Deleting a notebook in Microsoft OneNote allows you to remove notebooks you no longer need. However, OneNote doesn’t make notebooks easy to permanently delete. This article explains multiple ways to delete a OneNote notebook for good.
Wanting to know how to delete OneNote notebook. You may want to remove old notebooks to declutter OneNote or delete notebooks by accident. Either way, this article will show you exactly how to permanently delete notebooks in OneNote across Windows, Mac, and the web.
Why Would You Want to Delete a OneNote Notebook?
There are a few reasons you may want to permanently delete a notebook from OneNote:
To Remove Clutter
OneNote makes it easy to create notebooks. Over time, you can end up with lots of old, unused notebooks cluttering up OneNote. Deleting these notebooks helps keep OneNote clean and organized.
You Deleted a Notebook By Accident
It’s also possible to accidentally delete the wrong OneNote notebook. Thankfully, you can restore deleted notebooks in many cases.
To Free Up OneDrive Storage Space
OneNote notebooks are often saved in OneDrive cloud storage. Deleting unused notebooks can free up cloud storage capacity.
For Privacy Reasons
Some notebooks contain private information. Permanently removing notebooks from OneNote is important for privacy when they are no longer needed.
No matter the reason, this guide will show you how to properly delete OneNote notebooks.
How to Delete OneNote Notebook in Windows 11
Deleting a notebook in OneNote for Windows 11 is a straightforward process. Here is how to delete a notebook for good in Windows 11:
- Open the OneNote app in Windows 11.
- In the top left corner, right-click the notebook you want to delete.
- Select “Delete this notebook” in the menu that appears.
- A prompt will ask if you want to delete the notebook. Click “Delete”.
This will permanently delete the selected OneNote notebook in Windows 11. Closed notebooks cannot be restored. Make sure to backup any important sections before deleting a notebook.
You can also delete multiple OneNote notebooks at once in Windows 11:
- Open File Explorer and go to This PC > OneDrive > OneNote Notebooks.
- Select the notebooks you want to delete. Right-click and select Delete.
- Confirm the notebooks deletion.
This deletes all selected notebooks from OneNote and OneDrive in one go.
Deleting a Notebook from OneNote’s Web App
The OneNote web app also lets you easily delete notebooks:
- Go to www.onenote.com and sign in.
- Click the notebook’s name in the notebook list on the left sidebar.
- Click “Close this notebook” below the notebook’s name.
- Confirm deleting the notebook by clicking “Close notebook” again in the prompt.
This will delete the OneNote web notebook permanently. You can also delete notebooks directly in OneDrive’s web interface.
How to Delete a Notebook from OneNote for Mac
Removing a notebook in Microsoft OneNote for Mac is very similar to Windows:
- Open OneNote for Mac and select the notebook you want to delete in the notebook list on the left.
- Right-click on the notebook name and choose “Delete”.
- Click “Delete Notebook” in the confirmation window.
This will permanently delete the selected notebook from OneNote for Mac. Like with Windows, make sure to back up important notebook sections first.
Can You Recover a Deleted OneNote Notebook?
If you accidentally deleted the wrong OneNote notebook, you may be able to restore it in some cases. However, OneNote does not have an easy notebook restore option.
Here are some ways you may be able to get a deleted notebook back:
- OneDrive Recycle Bin: Deleted OneNote notebooks saved in OneDrive go to the OneDrive recycle bin for up to 93 days. You can try restoring the notebook from there if available.
- OneDrive File Version History: If the notebook has OneDrive file versioning turned on, you can browse previous versions and restore an older copy of the notebook.
- Time Machine or File History: If you have backups enabled on your Mac or PC from Time Machine or File History, you may be able to restore older copies of OneNote notebooks from the backups.
If none of those work, the OneNote notebook is likely gone for good unfortunately. This is why it’s critical to backup important notebooks regularly before deleting in OneNote.
Why Can’t I Easily Restore Deleted OneNote Notebooks?
With many apps and services today, restoring accidentally deleted items is straightforward. So why doesn’t OneNote have an easy notebook restore feature?
The issue lies in how OneNote notebooks are designed and stored. OneNote notebooks often sync through OneDrive or SharePoint. They also use complex, proprietary file formats rather than simple folders and files.
This makes restoring previous OneNote notebook versions far more complicated than restoring a typical deleted file or folder. While techically possible in some cases, it’s challenging for OneNote to implement an easy, consistent notebook restore option.
Hopefully Microsoft can improve OneNote’s restore capabilities in the future. But for now, regular notebook backups are essential before deleting in OneNote.
In Summary…
Now you know how to properly delete OneNote notebooks across Windows, Mac, and the web. The key things to remember are:
- Right-click the notebook in desktop OneNote app and select delete, or use “Close notebook” in OneNote web.
- Closed notebooks cannot be easily restored, so backup important sections first.
- If deleted accidentally, try restoring from OneDrive recycle bin or version history.
- Batch deleting notebooks is possible in OneDrive’s web interface.
Hopefully you now feel confident permanently removing unwanted notebooks to declutter OneNote! Let us know if you have any other questions.
FAQ – How To Delete Onenote Notebook
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about removing notebooks in OneNote:
Does Deleting a Notebook Also Delete Sections?
Yes, deleting an entire OneNote notebook will permanently delete all sections and pages stored in that notebook. Individual sections cannot be restored once the notebook is removed.
Can I Delete Old Default Notebooks?
Yes, you can delete any default notebooks that OneNote automatically creates like “Quick Notes” if you no longer use them. Simply follow the normal notebook deletion steps covered earlier.
Does Closing a Notebook Delete It?
No, closing a notebook does not delete it from OneNote permanently. Closing a notebook simply removes the notebook from view. But it still saves it in OneDrive or SharePoint storage for later. You need to use the delete notebook option documented above to remove a notebook for good.
How Do I Delete Large Groups of Notebooks?
As shown earlier for Windows 11, you can select and delete multiple OneNote notebooks simultaneously. On Mac, you can only delete one notebook at a time. But on all platforms, you can browse OneNote notebooks stored in OneDrive online and mass select notebooks to delete there.
