MS OneNote not loading on new MacBook Neo

DVC 0 Reputation points
2026-06-24T19:12:01.4666667+00:00

Purchased new MacBook Neo and also installed a one time copy of Microsoft Office 2024 Standard for Mac. All other MS Apps work except OneNote asked for an MS account which I created, but then it fails to load and the error says "Problem setting up OneNote" I have updated all MS apps but it still fails to start.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneNote | For home | MacOS
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  1. Burak VAROL 946 Reputation points
    2026-06-24T20:18:56.9133333+00:00

    Hi @DVC ,

    This behavior is partly expected: OneNote on macOS always requires a Microsoft account to sign in, as notebooks are stored and synced via OneDrive.
    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote/onenote-for-mac-help-and-learning/frequently-asked-questions-about-onenote-for-mac

    However, the “Problem setting up OneNote” error usually points to a sign-in or app initialization issue rather than licensing. Based on similar cases, these checks typically help:

    • Make sure macOS and all Office apps (including OneNote) are fully up to date.
    • Try signing out of OneNote (or any partially signed-in state) and back in with the same Microsoft account.
    • Clear OneNote credentials from Keychain Access (search for “OneNote” or “MicrosoftOffice”) and relaunch the app.
    • Test by creating a new macOS user profile, then launch OneNote there (this helps isolate profile-related issues).
    • If a VPN, proxy, or firewall is in use, temporarily disable it and test again (these can block OneNote’s first-time setup).

    If the issue persists, it’s likely a client-side issue affecting OneNote on macOS rather than your Office installation, since the other apps work normally. As a workaround, you can use OneNote for the web or reinstall OneNote specifically.

    Regards,
    Burak V.

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