Troubleshoot errors in OneNote for Windows 8

This article contains troubleshooting tips about errors you could run into while using OneNote for Windows 8 under certain conditions or on certain platforms.

If your issue is not solved by following the tips below, visit the OneNote forums on Microsoft Answers.

Errors when opening OneNote notebooks

Here are some things to try when you're running into general errors while trying to open and sync your shared notebooks.

How do I open notebooks created in an earlier version of OneNote?

OneNote for Windows 8 supports notebooks in the 2010-2016 notebook format. If you're trying to open a notebook in the OneNote 2007 or OneNote 2003 format, you'll need to first convert the notebook using the desktop version of OneNote. To do this, open the notebook in OneNote 2013 or 2016, and then click File > Info. Next to the name of the notebook that you want to convert, click Settings > Properties. In the dialog box that opens, click the Convert to 2010-2016 button, and click OK. When you've completed these steps, return to the OneNote app and open the notebook there.

My SharePoint notebook doesn't sync

OneNote supports SharePoint 2010 or newer, so you'll run into problems if you try to open and sync a notebook stored on any earlier version of SharePoint. Contact your SharePoint administrator if you don't know which version of SharePoint your team is using.

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SharePoint errors

Here are some things to try when you're running into specific errors while using OneNote with notebooks shared on a SharePoint sites. Please note that most of these procedures require administrator privileges on your SharePoint server.

Turn off Required Check-in/Check Out in the SharePoint Document Library

1. Navigate to the document library in SharePoint.

2. On the Library Tools ribbon, select Library > Library Settings > Versioning Settings.

3. Set the Require Check Out option to No.

Turn off Minor Versions in the SharePoint Document Library

1. Navigate to the document library in SharePoint.

2. On the Library Tools ribbon, select Library > Library Settings > Versioning Settings.

3. Set the Document Versioning History option to No Versioning.

Turn off Required Properties in the SharePoint Document Library

1. Navigate to the document library in SharePoint.

2. On the Library Tools ribbon, select Library > Library Settings.

3. Under the table titled Columns, see if any items have a check mark under the Required column.

4. Click any item marked as required and then set the Require that this column contains information option to No.

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Quota errors

Here are some things to try when you're running into disk issues that may affect the storage of your notebooks.

I'm getting Quota Exceeded errors

OneNote can't sync notebooks when there's not enough storage space. To fix this problem, first verify whether the notebook is stored on OneDrive or on SharePoint. OneDrive URLs will typically contain some variation of OneDrive.live.com, while SharePoint URLs are likely customized by the server administrator in your organization.

OneDrive

If your notebook is stored on OneDrive, check to see how much free space you have left for your account. If you are almost or completely out of space, consider deleting some older files, or buy more OneDrive storage space to resolve the issue.

SharePoint

If your notebook is stored on SharePoint, it's possible that your storage quota is exceeded. Contact the SharePoint or IT administrator in your organization to resolve the issue.

Your Computer

Notebooks that are stored on OneDrive or SharePoint are also cached locally on your computer. If you're running out of disk space on your computer, you may see this error. To free up space for your notebooks, consider deleting some files that you no longer need.

If you have plenty of storage space left and you are still seeing this error message, you can report this issue in the OneNote forums on Microsoft Answers so we can investigate the cause and find a solution.

OneNote can't open my page or section

If you're seeing the "There's a problem with the contents in this section" error, try the following:

• Open the notebook in the desktop version of OneNote, which provides notebook recovery options.

• Post the specific issue you're having in the OneNote forums on Microsoft Answers.

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