How to migrate Outlook Notes to new version of Outlook

Install classic Outlook, add the same account, and press Ctrl+5 to open the full Notes module; new Outlook has only partial Notes support and may not display legacy Outlook Notes correctly.^1^

1. Check whether the notes were synchronized online

Because Sticky Notes has been “importing” for a week, do not rely on that process alone. Sticky Notes can display notes that were synchronized through the same Microsoft account, but it does not by itself recover notes held only in an old local Outlook data file.

1. Open Sticky Notes.
2. Select … → Notes list if only one note appears.
3. Open Settings and confirm that it shows the same Microsoft account previously used with Outlook.
4. Select Sync now.^2^
5. Check the same account at OneNote Sticky Notes. Synced notes are available there and across supported devices signed in to that account.^3^

If the notes appear, copy or export them immediately. Sticky Notes export applies only when the app was signed in and the notes had synchronized.^4^

For a work or school account, synchronization requires an Exchange Online mailbox. It will not work with an on-premises Exchange mailbox or if the organization has disabled Sticky Notes synchronization.^4^

2. Recover the Notes through classic Outlook

If the online check is empty, use classic Outlook because its Notes module is fully available.

1. Install classic Outlook for Windows using Microsoft’s installer. Many Windows installations now include only new Outlook.^5^
2. Open Outlook (classic) from the Windows Start menu.
3. Add the same email account used before reinstalling Windows.
4. Press Ctrl+5, or select More Apps → Notes.
5. If the notes appear, copy their contents to a safe location immediately.^6^

If new Outlook keeps opening instead, use its toggle and select Use classic Outlook this time or Switch back to classic Outlook.^7^

3. Look for the old Outlook data file

If classic Outlook does not retrieve the notes from the account, they may have been stored locally in a PST file. PST files can contain Outlook notes as well as mail, contacts, appointments, and tasks.^8^

Search the reinstalled computer, an external backup, OneDrive backup, or the previous Windows installation for files ending in .pst. The usual Windows 11 location is:

C:\Users\<previous-user-name>\Documents\Outlook Files\

Enable hidden files and filename extensions through Control Panel → File Explorer Options → View if necessary.^9^

When a PST is found:

1. Copy it to a safe local folder first; do not work directly on the only copy.
2. In classic Outlook, select File → Open & Export → Open Outlook Data File.
3. Select the PST and choose Open.
4. Press Ctrl+5 and inspect the Notes folder associated with the opened data file.^10^

Do not substitute an .ost file from the old installation. For Microsoft 365, Exchange, and Outlook.com accounts, an OST is an offline cache that Outlook recreates and cannot be transferred like a PST.^9^

If no notes appear online and no old PST or other backup survived the Windows reinstall, the available recovery paths do not identify another source from which locally stored Outlook Notes can be restored.

References

1. Feature comparison between new Outlook and classic Outlook | Microsoft Support
2. Where did my Sticky Notes go? | Microsoft Support
3. See your sticky notes on other devices and the web
4. Troubleshoot Sticky Notes | Microsoft Support
5. Install or reinstall classic Outlook on a Windows PC | Microsoft Support
6. Notes folder in outlook - Microsoft Q&A
7. Toggle out of the new Outlook for Windows | Microsoft Support
8. Open and find items in an Outlook Data File (.pst) | Microsoft Support
9. Find and transfer Outlook data files from one computer to another | Microsoft Support
10. Classic Outlook