How to Export or Download OneNote Notebooks (2022)

If you have a Mac, or OneNote for Business, you may have difficulty figuring out how to download or export your notebooks. The process is not obvious; but it is easy enough. You need access to a Windows device with the OneNote for Windows desktop application installed.

[MaceToDaFace]

So well done! Microsoft really punishes you for using a Mac. Hopping over to a Windows PC allowed me to export my whole Notebook. Thanks so much for your help.

[lealemler]

Since I changed to Windows 10 I have been searching the Export Button of One Note 2016. I used to download one notebooks to my local device to have an offline backup. Thank you for finding a way around it, but it is crazy this is not available anymore.

[yewandeajibola]

Very very helpful. Been struggling with this for days now. Should definitely not be this hard and long-winded. Thank you so much

[The-Wisdom-Whisperer]

Still works in 2023 thankfully! My university is doing a security upgrade and told us we would lose our one note accounts (to be replaced with a new more secure one). As a 3rd year (now going into 4th year) Chemical Engineering student I could not lose 3 years worth of study notes! Saved me!

[ramskiramski]

That disappearing "Download" button confused me, too. For me it was a bit easier: I wanted to download a Notebook, that was shared via Sharepoint. When I was accessing the Notebook via my browser, on the very top there is the name of the Notebook. (Over "File", "Home", ...) Clicking on this, a little drop-down appears with the "Location" of the Notebook. It is basically a link to the OneDrive folder, where the Notebook is located. There you can select the Notebook it and click "Copy to" and copy it into another folder. This folder can then be downloaded as you pointed out.

[hcbnt]

Moving the OneNote File to a folder to enable the download function for the folder was a great advice. Many thanks!

[mrmikemrmike]

I'm not sure that work around works in every case (I'm going through the OneNote horror situation right now). But yeah it's the stupidest thing MS could have done. Docs, Excel, and PowerPoint files no issues, OneNote is a disaster. Software designers don't understand time is money.

[Jake_the_Snack]

Wow. MS always makes everything as close to impossible as they can. Thanks for taking the time to walk through the process.

[hanz]

I got so frustrated with all of these before you came in clutch. Thank you.

[ivanwill]

Seriously, thanks for sharing. I have a personal Microsoft 365 account and have been able to copy and backup my OneNote file (the actual file). With my Work/Business account, I wanted to do the same thing. For the life of me, I could not figure it out. Honestly Microsoft!

[allen]

This helps me a lot. Microsoft's software are not user-friendly enough

[gabrielslater]

2:23 "if you try clicking one of these the download option goes away...because it's never easy" ~ honest reviews

[brainpowerrb]

Thanks for the insightful video. I still find it stupid that such a seemingly basic thing is complicated.

[thebigb]

Is there difference of the final file format or embedded permissions if you just turn on backup NOTEBOOKS under the options “SAVE & BACKUP”, modify the back up folder path to a different folder from the default notebook location (I just have a one drive folder) or anywhere on your laptop and then click “backup all notebooks now”? This will then create a seperate .one files for each of all your current notebooks which then can move or whatever you want to do with.

[lucamcdonnell]

Best Blimming Video Ever!
Exactly what I needed, when i needed it. Thank you so much

[MrGOVIND]

Thanks alot, struggled for days for this solution

[wiliammarriott]

Thank you this was amazing usefull and saved me hours of time screen shoting everything

[someuser]

This is so dumb. There used to be an export button but I'm sure they removed it so you'd be locked into their system. I want to have an offline backup with an offline setup incase they ever shut one note down...

[MathGeekQ]

thank you so so much for this! I was going crazy trying to understand this whole thing. it truly is frustrating

[pavangrandhi]

Wow, This is very helpful!!!
Thank you very much