I can't access my old OneNote notes.

Question

I can't access my old OneNote notes.

Stefan Orø 0

Hello,
I've been using OneNote for many years now and for some reason I am no longer able to access my OneNote notes.
I can create new ones and they do sync up with web or with android app with no issue.

But when I click to access a old note it loads up but stops with the following error message:

Sorry, something went wrong

Item does not exist. It may have been deleted by another user.

Technical Details

Troubleshoot issues with Microsoft SharePoint Foundation.

Correlation ID: [Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed]

Date and Time: 9/21/2026 8:35:28 AM

I've reinstalled the app on my phone, I've relogged my accounts and now I no longer now what to try.

0 comments

4 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Stefan Orø 0

Would it be possible that all the notes are no longer available because the device I created them on no longer works?

0 comments

Answer 2

Hello,

Thank you for the additional information. I followed the suggested steps and found the following:

In the OneNote mobile app, I checked the notebook location and found a link to a d.docs.live.net address. When I open the link in a browser, I receive a message saying that I do not have access.

I could not find a File > Info option in OneNote for the web, so I was unable to copy the notebook address from there.

I signed in to OneDrive and confirmed that the notebooks appear to be located in my personal OneDrive directory. I use OneDrive and OneNote, but I do not believe I have ever used SharePoint separately.

The phone on which the notebooks were last synced is no longer available. It was accidentally lost while I was riding a motorcycle and was destroyed. Could the loss of that device affect access to the notebooks or prevent the server copy from synchronizing? I have since accessed the account through the OneDrive and OneNote websites several times.

I have also tried signing in from multiple web browsers and different phones, using the same personal Microsoft account, but the older notebooks still cannot be opened.

New notes continue to sync successfully, but the older notebooks consistently produce the “Item does not exist” error.

Since the notebooks appear to be stored in my personal OneDrive and I have never knowingly used SharePoint, could you please clarify why the error refers to SharePoint? More importantly, could you help determine whether the older notebooks still exist in OneDrive and whether they can be restored or recovered?

Answer 3

Elena-VH 1,890 Independent Advisor

Dear Stefan Orø,

The error "The item does not exist. It may have been deleted by another user" typically occurs when SharePoint is unable to locate the file, folder, list item, or page being referenced. This can happen if the item was deleted, moved, renamed, or if the link being used is outdated.

In this case, I'd like to gather a bit more information to better understand the issue:‌

Are you able to open the affected notebook in OneNote on the web using the same work account?‌
Are you the owner of the notebook? Or did someone share it with you?‌
Are other users able to access the OneNote files if it is a shared notebook?
Are you signed in with only your work account, or are there multiple Microsoft accounts signed in to OneNote on the phone?‌
Have you tested on another device (such as OneNote for Windows or OneNote on the web), and if so, do you receive the same error there?

In the meantime, here are some troubleshooting steps I recommend you check:

Step 1: First, confirm whether the notebook still exists in OneDrive for Business or SharePoint Online. Open OneDrive on the web and look for the affected notebook. If the notebook is missing there, OneNote will not be able to open it.

Step 2: Next, try opening the notebook directly from OneDrive or SharePoint rather than from OneNote's recent list. Sometimes the cached notebook link points to an old location that no longer exists.

Step 3: You can also check whether the notebook was moved, renamed, or deleted

Open the SharePoint site where the notebook was stored.
Browse to the document library that contains the notebook > Verify that the notebook folder is still present.
Check the Recycle Bin in both SharePoint and OneDrive for Business.

Step 4: Clear the OneNote app cache

Open Settings on your Android device > Go to Apps > OneNote > Storage > Tap Clear Cache > Reopen OneNote and try accessing the notebook again.‌

Step 5: Test on a different network

Switch between Wi‑Fi and mobile data. If your organization requires VPN access, ensure the VPN is connected.

If you have any questions or if I have misunderstood anything, please feel free to reach out. Looking forward to your update.

Stefan Orø 0 Reputation points

2026-09-21T18:10:58.21+00:00
Hello,

Thank you for your reply and for the troubleshooting suggestions.

The affected notebooks were created using OneNote on the web with my personal Microsoft account, and I am the owner. They are not shared with anyone, and no other users have access to them. I am signed in to OneNote only with this personal account.

I have tested access using the OneNote app and several web browsers, including browsers on my phone. The same error occurs in every case.

Regarding the suggested troubleshooting steps:

When I open OneNote on the web or in the app and try to open one of the affected notebooks, I receive the same error: “Item does not exist. It may have been deleted by another user.”

I also tried opening the notebooks directly through OneDrive and SharePoint, but I receive the same error there.

I opened SharePoint and selected the Notebooks tab. However, I was redirected to a payment page. I was under the impression that OneNote notebooks created with a personal account could be used without a paid SharePoint subscription. Could you clarify whether this is relevant to my issue?

I cleared the OneNote app cache on my phone. After signing in again, I still could not access the affected notebooks.

