The actual notebook files on OneDrive or your computer (OneNote Win 32 for Windows only) remain untouched all editing is done in the cache version in memory only and every change automatically saved to the cache data files (but not to the actual notebook yet). It’s not only stored to the device but also replaces the previously loaded notebook files in RAM. This highly fragmented copy of the data is the so-called notebook cache.
the PC hard disk or the internal smartphone or tablet flash memory).
Simply put, all objects contained in the note pages (images, files, text paragraphs…) are stored as individual files or records in a hidden location on the local device (e.g. This always happens when you open a notebook that hasn’t been opened before and as such has not been listed in the notebook navigation.īut instead of holding the note data in RAM memory to let you modify it, something else is happening right after the loading / downloading: OneNote immediately converts this data into a different and very special binary format. This is what happens instead:Īt first OneNote actually does load the note data from the disk or from the cloud (I won’t discuss the exact file format in this article as that’s not relevant here). Most users assume, that OneNote acts like every other windows program: load a data file (a document or notebook in this case) from a storage device (hard drive, cloud storage…) to the computers or mobile device’s RAM, where you edit its content and then save it back to the storage location, overwriting the previous version. If the following appears too detailed for you, simply jump down to the “Summary” section at the end of the article. OneNote’s file handling is very different from Word, Excel or other Windows programs, which explains some peculiarities. In fact, there is a sort of local copy, but it’s very different from a duplicate of the notebook files on OneDrive or OneDrive for Business. This gets often confused with locally stored notebooks being held on every OneNote client and platform. Learn some basics about the cache and editing notes offline.Īs you probably already know, OneNote lets you read and edit notes without an active internet connection, as long as the notebook has been opened before, when you had a connection. *Some accessories sold separately hardware dependent.Why is it possible to edit OneNote notebooks in the cloud without an active Internet connection? Does this mean that there are local notebooks in all versions of OneNote? Yes and No.
Plan holidays, share meeting minutes or lecture notes with people around you.Easily share your notebooks and notes with colleagues, family and friends.One-click access to to-do lists with tick boxes.Quickly access your most recent notes, complete with visual previews of each page.Search and find anything in your notes, including handwritten ink and the text in pictures.Send websites, recipes, documents and more to OneNote using the Share Charm, Microsoft Edge, Clipper, Office Lens and dozens of other apps and services.Quickly take a note by clicking the Note button in the Action Centre and on supported pens*.Take notes on a white background, or add a grid or ruled lines for easier drawing and writing.Use your device's pen or your finger to write and draw with multiple types of pens and highlighters.Write anywhere on the page and unleash your imagination.Jot down your ideas, keep track of classroom and meeting notes, clip from the web or make a to-do list, as well as draw and sketch your ideas. OneNote is your digital notebook for capturing and organising everything across your devices.