Onenote notebooks wont sync because they can't connect to network

Question

I have been trying to update my notebook to the newest version for the last few months to no avail and now I cannot use it as it has become read only.
Some of my notebooks wont sync and come up with this error code - E000006B saying that the network is offline. I am online, all other notebooks sync other than 2 which are old notebooks. I can't delete them or sync them so I am currently stuck.

How can I get these notebooks to sync? I have tried through my onedrive to edit them, sync them, delete them but nothing changes and whenever I click sync nothing happens.

Answer 1

Hi @Ray,

Thank you for the additional information.

Could you please let me know if the general guidance provided above was helpful in resolving your issue? If not, please try the following steps that are more aligned with the error code “E000006B blg51” you reported:

Method A: Remove non‑essential software and disable startup items

1. Uninstall any third‑party antivirus, firewall, or system optimization software.
2. Press Windows logo key + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
3. Go to Services > check Hide all Microsoft services > select Disable all.

4. Open Task Manager, go to the Startup tab, and disable all startup items.

5. Restart your device.

Method B: Troubleshoot your network

1/ Change network connection settings

1. If you’re using a VPN or third‑party firewall, disconnect or uninstall it.
2. Press Windows logo key + X, then select Windows PowerShell (Administrator).
3. Enter the following command:netsh winsock reset
4. Restart your device.
5. Open Internet Explorer > Settings > Internet Options > Advanced.

6. Ensure the following are checked:
   • Use SSL 3.0
   • Use TLS 1.0
   • Use TLS 1.1
   • Use TLS 1.2
7. Restart your device again and check if the issue persists.

2/ Network reset

1. Go to Start > Settings > Network & Internet > Status > Network Reset.

2. Select Reset now > Yes.

3. You'll get a warning before the computer reboots, giving you time to save your work and close applications.

Method C: Reset key Windows Update services

• Open the Start menu, type cmd, right‑click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.
• Enter the following commands one by one:

SC config wuauserv start= auto, press enter

SC config bits start= auto, press enter

SC config cryptsvc start= auto, press enter

SC config trustedinstaller start= auto , press enter

SC config wuauserv type=share , press enter

• Retry the update. If the error is still reported, please enter the following command in order:

net stop wuauserv, press enter

net stop cryptSvc, press enter

net stop bits, press enter

net stop msiserver, press enter

ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old, press enter

ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 Catroot2.old, press enter

net start wuauserv, press enter

net start cryptSvc, press enter

net start bits, press enter

net start msiserver, press enter

netsh winsock reset, press enter

• Restart your computer and try updating the system again.
• If the problem persists, download and run Microsoft's official Microsoft Fix it repair tool: https://aka.ms/wudiag
• If you need a live session to support you through these steps, you can consider reaching out to your IT admin and ask them to use their admin credentials to submit a support request through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow the steps above and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can continue working together to resolve the issue.  

Thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have any questions or need additional assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out so I can continue to support you. If you found the response useful, please consider marking it as accepted, as this may help other community members who are looking for similar guidance.  

I look forward to continuing the conversation.

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Answer 2

Hi @Ray,

Thank you for posting your question to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

Even when your internet connection is working, OneNote can still display a “saved offline” or “network offline” error for a specific notebook if it cannot successfully complete the sync handshake. This may occur due to authentication token issues, temporary service interruptions, or a notebook‑specific sync problem.

Error E000006B can have multiple causes. If possible, please provide the full error code (for example, 0xE000006B b6d09) along with your current operating system version, as this will help narrow down the issue and allow for more accurate guidance.

Additionally, I recommend checking OneNote on the web to confirm whether your notebook content is syncing there and to what extent. If you can’t open the notebook in OneNote for the web, it may indicate a server-side issue (or an access/storage issue with where the notebook lives).

• Open OneNote for the web and try opening those two “old” notebooks there.
• If the web version opens and shows the latest content, the issue is more likely with the desktop/mobile client sync connection.

In the meantime, you can try the following steps to help troubleshoot your situation:

1/ Reset the notebook sync state

You can try the following workaround to reset the notebook’s sync state by creating a copy of the affected notebook.

Note: If the notebook was previously shared, you will need to re‑share the new notebook with other collaborators.

1. Open the affected notebook in the OneNote desktop app.
2. Select File > Export.
3. Under Export Current, choose Notebook.
4. Under Select Format, choose OneNote Package (*.onepkg).
5. Click Export.
6. When File Explorer opens, choose a save location:
   • To access or share the notebook across devices, save it to OneDrive (for example: OneDrive > Documents).
   1. Enter a new notebook name (it must be different from the original), then select Save.
   2. Locate the newly saved .onepkg file in File Explorer.
   3. Double‑click the file to unpack it.
   4. When prompted, select Create to generate the new notebook.
   5. Close the original (problematic) notebook and continue working with the newly created one.

2/ Check for antivirus interference

The sync problem may be caused by antivirus or security software blocking OneNote’s network communication.

• Malwarebytes (example)

To prevent Malwarebytes for Windows from blocking OneNote:

1. Select Allow an application to connect to the Internet.
2. Click Browse to locate the application.
3. Select the OneNote executable file, then click Open.
4. Click Done to save and apply the changes.

• Third‑party antivirus software (example: Avast)

If you are using a third‑party antivirus solution, ensure that OneNote is allowed as a trusted application.

For Avast, you can temporarily resolve the issue by navigating to: Menu > Settings > Protection > Core Shields, scrolling to Web Shield, and disabling Enable HTTPS scanning. After restarting OneNote, syncing should resume.

If you prefer not to disable HTTPS scanning entirely, you can instead add a URL exception:

1. Open Avast
2. Go to Menu > Settings > General > Exceptions
3. Select Add Exception
4. Enter the following URL and save the change:

https://contentsync.onenote.com

After adding this exception, OneNote should be able to sync normally.

3/ Contact Microsoft Support Team:

If the issue persists, the most effective next step is reaching out to your IT admin and ask them to use their admin credentials to submit a support request through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

Microsoft also provides customer service phone numbers based on your region. You can find the appropriate contact number here: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support 

This route ensures that a Microsoft support engineer can initiate a remote session to investigate backend configurations, run advanced diagnostic tools, and, if necessary, escalate the case to specialized teams with access to internal systems and logs. These backend resources are essential for resolving issues that go beyond what’s visible in the user interface.

As community moderators, we’re here to guide you, but due to privacy and security limitations, we don’t have access to the backend tools required for a full resolution. For this reason, contacting Microsoft Support via the Admin Center is the most secure and efficient way forward.

I hope this helps you resolve the issue quickly. I’m glad to assist and truly hope the information provided has been useful. Please feel free to reach out anytime if you need further assistance.  

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Answer 3

To resolve the issue with your OneNote notebooks not syncing and displaying the error code E000006B, you can try the following steps:

1. Check Network Connection: Ensure that your internet connection is stable and that you can access other online services.
2. Force Sync: In OneNote, try to force a sync by right-clicking on the notebook and selecting "Sync Now" or using the shortcut Shift + F9.
3. Check for Offline Location: If the notebooks are stored in a location that is set to offline (like a Windows Offline Files folder), this can prevent syncing. Move the notebooks to a location that does not have offline folders enabled.
4. Remove Special Characters: If the notebook or section names contain special characters, try renaming them to remove these characters, as they can sometimes cause sync issues.
5. Update OneNote: Make sure that you are using the latest version of OneNote. Sometimes, updating the application can resolve sync issues.
6. Clear Cache: Clear the OneNote cache by navigating to the cache folder and deleting its contents. This can sometimes resolve sync issues.
7. Backup and Recreate: If all else fails, consider backing up the content of the problematic notebooks, creating new notebooks, and then copying the content back into the new notebooks.

If you continue to experience issues, you may want to consult Microsoft's support documentation for further troubleshooting steps.

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References:

• OneNote can't sync one of my notebooks - code 9zu13 - Microsoft Q&A
• 0xE40200B4 and 0x800700DF errors when you sync a notebook in OneNote