Cant Open Recently Closed macOS Notebook from Desktop App

Question

Cant Open Recently Closed macOS Notebook from Desktop App

  - Partially Opens - Some items appears then stops

  - Shows it is synching & never stops (left running overnight - still synching)

  Things I have tried include

  - Logged out & logged in  

  - Opened onenoote for the web, and click “Open in App”   (& vice versa)

  - Delete the OneNote App completely,reinstalled

  - Removed & Reinstalled all MS Apps

  - Clean Reinstalled MacOS / then reinstalled MS 365

  Running latest S/W

  > Macbook 2021 m1 Pro  - Sequoia 15.6.1

  > OneNote Version 16.100.3 

  

Other Notes

    - Able to Down Notebook (as a collections of ".one" files

    - OneNote Content has been synched - Notebook I need is Online and is up to date

    - Appears Specifc to one notebook - able to open other other notebooks

    - Disabled/removed any/all VPN / Firewalls (incl Macos)

    - Tried wired and wifi connection

Answer 1

Dear Dan,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Q&A.

I understand you're experiencing difficulty opening a recently closed notebook on your macOS device using the OneNote Desktop App. I appreciate the comprehensive steps you've already taken to resolve the issue.

Please try solutions below to fix your issue:

1. Verify Notebook Location: Ensure the notebook is stored in a supported location such as OneDrive or SharePoint Online. Notebooks stored locally or in unsupported cloud services may not sync properly.
2. Clear OneNote Cache: To resolve potential sync conflicts:
   • Close OneNote.
   • Go to: ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.onenote.mac/Data/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/User Data/OneNote
   • Delete all files in this folder. (Note: This will not delete your notes but may help reset sync behavior.)
3. Repair Disk Permissions: Use Disk Utility to run First Aid on your startup disk:
   • Open Disk Utility (Applications > Utilities).
   • Select your disk and click First Aid > Run.
4. If the notebook opens correctly in OneNote Online, try duplicating it:
   • Open the notebook in OneNote Web.
   • Create a new notebook and copy sections manually.
   • Attempt to open the new notebook in the Desktop App.
5. If the issue persists, please send us the OneNote diagnostic logs:
   • Open OneNote > Go to Help > Send Feedback > Report a Problem.
   • Include a reference to this case and your system details.

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Answer 2

Tried all steps / no luck - i have the added problem of comming across web vers where sections are created on another device & needs to sync, but wont