onenote app UI doesn't appear

Question

Split from this thread.

I encountered critical issue when trying to open onenote 2 days ago. After clicking the onenote app, it tries to open onenote but actually onenote app UI doesn't appear at all. The worst is repeating focus and lost focus (between current window and the 'should-appear onenote window' so you can do nothing because you only have less than 1 second to click the mouse before it lost focus again. There is no way to do anything using the mouse like quit the app, force quit or even click the shutdown. The onenote app icon keeps beating on launch bar.

I tried reinstall, go to safe mode...none worked... No container folder under ~\home\library\

No google result is the same. This happens to my MacBook Air and brand new MacBook Pro (which recovers data from old MacBook Pro). But my old MacBook Pro has no such issue.

Answer 1

Hi Storm_cd,

I go through your post, it seems that your OneNote client is corrupted. You mentioned that you have reinstalled it to fixed, however, the OneNote cache may the true reason for it. You said you don’t find Containers under library, here are suggestions for you.

1.        Clear OneNote cache.

   a.    First, make sure that OneNote is not running

   b.    From Finder Go > Go to Folder... (Shift+Cmd+G)

   c.    Enter "~/Library/Containers" and press Go (Return key)

   d.    Find the "com.microsoft.onenote.mac" folder

   e.    Select and delete that folder using File/Move to Trash (Cmd+Delete)

2.       Delete this folder: ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office 

Warning: Outlook data will be removed when you move the three folders listed in this step to Trash. You shouldback up you Outlook databefore you delete them.

3.       In some scenario, the issue may be caused by corrupted User Profile. So creating a new User Profile may solve the issue.

If suggestions above don’t help you out, for further, could you please give more details as below?

1.       Could you please tell us your MacOS versionand OneNote Version? (Open OneNote application> Click OneNote in Menu bar> About OneNote)

2.       Could you please give a screenshot on OneNote “lost focus”?

Regards,

Clark

Answer 2

Hi Storm_cd,

I go through your post, it seems that your OneNote client is corrupted. You mentioned that you have reinstalled it to fixed, however, the OneNote cache may the true reason for it. You said you don’t find Containers under library, here are suggestions for you.

1.        Clear OneNote cache.

   a.    First, make sure that OneNote is not running

   b.    From Finder Go > Go to Folder... (Shift+Cmd+G)

   c.    Enter "~/Library/Containers" and press Go (Return key)

   d.    Find the "com.microsoft.onenote.mac" folder

   e.    Select and delete that folder using File/Move to Trash (Cmd+Delete)

2.       Delete this folder: ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office 

Warning: Outlook data will be removed when you move the three folders listed in this step to Trash. You shouldback up you Outlook databefore you delete them.

3.       In some scenario, the issue may be caused by corrupted User Profile. So creating a new User Profile may solve the issue.

If suggestions above don’t help you out, for further, could you please give more details as below?

1.       Could you please tell us your MacOS versionand OneNote Version? (Open OneNote application> Click OneNote in Menu bar> About OneNote)

2.       Could you please give a screenshot on OneNote “lost focus”?

Regards,

Clark

Finally, delete files under ~/Library/containers works!

Library folder is hidden so finder doesn't show it, need to use 'Shift+Cmd+G' as below mentioned...

Thank you Clark.

Answer 3

This is my work laptop, changes of Mac user profile is not an option. Both onenote installed from pkg or app store have same issue.

Answer 4

I downloaded pkg from office.com and installed on my fresh new MBP without MS account login yesterday.  OS is the up to date Mojave. Office is also new version. Cant give you onenote version as unable to go to onenote app. As I said, no containers in library, safe mode doesnt work. Never success to open onenote. WORD works fine.