You might receive an error code or message that makes identifying and troubleshooting a specific sync issue in OneNote easier. But that’s not the case all the time, so you may have to work through multiple fixes to set things straight. The instructions below should help you address sync-related problems on the Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 versions of OneNote. Feel free to skip any that don’t apply.
Check the OneNote Service Status
Check the OneNote Service Status
It’s best to kick things off by checking if a problem on the server-side is causing issues with OneNote not syncing. To do that, open OneNote Online and check if everything’s up-to-date. If not, head over to the Office Service Status page using your web browser. If you notice any problems listed next to Office for the web (Consumer), you must wait it out until Microsoft fixes them. The error codes 0xE000078B and 0xE4020040 in OneNote also denote issues with the OneNote servers.
Force-Sync OneNote
Force-Sync OneNote
OneNote may run into temporary sync issues accompanied by the 0xE000002E error code. You can try fixing that by force-syncing your data. All you’ve got to do is right-click the problematic notebook and select Sync > Sync This Notebook.
Reset Sync Connection
Reset Sync Connection
If your desktop has trouble updating changes made from another device, closing and re-opening the notebook should reset the connection and prompt OneNote to start syncing correctly again.
Check OneNote’s Sync Settings
Check OneNote’s Sync Settings
If OneNote fails to sync automatically, check if you’ve set up its sync settings correctly.
OneNote for Windows 10
OneNote for Microsoft 365
Free Up OneDrive Space
Free Up OneDrive Space
OneNote syncs your notes via OneDrive. However, insufficient cloud storage space can also result in issues. The 0xE0000796 error code shows up specifically for that reason. If your OneDrive quota is almost full, try freeing up some space by deleting unnecessary files. That just might end up making a difference. If you’ve set up OneDrive on your PC, you can access the sync folder by selecting OneDrive > Help & Settings > Open your OneDrive folder via the system tray. If not, visit the OneDrive web app.
Copy to New Section and Sync
Copy to New Section and Sync
If a specific section of a notebook keeps failing to upload to OneNote Online or your other devices, copying the data to a new section may help fix that. The 0xE000005E error code often accompanies this specific sync issue.
Update the OneNote App
Update the OneNote App
If the sync issues persist, try updating OneNote. That should help fix bugs or other problems preventing the app from working correctly. Using an outdated version of OneNote can also result in the 0xE40105F9 error code.
OneNote for Windows 10
OneNote for Microsoft 365
Optimize Notebooks (Microsoft 365 Version Only)
Optimize Notebooks (Microsoft 365 Version Only)
Optimizing your OneNote notebooks in the Microsoft 365 version of OneNote can help fix sync issues caused by overly large storage files. Additionally, deleting the version history and removing unnecessary backups can also tone down the size of a notebook. This issue can also result in the 0xE00015E0 and 0xE0000025 error codes.
Optimize Notebooks
Delete Version History
Delete Extra Backups
Restore Items From the OneNote Trash
Restore Items From the OneNote Trash
Deleted notes are also known to cause sync issues. Try restoring them. Once OneNote re-establishes connectivity, you can delete them again.
OneNote for Windows 10
OneNote for Microsoft 365
Your Notes Are Now Syncing Again
Your Notes Are Now Syncing Again
Although you may have fixed OneNote for now, you’ll likely encounter additional sync issues as you keep using the app. The fixes above should help you again when that happens. Regardless, it’s a good idea to keep OneNote up-to-date on your PC to minimize potential problems with syncing going forward. But if you’re fed up with OneNote and its quirks, you might want to check out these top note-taking alternatives for the PC instead.
