OneNote for Mac Crashes on Startup After Deleting Cache Files (EXC_BAD_INSTRUCTION)

Hello,

Welcome to the Microsoft Community Forum. Please accept our warmest regards and sincerest hope that all is well despite the situation you find yourself in.

I understand the issue you are facing with OneNote for Mac crashing after deleting cache files. To resolve this issue without losing your notes, you can try the following steps:

1. **Reinstall OneNote**: Uninstall OneNote from your Mac and then reinstall it from the Mac App Store. This may help in resolving any corrupted files causing the crash.
2. **Update OneNote**: Ensure that you are using the latest version of OneNote available for Mac. Updates often include bug fixes that can address issues like crashes.
3. **Check for macOS Updates**: Make sure your macOS is up to date. Sometimes compatibility issues can arise between older macOS versions and newer app versions.

Remember to back up your notes before attempting any troubleshooting steps to prevent any accidental data loss. Let me know if you need further assistance.

Hope this helps.

Best Regards,

Fordy B.

Microsoft Community Moderator

Hi Fordy,

Thank you for your response. I have tried re-installing One Note (legacy version) but this still gave me the same error upon launching the app. I am currently using MacOS Monterey (12.5) and cannot download the latest version of One Note which requires an updated software. Although I want to update my software, I currently do not have enough storage to do so due to One Note having created ~100gb of backup and cache files on my device.

Therefore, I am not sure what is the best way to resolve this issue. To clear up storage so that I can update my MacOS and try installing the newest version of One Note, is it safe for me to delete the One Note backups and the remaining cache files that I did not delete (i.e. I deleted 2/3 of cache files which led to this One Note error, but I still have a significant amount of caches which I did not delete alongside backups)? Would I lose any notebooks in the process of deleting these backups and cache files?

Thank you and I look forward to your response.

Hi,

Thank you for your response. You can check if your notebooks are showing online or in OneDrive.

Locating OneNote Backups on Mac

1. Check OneNote Preferences
   • Open OneNote and click OneNote in the menu bar.
   • Select Preferences > Backups to see backup options.
2. Find Local Backup Files
   • OneNote may store local copies in the User Library folder:
     • Open Finder.
     • Click Go in the menu bar and hold the Option key.
     • Select Library > Containers > com.microsoft.onenote.mac
     • This folder may contain offline versions of your notebooks.
3. Check OneDrive for Cloud Backups
   • If your notebooks are synced, they are stored in OneDrive.
   • You can access them via OneDrive Online.

For your other concern about updating your Mac operating system to the latest version is it is either for you to free up space or just contact Apple support to have them help you in upgrading your Mac operating system.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Fordy B.

Microsoft Moderator

Hi,
I’m unable to try Option 1 because OneNote crashes immediately on launch and only shows the error report.

For Option 2, I don’t see a folder named com.microsoft.onenote.mac. The only folders I have are:

• com.microsoft.Office365ServiceV2
• com.microsoft.OneDrive.FileProvider
• com.microsoft.OneDrive.FinderSync

None of these contain anything related to OneNote.

For Option 3, I can see my notebooks on OneDrive, but I can’t confirm if everything is fully synced since I have over 30 notebooks with multiple sections each.

I normally locate OneNote backups using the OmniDiskSweeper app. That’s also how I deleted cache files - which is when the crashing issue started. The question I need help with is:

Is it safe to delete the remaining OneNote cache and backup files from my Mac without affecting the notebooks stored on OneDrive?

I want to be sure that deleting local backups/cache won't remove the notebooks from the app or from OneDrive. The reason I ask is that I need to free up space to upgrade macOS and reinstall OneNote. Apple support advised me to clear storage before upgrading since I don't have enough storage to currently upgrade, but they couldn’t confirm if deleting OneNote’s cache and backups is safe.

Thanks

Hi,

Thank you for the response.

Yes, you can delete OneNote cache and backup files from your Mac without affecting the notebooks stored on OneDrive, but there are a few precautions to take:

1. Ensure All Notes Are Synced – Before deleting anything, confirm that your notebooks are fully synced with OneDrive. You can do this by checking OneNote online and verifying that all your notes appear correctly.
2. Backup Important Notes – If you want extra security, manually export your notebooks or save a copy elsewhere before deleting cache files.
3. Close OneNote Before Deleting – Make sure OneNote is closed before removing cache or backup files to prevent any conflicts.
4. Delete Only Cache & Backup Files – Avoid deleting essential OneNote system files. Cache and backup files are typically stored in:
   • ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.onenote.mac/Data/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/OneNote
   • ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/OneNote
5. Restart OneNote After Deleting – Once you've cleared the cache, restart OneNote and allow it to re-sync with OneDrive.

Hope this helps.

Best Regards,

Fordy B.

Microsoft Community Moderator