OneNote closes every so often ( when in focus and when not) then won't restart

Question

1. how can I diagnose what is causing the problem. event logs, turn on diagnostics etc etc - step by step guide please
2. Once it has closed (without warning or error), when I go to restart it - I get the image below. I can let it complete (although I'm not sure it will, it sets like this for ages), I can cancel it and relaunch. I can repeatedly go into task manager and kill the process, it just restarts.
3. 

After a while I get the "OneNote is having problems launching dialogue"

So rebooting fixes. Once i get the "OneNoteis having trouble starting" and I say "start normally" it starts fine. Time it takes between self closing - 4 - 30 hours.

OneNote has 2 accounts attached - one personal and one work. Done a repair. didn't change the outcome.

Regards,

Jason

Answer 1

Use a combination of repairing Office/OneNote, checking for known crash causes, and updating drivers to diagnose and stabilize OneNote.

1. Run an Online Repair of Office/OneNote

• An Online Repair will replace all Office/OneNote binaries and fix many intermittent crash issues.
• Follow the steps in Repair an Office application:
  • Open Windows Settings > Apps > Installed apps (or Apps & features).
  • Select Microsoft 365/Office > Modify.
  • Choose Online Repair (not Quick Repair) and let it complete.

2. Check for known crash causes and fixes

• OneNote and other Office apps can crash due to problematic drivers or components.
• Review the OneNote-specific and Office-wide known issues:
  • In “Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in OneNote for Windows,” check the section OneNote crashes and slow performance and the linked articles, especially [FIXED] Office Applications crash due to Nahimic audio driver. If the Nahimic audio driver (often preinstalled on some laptops) is present, update or disable it per that article.
  • If using OneNote for Windows 10, note that support ends in October 2025; install the latest OneNote from Microsoft Store or as part of Microsoft 365 as described in Troubleshoot errors in OneNote for Windows 10.

3. Verify this is not an add‑in or shared Office issue

• Because Outlook and other Office apps can show similar “having trouble starting” messages, treat this as a possible shared Office issue:
  • If other Office apps also crash or show “stopped working”/startup errors, follow the guidance in I get a "stopped working" error when I start Office applications on my PC:
    • Start an Office app in Safe Mode (for example, winword /safe) to see if it’s stable.
    • If Safe Mode works, disable add‑ins as described there (File > Options > Add‑ins, then disable add‑ins and COM add‑ins one by one) to identify any that might affect OneNote as well.
  • If crashes occur while typing in Outlook/Word/OneNote, follow Outlook, Word, or OneNote unexpectedly close when typing:
    • Do an Online Repair (step 1 above).
    • If Event Viewer shows a faulting module with a version like 16.0.4288.1000, uninstall any older MSI-based Office language packs from Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
    • Reinstall language packs if needed using the “Language Accessory Pack for Microsoft 365” guidance.

4. Update Windows and device drivers

• Out-of-date or incompatible drivers can cause intermittent Office/OneNote crashes.
• Use the steps in I get a "stopped working" error when I start Office applications on my PC – Incompatible device drivers:
  • Run Windows Update and install all available updates.
  • Specifically update video card, printer, mouse, keyboard, and any laptop OEM utilities (including DisplayLink or audio enhancements like Nahimic) from the manufacturer’s site.

5. If repair and updates do not help

• If OneNote and other Office apps continue to close and show the “cleaning up from the last time it was open” or “having trouble starting” dialogs after Online Repair and driver updates:
  • Completely uninstall Office using the Microsoft 365 uninstall troubleshooter or the manual uninstall steps referenced in I get a "stopped working" error when I start Office applications on my PC – Uninstall and reinstall Office.
  • Reboot the device.
  • Reinstall Office/OneNote from the Microsoft 365 account portal or Microsoft Store.

6. Where to get additional help and diagnostics

• For deeper diagnostics (Event Viewer details, crash module names, etc.) and to compare with similar cases, use the community resources in Outlook, Word, or OneNote unexpectedly close when typing – More Resources:
  • Post crash details (faulting module, version numbers) in the Outlook/Office Tech Community or Answers forum so support engineers and MVPs can correlate with known bugs or driver issues.

Following these steps will both diagnose likely causes (add‑ins, drivers, language packs, corrupted Office install) and apply the supported fixes that address intermittent OneNote and Office crashes.

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References:

• I get a "stopped working" error when I start Office applications on my PC
• Outlook, Word, or OneNote unexpectedly close when typing
• Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in OneNote for Windows
• Troubleshoot errors in OneNote for Windows 10
• Repair process for an Office Click-to-Run application does not start
• we are sorry, but word has run into an error that is preventing it from working correctly. Word will need to be closed as a result. Would you like us to repair now? - Microsoft Q&A
• how i can fix the microsoft app problem - Microsoft Q&A