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Moving all OneNote Notebook info to another drive

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Wickiup

unread,
Nov 5, 2008, 11:01:46 PM11/5/08
to
I have OneNote installed on the normal system drive.
This drive can go bonkers occasionally causing a bit of grief.
Is it practical to move the data files to another more stable drive?

If this is a go exactly which files/folders do I move?
I only find 3 files indicated in the OneNote menus that I can move and
identify.

Also I find a folder under My Documents titled "OneNote Notebooks" naming
the current notebooks. Can I move that?

Thanks

-*-
Jim Curts


Wickiup

unread,
Nov 5, 2008, 11:07:06 PM11/5/08
to
Oops it got away too soon.

The question stated more simply is what do I need to put on another drive
in order to make it possible to recovered from major loss of data?

-*-
Jim Curts


"Wickiup" <Jiminy...@clikitclikit.com> wrote in message
news:%23ghZrO8...@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

Ilya Koulchin

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Nov 6, 2008, 1:23:11 AM11/6/08
to
If you want to just use the secondary drive as a backup location, you
can copy your "OneNote Notebooks" folder, which is the default location
for all notebooks. You can find out if you have any notebooks open from
other locations by hovering your mouse over the notebook icons on the
notebook bar on the left.

If you also want to use the secondary drive as the main storage location
for your notebooks (so that all changes get saved there automatically
whenever OneNote is running), after you move the notebooks as described
above, rightclick on each notebook and select "close this notebook".
Then go to File->Open->Notebook and select each of the notebooks that're
now stored on the new drive.

Rainald Taesler

unread,
Nov 6, 2008, 11:12:23 AM11/6/08
to
"Wickiup" wrote:
>> I have OneNote installed on the normal system drive.
>> This drive can go bonkers occasionally causing a bit of grief.
>> Is it practical to move the data files to another more stable
>> drive?

Yes. One can put the data-files (as well as the cache) to any device.
If you are in fear of malfunctioning of the standard drive it might be
better to make an image of that drive an get a new HDD.

> The question stated more simply is what do I need to put on another
> drive in order to make it possible to recovered from major loss of
> data?
>

>> If this is a go exactly which files/folders do I move?

There's 2 areas of concern:
a) The data files (notebooks),
b) the Backup files.

Both are per default stored in subdirectories of "My documents".
The storage locations can be viewed and edited in the ON "Options"
dialog:
Tools > Options > Save

Both can easily moved.

If it comes to security, first thing would be to move the Backup
directory to a safe place. If there more than one HDD in a system, it
always is good thing to keep backups on a device different from the
place where the data files are stored.
Way to go:
1.) With the Explorer move the directory holding the backup files;
2.) in "Tools > Options > Save" enter the path for new location for the
new storage location.

>> I only find 3 files indicated in the OneNote menus that I can move
>> and identify.
>>
>> Also I find a folder under My Documents titled "OneNote Notebooks"
>> naming the current notebooks. Can I move that?

The "OneNote Notebooks" directory is the place where the notebook-files
are stored.
There is a subdirectory for each notebook.
And below the notebooks there are subdirectories for each "Section
Group" (if any) of each notebook. The ".one" files hold the sections.

Way to go:
1.) In ON close all of the notebooks;
2.) move the whole directory "OneNote Notebooks" to the new location;
3.) change the path for the new storage location in "Tools > Options >
Save";
4.) open all of the notebooks one-by-one.

After these steps all of your data would sit on a save place.

HTH
Rainald


Wickiup

unread,
Nov 6, 2008, 12:39:15 PM11/6/08
to
Thank you Ilya and Rainald!

So far things have gone smoothly as I have gotten great advice from you
folks on this message board.

Can I assume once these above mentioned changes are in place and the
notebooks designated as shared that I can install OneNote on a laptop within
the network and it can access the notebooks??

If I move the notebooks to a "safe" location but for some reason lose the
cache files will OneNote recreate the cache files upon reopening the
notebooks?

Thank you

-*-
Jim Curts


"Rainald Taesler" <tae...@gmx.de> wrote in message
news:e38zOqC...@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

Rainald Taesler

unread,
Nov 6, 2008, 1:26:45 PM11/6/08
to
Wickiup wrote:

> Thank you Ilya and Rainald!

De nada ;-)

> Can I assume once these above mentioned changes are in place and the
> notebooks designated as shared that I can install OneNote on a
> laptop within the network and it can access the notebooks??

"Yes, you can" <gbg>
Just one initial remark:
On the laptop you would not work with notebooks stored locally.
Just open the notebooks "shared" from your main computer.
ON will then automatically synch when the laptop is connected to the PC.
All changes made when the computers are not connected will automatically
be synched as soon as the devices will be connected again.

It makes things easier when on your laptop you create a drive-letter
(mapping) for the location where the shared notebooks are stored on the
PC.
You could then also specify the mapped drive as the default storage
location in "Tools > Options > Save".

> If I move the notebooks to a "safe" location but for some reason
> lose the cache files will OneNote recreate the cache files upon
> reopening the notebooks?

Yes, ON will re-create the file.
However, changes made on one of the computers when they were not
connected would get lost.
Therefore - when really in fear because the possibly defective drive -
you may move the storage place of to a different/safe location (see
lower part of the dialog of "Tools > Options > Save").

Rainald


Wickiup

unread,
Nov 6, 2008, 2:20:17 PM11/6/08
to
Again Thanks!

This makes for a great package when it all comes together.

I write and much of my work is in bits and pieces gathered from various and
written as I travel.
OneNote fits right into the scheme of things for me and is simple enough
even I can understand most of it (with the proper assistance, of course
;-)..

-*-
Jim Curts


"Rainald Taesler" <tae...@gmx.de> wrote in message

news:%23ku5S1D...@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

Rainald Taesler

unread,
Nov 6, 2008, 6:17:32 PM11/6/08
to
Wickiup wrote:

> Again Thanks!

Again: De nada!
(or: That's what we are here for <g>)

> This makes for a great package when it all comes together.

For sure!
OneNote is the main tool I'm using on my computer(s) and I'd hardly know
how do do without.


>
> I write and much of my work is in bits and pieces gathered from
> various and written as I travel.
> OneNote fits right into the scheme of things for me and is simple
> enough even I can understand most of it (with the proper
> assistance, of course ;-)..

If any new question comes up: Just ask in here.
There's quite some peer who will be willing to help you.

All the best
Rainald

Steve Silverwood

unread,
Nov 13, 2008, 9:26:10 PM11/13/08
to

Just a thought, Jim, but if you have a hard drive that's behaving that
badly, I suspect a replacement is called for before you have a REALLY
serious data loss....

//Steve//

Steve Silverwood, KB6OJS
Email: kb6...@arrl.net
Web: http://kb6ojs.com

Kathy Di Giacomo

unread,
May 5, 2011, 6:03:20 PM5/5/11
to
how do u open up a notebook that you have closed and how do i moved my whole onenote withnall the notebooks and sections to a new computer??

> On Wednesday, November 05, 2008 11:01 PM Wickiup wrote:

> I have OneNote installed on the normal system drive.
> This drive can go bonkers occasionally causing a bit of grief.
> Is it practical to move the data files to another more stable drive?
>

> If this is a go exactly which files/folders do I move?

> I only find 3 files indicated in the OneNote menus that I can move and
> identify.
>
> Also I find a folder under My Documents titled "OneNote Notebooks" naming
> the current notebooks. Can I move that?
>

> Thanks
>
> -*-
> Jim Curts


>> On Wednesday, November 05, 2008 11:07 PM Wickiup wrote:

>> Oops it got away too soon.
>>

>> The question stated more simply is what do I need to put on another drive
>> in order to make it possible to recovered from major loss of data?
>>

>> -*-
>> Jim Curts


>>> On Thursday, November 06, 2008 1:23 AM Ilya Koulchin wrote:

>>> If you want to just use the secondary drive as a backup location, you
>>> can copy your "OneNote Notebooks" folder, which is the default location
>>> for all notebooks. You can find out if you have any notebooks open from
>>> other locations by hovering your mouse over the notebook icons on the
>>> notebook bar on the left.
>>>
>>> If you also want to use the secondary drive as the main storage location
>>> for your notebooks (so that all changes get saved there automatically
>>> whenever OneNote is running), after you move the notebooks as described
>>> above, rightclick on each notebook and select "close this notebook".
>>> Then go to File->Open->Notebook and select each of the notebooks that're
>>> now stored on the new drive.
>>>
>>> Wickiup wrote:


>>>> On Thursday, November 06, 2008 11:12 AM Rainald Taesler wrote:

>>>> "Wickiup" wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Yes. One can put the data-files (as well as the cache) to any device.
>>>> If you are in fear of malfunctioning of the standard drive it might be
>>>> better to make an image of that drive an get a new HDD.
>>>>
>>>>

>>>> There's 2 areas of concern:
>>>> a) The data files (notebooks),
>>>> b) the Backup files.
>>>>
>>>> Both are per default stored in subdirectories of "My documents".
>>>> The storage locations can be viewed and edited in the ON "Options"
>>>> dialog:
>>>> Tools > Options > Save
>>>>
>>>> Both can easily moved.
>>>>
>>>> If it comes to security, first thing would be to move the Backup
>>>> directory to a safe place. If there more than one HDD in a system, it
>>>> always is good thing to keep backups on a device different from the
>>>> place where the data files are stored.
>>>> Way to go:
>>>> 1.) With the Explorer move the directory holding the backup files;
>>>> 2.) in "Tools > Options > Save" enter the path for new location for the
>>>> new storage location.
>>>>
>>>>

>>>> The "OneNote Notebooks" directory is the place where the notebook-files
>>>> are stored.
>>>> There is a subdirectory for each notebook.
>>>> And below the notebooks there are subdirectories for each "Section
>>>> Group" (if any) of each notebook. The ".one" files hold the sections.
>>>>
>>>> Way to go:
>>>> 1.) In ON close all of the notebooks;
>>>> 2.) move the whole directory "OneNote Notebooks" to the new location;
>>>> 3.) change the path for the new storage location in "Tools > Options >
>>>> Save";
>>>> 4.) open all of the notebooks one-by-one.
>>>>
>>>> After these steps all of your data would sit on a save place.
>>>>
>>>> HTH
>>>> Rainald


>>>>> On Thursday, November 06, 2008 12:39 PM Wickiup wrote:

>>>>> Thank you Ilya and Rainald!
>>>>>

>>>>> So far things have gone smoothly as I have gotten great advice from you
>>>>> folks on this message board.
>>>>>

>>>>> Can I assume once these above mentioned changes are in place and the
>>>>> notebooks designated as shared that I can install OneNote on a laptop within
>>>>> the network and it can access the notebooks??
>>>>>

>>>>> If I move the notebooks to a "safe" location but for some reason lose the
>>>>> cache files will OneNote recreate the cache files upon reopening the
>>>>> notebooks?
>>>>>

>>>>> Thank you


>>>>>
>>>>> -*-
>>>>> Jim Curts
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> "Rainald Taesler" <tae...@gmx.de> wrote in message

>>>>> news:e38zOqC...@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...


>>>>>> On Thursday, November 06, 2008 1:26 PM Rainald Taesler wrote:

>>>>>> Wickiup wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> De nada ;-)


>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "Yes, you can" <gbg>
>>>>>> Just one initial remark:
>>>>>> On the laptop you would not work with notebooks stored locally.
>>>>>> Just open the notebooks "shared" from your main computer.
>>>>>> ON will then automatically synch when the laptop is connected to the PC.
>>>>>> All changes made when the computers are not connected will automatically
>>>>>> be synched as soon as the devices will be connected again.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> It makes things easier when on your laptop you create a drive-letter
>>>>>> (mapping) for the location where the shared notebooks are stored on the
>>>>>> PC.

>>>>>> You could then also specify the mapped drive as the default storage
>>>>>> location in "Tools > Options > Save".


>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Yes, ON will re-create the file.
>>>>>> However, changes made on one of the computers when they were not
>>>>>> connected would get lost.
>>>>>> Therefore - when really in fear because the possibly defective drive -
>>>>>> you may move the storage place of to a different/safe location (see
>>>>>> lower part of the dialog of "Tools > Options > Save").
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Rainald


>>>>>>> On Thursday, November 06, 2008 2:20 PM Wickiup wrote:

>>>>>>> Again Thanks!


>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> This makes for a great package when it all comes together.
>>>>>>>

>>>>>>> I write and much of my work is in bits and pieces gathered from various and
>>>>>>> written as I travel.
>>>>>>> OneNote fits right into the scheme of things for me and is simple enough
>>>>>>> even I can understand most of it (with the proper assistance, of course
>>>>>>> ;-)..
>>>>>>>

>>>>>>> -*-
>>>>>>> Jim Curts
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> "Rainald Taesler" <tae...@gmx.de> wrote in message
>>>>>>> news:%23ku5S1D...@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...


>>>>>>>> On Thursday, November 06, 2008 6:17 PM Rainald Taesler wrote:

>>>>>>>> Wickiup wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Again: De nada!
>>>>>>>> (or: That's what we are here for <g>)
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>> For sure!
>>>>>>>> OneNote is the main tool I'm using on my computer(s) and I'd hardly know
>>>>>>>> how do do without.
>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>> If any new question comes up: Just ask in here.
>>>>>>>> There's quite some peer who will be willing to help you.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> All the best
>>>>>>>> Rainald

bj

unread,
May 5, 2011, 11:48:01 PM5/5/11
to
Copy all the notebooks to a flash-drive & move them over to the new
computer.

I had no trouble with this going from XP/ON2007 on one computer (actually a
backup copy from an external hard drive, as my old computer crashed
thoroughly) to Win 7 on another. I copied the notebooks into the "OneNote
Notebooks" directory on the new computer. Then opened them in ON, no
problem. They open in "compatibility mode" & I haven't dealt with getting
them in ON2010 mode yet.
bj

"Kathy Di Giacomo" wrote in message news:20115518...@terrranews.com...

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