Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

How to keep OneNote Notebook off local drives.

9 views
Skip to first unread message

dba123

unread,
Nov 25, 2009, 10:49:01 AM11/25/09
to
I've got my notebook pointed to my external drive. I noticed however even if
my drive is not connected, I can still open that notebook. So where is it
storing this locally? I do NOT want this stuff stored locally at work, I do
not want my employer being able to read my notebook. That's why I pointed it
to be stored on my external drive yet I see that I can still open this puppy
even though that drive is off. Not cool.

--
C# Software Engineer

John Guin [ msft ] dot at

unread,
Nov 25, 2009, 12:08:03 PM11/25/09
to
OneNote keeps a cached copy of all your open notebooks. You can control
where the cache is stored by going to Tools | Options | Save and moving the
cache. But be careful - ON expects the cache to be available, and if you
move it to someplace that is not always available, you can hit problems.

A better solution may be to just close the notebook when you are done with
it at work. That removes the information from the cache.

While you are looking around at the Save options, you will probably want to
change where OneNote stores its backup copies as well.

--
Hope this helps,
John Guin
OneNote Test Team
http://blogs.msdn.com/johnguin

Rainald Taesler

unread,
Nov 25, 2009, 12:58:16 PM11/25/09
to
dba123 wrote:
> I've got my notebook pointed to my external drive. I noticed however
> even if my drive is not connected, I can still open that notebook.
> So where is it storing this locally?

The notebook files are not stored locally.
But ON works with a cache.
You can check for the location of the cache via Tools | Options | Save

There the data are stored in a different format.
The can not be read with ON or any other program.

A specialist, however, could decipher something.

And - even more important - all linked and embedded files are held in
the cache's subdirectory "OneNoteOfflineCache_Files" in there native
format. Therefore everyone having the necessary rights for this
directory can see and open these files.

> I do NOT want this stuff stored
> locally at work, I do not want my employer being able to read my
> notebook. That's why I pointed it to be stored on my external drive
> yet I see that I can still open this puppy even though that drive is
> off. Not cool.

There is no way to change this. The cache can be stored on an external
device.

A workaround would be to use Ceedo[1].
With Ceedo and its Argo-installer installed on your external drive you
could install ON there and run it from the external device.
Then the cache would also be stored on the external drive and no traces
would be left in the computer used (the same with other applications,
f.e. your browser run under Ceedo.

Drawbacks: (a) The "Send to OneNote" printer is not available if it's
not installed in the computer
(b) The search does not work index-based (which makes it slower).

Rainald
[1] http://www.ceedo.com/products/ceedo-personal.html

Rainald Taesler

unread,
Nov 25, 2009, 1:07:26 PM11/25/09
to
John Guin [msft] wrote:

>> I've got my notebook pointed to my external drive. I noticed
>> however even if my drive is not connected, I can still open that
>> notebook. So where is it storing this locally? I do NOT want this
>> stuff stored locally at work, I do not want my employer being able
>> to read my notebook. That's why I pointed it to be stored on my
>> external drive yet I see that I can still open this puppy even
>> though that drive is off. Not cool.

> OneNote keeps a cached copy of all your open notebooks. You can


> control where the cache is stored by going to Tools | Options | Save
> and moving the cache. But be careful - ON expects the cache to be
> available, and if you move it to someplace that is not always
> available, you can hit problems.

The major problem is that the cache can only be stored on a "non
removable" drive. So the danger you are speaking about is not given.

> A better solution may be to just close the notebook when you are done
> with it at work. That removes the information from the cache.

Wouldn't this require "optimization" in addition?

Rainald

dba123

unread,
Nov 25, 2009, 3:15:01 PM11/25/09
to
Even when I close out, the cache still has it. I guess I don't get the "ON"

is ON an option or are you figuratively speaking about something?

"Rainald Taesler" wrote:

> .
>

dba123

unread,
Nov 25, 2009, 3:18:08 PM11/25/09
to
duh "One Note" nevermind, it's been a long day.

dba123

unread,
Nov 25, 2009, 3:22:05 PM11/25/09
to
Thanks and it wouldn't be a bad idea for added protection to password protect
my notebook. Although I don't know if that would protect me from anyone
exploiting the cached files if I did not yet move the cache location to my
external drive yet.


"Rainald Taesler" wrote:

> .
>

Rainald Taesler

unread,
Nov 25, 2009, 4:53:51 PM11/25/09
to
dba123 wrote:
> Thanks and it wouldn't be a bad idea for added protection to password
> protect my notebook.

Yes. But oe ca only protect *sections*, not a whole nioebbook.

> Although I don't know if that would protect me from anyone
> exploiting the cached files

It would only protect your notebook, it waht's in the cache.

> if I did not yet move the cache location to my external drive yet.

A said: The cache can not be moved to an external device.

Rainald

Bernd

unread,
Nov 25, 2009, 8:26:31 PM11/25/09
to

-------- Original-Nachricht --------

Why do you post the same question you asked at 9/16/2009; (and, by the
way, got the same answers) ... ?

Bernd

0 new messages