to unlock the changes. Then select your new user account from the sidebar.
2. Turn on the Allow user to administer this computer option. Then restart your Mac from the Apple menu to enable these changes.
3. Click the Add (+) button in the bottom left corner and fill in the details for the new account. Make sure Administrators is selected from the drop-down menu at the top of the screen.
4. Go to the newly created account and check if the problem persists in the new account.

Feel free to let me know if you make any progress.

Best wishes

Pyke.D | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Answer 3

Hi Pyke.D

Thank you for your help here, I really appreciate it

So I cannot locate the notebook in OneDrive. I have been able to open the notebook from a shared link that I generated from my Windows computer, and when I open it on my Mac browser, it allows me to edit from a 'Guest Contributor' account

Why wouldn't my OneNote upload automatically to my connected OneDrive account? If I can figure out a way to manually upload it, then I could maybe open it via the OneNote MacBook app?

I appreciate your continued support here

Answer 4

Dear Danny,

Hello! Welcome to the Microsoft Community.

I understand that you can use OneNote and sync it normally on other devices. But you can't do this on Mac. It won't sync with other devices. I understand your feelings and I will try my best to help you solve this problem.

First you can go to the App Store and check if there is any update available for OneNote. If so, update it. Then check if the problem still exists.

If so, try the steps here:

Check if any notebooks on your Mac can be found in the OneDrive web version. Usually OneNote will automatically sync notes to OneDrive. This can determine your sync problem.

If you can find your old OneNote notes in OneDrive, try opening the notebooks in OneNote for the web (www.onenote.com). This can help determine whether the problem is caused by the server or OneNote.

1. On the OneNote for Mac toolbar, select Notebooks > Notebooks > Copy Link to Notebook.
2. In your web browser, select inside the address box, and then press Command + V to paste the copied URL.
3. Press Enter to load the notebook in OneNote for the web.

If you are able to successfully open the notebook in OneNote for the web and the changes appear, the issue may be caused by OneNote for Mac. Closing and reopening the notebook will usually clear and successfully reset the connection. Follow these steps:

1. On the OneNote for Mac menu bar, select Notebooks > Notebooks > Close This Notebook.
2. Switch back to the notebook in OneNote for the web in your web browser, and then select Open in OneNote on the ribbon.

In addition, you also need to check whether the network environment on your Mac is normal. If the problem persists after the above steps, try uninstalling the OneNote application on your Mac and then reinstalling it to see how it works.

Here is an official article for your reference, and there are some solutions to other problems in it, see if it helps you:

Fix issues when you can't sync OneNote - Microsoft Support

If you make any progress, feel free to let me know.

Best wishes

Pyke.D | Microsoft Community Support Specialist