How to move onenote sections back to top of notebook?

Anonymous
2017-05-26T06:50:42+00:00

I have found that the default onenote view is to have sections run along the top of the notebook instead of on the right (vertical view). I prefer to have my sections run along the top in the default view, but somehow, my view changed where all my sections are in a left aligned vertical view. I cannot figure out how to revert back to where all the section tabs are back along the top of each notebook. Please show me how. I cannot find this info anywhere in Microsoft support. Please note, this screenshot was taken while Office Theme = Colorful and while the "Enable Experimental Features" box was checked.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneNote | For home | Windows

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2017-05-27T19:38:21+00:00

Hi Nick. I'm glad to hear you're an actual MicroSoft engineer. I hope it is an engineer specifically for the OneNote product. I want to call B.S. on your "user testing". Switching over without the option of giving your end users a choice of layout was plain stupid and short-sighted on the part of MicroSoft. I've been using OneNote for just over a year despite being an avid Apple products user. I did this on the advice of two colleagues who use Onenote regularly, and who actually work for Microsoft (as employees, not vendors). Both of them state that they use tabs across the top and they believe it is only the Apple version that was changed permanently. They stated they would revert to version 15.33 if the engineering team forced this changed upon the software! Also, why don't you take a moment to read the feedback that you've been receiving about this forced change? Not just within the VOTE page (which has risen to 370), but throughout all the tickets that have been submitted asking how to restore this, as well as posts and comments made within the Microsoft online community. The 370 votes posted are only a small percentage of dissent that's out there. Nick, take your head out of the sand. Really. You can add this as an option for those who prefer tabs on the left... But why force it? Stupid. Plain stupid. 

I have reverted back to version 15.33 using Apple's time machine. If anyone reading this wants to know how to fix this issue, the answer is revert back to version 15.33. If you don' have Time Machine, and you need an alternative means to do so, please post a message here and I will help you with this.

Was this answer helpful?

400+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2017-05-27T05:41:55+00:00

Hey Santiago! I'm an engineer on the OneNote team.

To bring consistency across the OneNote platforms we've moved the section selection to the left side of the screen. Through user testing we've determined that (while the migration can be confusing) users find the updated experience to be more intuitive given our hierarchy structure (Notebook => Section => Page).

You're welcome to leave feedback for this change on UserVoice :)

Was this answer helpful?

10+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

434 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2020-08-03T19:30:42+00:00

    After months of waiting and making do with the Onenote for Windows 10 issues, I did a search for OneNote desktop and discovered that there is a free download and install of Windows 2016. Once I installed it and made it my default program for OneNote my tabs are back on top, I can extract text from images, I can do everything that the desktop version is supposed to do that the superior minds in MS programming removed in order to "improve" usability of OneNote for Windows 10.

    I did have to close and reopen each notebook for all of the content to sync, but it worked like a charm.

    Dane PMan, I do a lot with Section Groups within a notebook. Within a section group (major category) you can add additional section groups and then sections under that.  So you don't necessarily need 50 tabs across the top. you could possibly reduce that to 5-10 major groupings with addition groupings, then sections, then pages underneath in a new master notebook.

    It would take some time but you could then move pages from your current plethora of notebooks to the appropriate groups and sections within your new one. Or even keep 1-3 notebooks for various major areas and then subdivide within those and consolidate.

    I've done that a few times with work files in order to keep from managing disparate notebooks.

    Paul

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2020-05-01T05:11:40+00:00

    Agree. Onenote for windows 10 is a joke compared to Onenote 2016. Not even the same experience at all. The Win 10 version is pandering to pen input, just a way to sell another product. Office 2016 version was a brilliant stand alone application that was incredibly powerful. I really wish they would bring it back to the office suite and make whatever Win 10 app onenote is a drawing app or something.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2020-05-01T05:06:50+00:00

    Change it back!!! Onenote for Windows 10 is really bad compared to 2016 version. This new version feels like a bad Android app from 2016. While the proper Office 2016 version of Onenote feels like a real, powerful office application. I was hoping with the update to Microsoft 365 the weird and decidedly UN-INTUITIVE interface would be fixed, however, it sadly remains as before. The worst part is, I have found Onenote 2016 to be an app I use all through out my day at work and have really come to rely on it. I use the 2016 version and I know one day it will be gone and I will have to figure out my work flow all over again. Biggest down sides to the windows 10 version is, no window docking (truly revolutionary) and have sections on the top and tabs or whatever on the right (more writing real-estate). Can these features be brought back to the "new" version of onenote. It's really unpleasant to use currently.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments