Can't access OneNote on new laptop

Question

Can't access OneNote on new laptop

Kate Salzman 20

Most of my OneNote notebooks transferred except the main one I work out of every day. The synce error says because the file was moved, the file name is invalid, or the file permissions have been changed. (Error code: 0x2 bdf5f). Trying to access it on SharePoint I get a 404 error.

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Answer accepted by question author

Jess-Q 12,795 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi @Kate Salzman

Regarding your issue, may I kindly ask a few questions to help understand it better.

Could you please confirm whether you’re able to access the notebook directly in OneNote Online? Also, if you create a new notebook, does the same sync issue occur?

If a newly created notebook works without issues, I recommend backing up any notes that haven’t synced yet (for example, by copying them into a Word document).

After that, please try closing and reopening the affected notebook:

On OneNote Desktop app go to File > Settings > Close
Open the notebook in OneNote Online, then select Open in OneNote to reopen it locally and check whether the issue persists.
Have you tried following the steps here to see if it helps with your issue: Fix issues when you can't sync OneNote
Also, since you mentioned that accessing the notebook directly from SharePoint results in a 404 error. Please try follow the step here to see if it helps: Error 404: File/Page not found in OneDrive or SharePoint

Hope to hear back from you soon. 

The initial response may not fully address your needs, but it will help me better understand your situation. Once I get the information, I will try my best to find the next steps.

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Kate Salzman 20 Reputation points

2026-04-20T15:31:46.8766667+00:00

Thank you for responding. I did check the 404 error tips and they aren't applicable. I will check into the help to Fix Issues when you can't Sync. I was able to access via a SharePoint link on one specific notebook, but then the next one wouldn't work so I copied the notebook to a new folder on OneDrive. I believe my issues are stemming from the original IT help desk doing a reset of my laptop back to 2025 in order to fix the Windows Settings issue. It seems to have complicated my OneNote transition. I've been having to copy pages of a notebook one at a time.
Jess-Q 12,795 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-20T17:51:03.6333333+00:00
Hi @Kate Salzman,

Based on what you’ve described, taking a recovery‑first approach may help stabilize the notebook and avoid continuing to copy pages one at a time. The steps below are intended as a workaround to preserve your content and establish a clean sync path.

Create a local backup (for the affected notebook)

Before making any additional changes, please back up the current notebook to ensure none of the remaining content is lost.

Open OneNote Desktop

Go to File > Export

Under Export Current, select Notebook

Under Select Format, choose OneNote Package (*.onepkg)

Export and save the file locally (for example, to your Desktop)

Create a new notebook

Open OneNote on the web and create a brand‑new notebook (for example: Main_Work_2026)

Once it opens, select Open in OneNote

Copy sections in bulk (instead of page‑by‑page)

Open your old/broken notebook.

Look at the colored tabs (Sections) at the top or side.

Right-click a tab and select Move or Copy.

In the list that pops up, select that New Notebook you just brought in from the browser.

Click Copy.

Repeat this for each section you need. All pages within a section will be copied at once.

Note: Use Copy, not Move, until you’ve confirmed everything syncs correctly in the new notebook.

Hopefully it will help resolve your issue effectively.
Kate Salzman 20 Reputation points

2026-04-21T12:15:39.3833333+00:00

Thank you for the detailed guidance, I'll give this a try!
Jess-Q 12,795 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-21T15:08:30.8366667+00:00

Hi @Kate Salzman,

Please feel free to test this out and let me know if you run into any issues.
Jess-Q 12,795 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-22T14:58:51.6466667+00:00

Hi @Kate Salzman,

It has been a while and I am writing to see how things are going with this issue. Have you had a chance to check the replies provided? Any update would be appreciated.
Jess-Q 12,795 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-24T13:40:49.3633333+00:00

Hi @Kate Salzman,

This is my second follow-up to check whether your issue has been resolved. I truly want to ensure your experience is as smooth as possible. If your problem is still ongoing or if you have faced any new difficulties, please share more details about the current steps you are stuck on. I am here and happy to provide further help whenever you need it.

While waiting for your response, I will continue tracking other customer questions on the forum to ensure everyone receives timely support. If you have additional questions, please feel free to tag my name in your reply so I can assist you promptly and more personally.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Kate Salzman 20 Reputation points

2026-09-16T14:46:56.7466667+00:00

Hello Jess-Q

I apologize for the long delay, it has been busy! I did want to thank you for the suggestion and tips. I'm happy to report this method listed above did work for me. I was able to create a new notebook online, then open in the OneNote app. And it was successfully synced, and I was able to open in my OneNote on my new laptop. Thank you for saving me a ton of manual work. Appreciate you!

1 additional answer

Your answer

Kate Salzman 20 Reputation points

2026-04-20T15:31:46.8766667+00:00

Thank you for responding. I did check the 404 error tips and they aren't applicable. I will check into the help to Fix Issues when you can't Sync. I was able to access via a SharePoint link on one specific notebook, but then the next one wouldn't work so I copied the notebook to a new folder on OneDrive. I believe my issues are stemming from the original IT help desk doing a reset of my laptop back to 2025 in order to fix the Windows Settings issue. It seems to have complicated my OneNote transition. I've been having to copy pages of a notebook one at a time.
Jess-Q 12,795 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-20T17:51:03.6333333+00:00

Hi @Kate Salzman,

Based on what you’ve described, taking a recovery‑first approach may help stabilize the notebook and avoid continuing to copy pages one at a time. The steps below are intended as a workaround to preserve your content and establish a clean sync path.

Create a local backup (for the affected notebook)

Before making any additional changes, please back up the current notebook to ensure none of the remaining content is lost.

Open OneNote Desktop

Go to File > Export

Under Export Current, select Notebook

Under Select Format, choose OneNote Package (*.onepkg)

Export and save the file locally (for example, to your Desktop)

Create a new notebook

Open OneNote on the web and create a brand‑new notebook (for example: Main_Work_2026)

Once it opens, select Open in OneNote

Copy sections in bulk (instead of page‑by‑page)

Open your old/broken notebook.

Look at the colored tabs (Sections) at the top or side.

Right-click a tab and select Move or Copy.

In the list that pops up, select that New Notebook you just brought in from the browser.

Click Copy.

Repeat this for each section you need. All pages within a section will be copied at once.

Note: Use Copy, not Move, until you’ve confirmed everything syncs correctly in the new notebook.

Hopefully it will help resolve your issue effectively.
Kate Salzman 20 Reputation points

2026-04-21T12:15:39.3833333+00:00

Thank you for the detailed guidance, I'll give this a try!
Jess-Q 12,795 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-21T15:08:30.8366667+00:00

Hi @Kate Salzman,

Please feel free to test this out and let me know if you run into any issues.
Jess-Q 12,795 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-22T14:58:51.6466667+00:00

Hi @Kate Salzman,

It has been a while and I am writing to see how things are going with this issue. Have you had a chance to check the replies provided? Any update would be appreciated.
Jess-Q 12,795 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-24T13:40:49.3633333+00:00

Hi @Kate Salzman,

This is my second follow-up to check whether your issue has been resolved. I truly want to ensure your experience is as smooth as possible. If your problem is still ongoing or if you have faced any new difficulties, please share more details about the current steps you are stuck on. I am here and happy to provide further help whenever you need it.

While waiting for your response, I will continue tracking other customer questions on the forum to ensure everyone receives timely support. If you have additional questions, please feel free to tag my name in your reply so I can assist you promptly and more personally.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Kate Salzman 20 Reputation points

2026-09-16T14:46:56.7466667+00:00

Hello Jess-Q

I apologize for the long delay, it has been busy! I did want to thank you for the suggestion and tips. I'm happy to report this method listed above did work for me. I was able to create a new notebook online, then open in the OneNote app. And it was successfully synced, and I was able to open in my OneNote on my new laptop. Thank you for saving me a ton of manual work. Appreciate you!

Answer 1

The sync error and 404 on SharePoint indicate that the notebook’s site/file was moved, renamed, or deleted, or that permissions changed. Because the main notebook is stored in SharePoint and now returns 404, recovery depends on whether the SharePoint site or file can be restored or located.

Follow these steps:

Confirm access and URL

The 404 error in SharePoint or OneDrive typically means the site, file, or group was renamed, moved, or deleted.
If accessing via an old bookmark or link, ask the SharePoint admin if the site URL or library was changed or redirected.

Check if the SharePoint site was deleted Ask the SharePoint administrator to:
Go to the SharePoint admin center → Deleted sites page.
Look for the site that hosted the notebook.
If found, select it and choose Restore.
- If this was the root (top-level) SharePoint site, it must be restored first and then replaced again if needed, following the root-site replacement guidance.
Check for site redirects or URL changes Ask the admin to verify whether:

The site URL was changed and a redirect created.
Any redirect for that site was removed, which can cause a 404.
They can list all redirects to see if the notebook’s site now lives under a different URL.

If the site or notebook file was deleted

If the SharePoint site is restored from Deleted sites, try opening the notebook again from OneNote or from the document library where it resides.
If only the notebook file was deleted, the admin should restore it from the SharePoint site’s recycle bin or version history (standard SharePoint recovery process).

Validate OneNote account and permissions If the site/file is present and not deleted, but OneNote still reports that the file was moved or permissions changed:
In OneNote, click the sync error banner to refresh the session and re-authenticate.
Sign in with the same work/school account that owns or has access to that notebook.
If access was revoked or permissions changed on the SharePoint library, the SharePoint admin must restore or re-grant permissions.

If the SharePoint admin cannot find the site or notebook in Deleted sites or recycle bins, and no backup/version exists, the notebook content may not be recoverable from the service.

References: