OneNote syncing issue

Felicity Reed 0 Reputation points
2026-10-27T16:24:34.89+00:00

I've been having issues with my OneNote, where some of the sections don't sync onto the notebook properly and say: "This section is in read-only mode because it is broken. A backup has been created. To continue editing, please copy the content into a new section and delete this one."

Generally, I copy the specific section I need and am able to use it. However, I cannot then delete the "read-only" section. Also sometimes even my new sections or copied section then have also become "read-only" mode so then I have to keep copying them, but unable to delete the old sections.

I've tried to prompt the synchronization, but this doesn't change the sections and many notebooks have "Incomplete sync" and say: "OneNote can't sync your notes right now. We'll keep trying. (Error code: 0xE0000644 9zu13)". Also when I open OneNote through onedrive on Microsoft Edge for example, it does not have all of my Sections.

Please advise how to rectify this situation.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneNote | Other | Windows
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  1. Thomas4-N 23,140 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-11-01T09:23:52.7366667+00:00

    Hello Felicity Reed,

    I understand how frustrating it must be to keep copying sections, only for the new ones to become read-only again.

    I found a similar Microsoft Q&A case involving the exact error 0xE0000644 9zu13. In that case, the user discovered that creating new sections within one particular section group repeatedly triggered the synchronization problem.

    Since you've experienced something similar, could you check two things?

    1. Are the sections that keep becoming read-only located within the same section group?
    2. Do any affected section or section-group names contain special characters, such as +, #, or %?

    There have also been reports involving this error and section naming.

    If you notice unusual characters, you could try renaming the affected section group using simple letters and numbers, then check whether synchronization improves.

    Please make sure your unsynced notes are safely backed up before making changes, especially since some sections are missing from OneNote on the web.

    Let me know what you find. This may help us identify why the issue keeps returning rather than simply copying the affected sections again.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-27T16:24:57.49+00:00

    The symptoms match a damaged section plus a broader sync problem. The safest recovery path is to preserve content first, then rebuild the affected sections or notebook.

    1. Check which sections are failing
    • In OneNote desktop for Windows, go to File > Info > View Sync Status.
    • In the Shared Notebook Synchronization window, identify the notebook or sections showing the warning/error.
    • Select Sync Now for the affected notebook.
    1. Rebuild each broken section
    • Create a new section in the same notebook.
    • Copy, do not move, all pages from the broken read-only section into the new section.
    • For each page, right-click and select Move or Copy.
    • After copying all pages, press Shift + F9 to manually sync the notebook.
    • If the new section syncs correctly, continue working in it.
    1. Remove content from the Notebook Recycle Bin if corruption is being reintroduced
    • In the affected notebook, go to History > Notebook Recycle Bin.
    • If the broken section or page exists there, right-click it and choose Move or copy to recover needed content elsewhere, or copy/paste the content to another section.
    • After recovery, delete the original broken section or page from the Recycle Bin if it is no longer needed.
    1. If sections keep becoming read-only, move content to a fresh notebook
    • Create a new notebook.
    • Copy the recovered sections/pages from the damaged notebook into the new notebook.
    • Sync and confirm the copied content appears correctly.
    • This is the best next step when newly copied sections in the original notebook also become broken.
    1. If the notebook is missing sections in OneNote on the web
    • That usually indicates the content has not synced successfully to the cloud.
    • Treat the desktop copy as the recovery source and copy the needed sections/pages into a new notebook that syncs successfully.
    1. Use caution before closing and reopening notebooks
    • Closing and reopening a notebook can force a resync, but it can cause data loss if there are unsynced changes.
    • Only do this if there is a recent backup or if the needed content has already been copied elsewhere.
    1. If the notebook shows a Refresh prompt or error E000006C (cig68)
    • Update OneNote to the latest version.
    • Then use Refresh now or the yellow InfoBar refresh prompt to resume syncing.

    Based on the current behavior, the practical recovery order is:

    1. Back up/copy all important pages from broken sections.
    2. Rebuild sections in place.
    3. If corruption returns, migrate content to a brand-new notebook.
    4. Clean out broken items from Notebook Recycle Bin.
    5. Only then consider closing/reopening the notebook, because of the data-loss risk.
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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    1 person found this answer helpful.

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