OneNote cannot open one of my notebooks - it says the page is not responding

Harper, Esther (UG - School of Vet Med.) 0 Reputation points
2026-03-14T14:35:17.35+00:00

I'm using the browser version of Microsoft OneNote on Windows 11. Recently I can't access one of my notebooks, because whenever I try OneNote tells me that the page isn't responding and then the page crashes. I've tried restarting my computer already. Is there any way to recover my notebook or prevent OneNote glitching?

Thank you!

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Microsoft 365 and Office | OneNote | For education | Windows
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  1. AI answer

    2026-03-14T14:35:43.05+00:00

    The notebook is stored on SharePoint (as shown by the SharePoint URL in the screenshot). Use these steps to recover access and reduce glitches:

    1. Verify the notebook in another OneNote client
      • Open the same notebook in the OneNote desktop app (OneNote for Windows 10 or OneNote 2016) instead of the browser.
      • In the desktop app, check whether the notebook opens and syncs correctly. If it does, keep using the desktop app while troubleshooting the browser issue.
    2. Check SharePoint storage and required properties
      • In SharePoint, go to the document library where the notebook is stored.
      • On the Library Tools ribbon, select Library > Library Settings.
      • Under Columns, see if any columns are marked as Required.
      • For any required column, open it and set Require that this column contains information to No.
      • Required metadata on the library can block or break notebook sync and loading.
    3. Confirm there is no quota/storage problem
      • If the SharePoint site is near or over its storage quota, OneNote notebooks may fail to sync or load.
      • Contact the SharePoint or IT administrator to confirm the site’s storage quota and free space and have them increase or clean up storage if needed.
    4. Check sync and content health from the desktop app
      • In the OneNote desktop app, select File > Info > View Sync Status and confirm there are no sync errors for this notebook.
      • If there are errors like 0xE0000007 or account/authentication errors, follow the prompts in the sync status dialog to re‑authenticate or close/reopen the notebook as needed.
    5. Reduce local storage pressure
      • If many notebooks are open, close unused notebooks in the desktop app to free local cache and reduce sync/load issues:
        • Use Show Notebooks > right‑click notebook name > Close This Notebook (or equivalent for the version in use).
      • Before closing, ensure the notebook is fully synced and that the latest changes appear when opened in OneNote for the web.

    If the notebook opens and looks correct in the desktop app but still crashes in the browser after these steps, continue working in the desktop app for reliability and contact the organization’s IT/SharePoint admin to investigate SharePoint performance or browser issues for that specific site.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Ryan-N 15,645 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-03-14T15:29:25.4066667+00:00

    Hi @Harper, Esther (UG - School of Vet Med.),

    Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

    I would like to provide you with the following information.

    In most cases, the “This page isn’t responding” message is caused by an Internet connection issue.

    Please try the steps below to troubleshoot the “This page isn’t responding” issue:

    1. Clear your browser cache
    • If you are using Safari: Open the browser and press Command + Option + E.
    • If you are using Chrome or Edge: Open the browser and press Command + Shift + Delete. Under Time range, select All time.
    1. Try opening the browser in Incognito/Private mode
    • Press Command + Shift + N.
    1. Disable all browser extensions
    • For example: ad blockers, VPNs, etc.
    1. Use mobile hotspot data Then check whether the issue is resolved.
    2. Try using a different device to see if the issue still occurs.

    I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to resolve this.   

    Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post so I can continue to support you.

    I look forward to continuing the conversation.

     If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment". 

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