I also signed out of OneNote and signed in again, but this did not resolve the problem. I tested both Wi-Fi and mobile data as well.

Interestingly, I can still create new notebooks or notes, and they sync successfully between the web version and the Android app. The problem only affects my older notebooks and notes.

Could you please advise what I should try next? In particular, could you confirm whether the older notebooks still exist in my OneDrive account and whether they can be restored or repaired?
Elena-VH 1,890 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-22T00:42:42.8133333+00:00
Dear Stefan Orø,

Thank you for the detailed update. I understand that the issue occurs across OneNote for Android, OneNote on the web, and multiple browsers, and that you can create and sync new notebooks successfully.‌

Since you are using a personal account, the SharePoint payment page is likely not related to the issue you're experiencing. For personal Microsoft accounts, OneNote notebooks are typically stored in OneDrive Personal

At this point, I would recommend reviewing the affected notebook's Version History in OneDrive, if it is available. This may help determine whether the notebook was recently modified, moved, or affected by an unexpected change.‌

Sign in to OneDrive on the web with the same Microsoft account.

Locate one of the affected notebooks > Right-click the notebook or notebook folder and select Version history

Check whether any previous versions are listed and whether you can restore one.

For reference: Restore a previous version of a file stored in OneDrive

If the issue persists after these checks, I recommend contacting Microsoft Support directly. As this is a community forum, I do not have access to your OneDrive or OneNote data and cannot verify whether the notebooks still exist on the service side or can be recovered. Microsoft Support has access to additional diagnostic tools and may be able to investigate the notebook status and available recovery options. For reference: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/contactus
Stefan Orø 0 Reputation points

2026-09-22T16:31:31.8933333+00:00

The issue still persists, I was hoping to look through the recycling bin and other places for the files, but I can't access them. And trying to go through microsoft support website took me back to this site.
Elena-VH 1,890 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-22T17:28:27.8+00:00
Dear Stefan Orø,

Thank you for the update. Just to confirm, were you able to review the affected notebook's Version History in OneDrive? If so, did you find any previous versions available, or were you unable to access the notebook there as well? ‌For reference: Restore a previous version of a file stored in OneDrive

For contacting Microsoft Support, if you are signing in with a personal Microsoft account (for example, an email ending in @outlook.com, @hotmail.com, or @live.com, you can contact Microsoft Support directly by visiting this link: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/contactus

Then, choose Microsoft 365 > select the "Get Home Support" option > Type: technical support or contact support > click Get help > choose "sign in to contact Support" and sign in with your personal account

After that, choose the "Ask our support assistant" option > type in the chat box "chat with a support agent" and select the 'Contact Support' option there.

Select your product and service: Microsoft 365 and Office > Category: Technical Support > click Next, and choose an available support option

Thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have any questions or if I have misunderstood anything, please feel free to reach out.

Answer 4

Because new notes sync normally but older notes fail with a SharePoint error saying the item does not exist, the old notebook or page is likely no longer available at its original location, or there is an access problem with the notebook location.

Try these steps in order:

Verify where the affected notebook is stored.
- In OneNote, go to File > Info.
- Check the notebook address shown there.
- If it is on SharePoint, this matches the SharePoint-specific error being shown.
Check whether the notebook still opens in OneNote for the web.
- In OneNote, copy the notebook URL from File > Info.
- Paste it into a browser and open it in OneNote for the web at https://www.onenote.com.
- If the old content opens there, the issue is with the app connection rather than the notebook itself.
If the notebook does not open in the browser, check whether the notebook still exists at the storage location.
- If it is stored on OneDrive, sign in to https://www.onedrive.com and confirm the notebook is still present.
- If it is stored on SharePoint, the notebook, page, or permissions may have changed. Contact the SharePoint administrator to confirm the notebook still exists and that access has not been removed.
If the notebook opens in OneNote for the web, use that result to narrow the problem:
- If the latest content appears in the browser, the server copy is intact.
- On the device where the notes were last edited, check sync status to confirm the notebook finished syncing: File > Info > View Sync Status.
If there is an account or permission mismatch, refresh authentication.
- Error 0xE0000024 can happen when OneNote has the wrong account information, the password changed, or access was revoked.
- Click any sync error shown in OneNote to refresh the session and sign in with the same account associated with the notebook.
- Also try signing in to OneNote for the web with that same account.
Avoid reinstalling, signing out again, or removing the app while troubleshooting.
- This is not recommended because it can cause data loss if there are unsynced changes.
If the notebook is on SharePoint and still fails, check with the SharePoint administrator for library settings and server availability.
- OneNote supports SharePoint 2010 or newer.
- SharePoint library settings such as required check-out or versioning can cause notebook problems and typically require administrator action.

The key test is whether the old notebook opens in OneNote for the web. If it does not, this points to a missing notebook item, moved content, or SharePoint permission/server issues rather than an Android app problem.