How import exported OneNote notebook, folder or file?

Hi DMX22,

Based on your description, my understanding is that you want to access the exported notebook in OneNote for Mac(the desktop app). If it is not the situation, feel free to correct me.

After we use the OneNote notebook importer, the exported notebook will appear in OneDrive which is associated with the account that we used to sign in the importer.

To open the notebook in OneNote for Mac, you may try following:

1.In your OneDrive, open the notebook in OneNote online first.

2.Then click Open in app from ribbon to open the notebook in OneNote desktop.

Besides, regarding using the OneNote Notebook Importer takes much time to import the notebook in OneDrive and there is no feedback on progress, I could understand the frustration when encountering it, really sorry for the inconvenience caused by it.

The time for importing the exported notebook may depend on the notebook size and the network speed. We suggest you try another browser or a different network environment next time.

If you have strong concern about this, we recommending sending your valuable feedback to UserVoice to let the developers know your requirement and help improving the product. Appreciate your understanding.

Best regards,

Tina

Hi, Thanks for your advice, but this does not work. You are right to understand that I wish to import a notebook I exported (as a back up which I now need) by following the MS advice shown on the link I originally provided.

As you have suggested, I have again used the OneNote notebook importer, for which there is a link on the same MS advice page. However, the exported notebook does not then appear in my OneDrive. All I get is what appear to be empty folders imported into OneDrive (with right names but no contents), even after allowing hours for the import. The exported notebook files are of the right size expected and these are not empty folders (they contain files with section names expected), but all the MS tool imports into OneDrive are the empty folders noted above. This appears to be where the problem starts.

I have tried a different browser (Firefox instead of Safari), but exactly the same thing happens. I have also tried on a smaller exported notebook (only 17.5 MB) and left it over 2 hours to complete the import (on good broadband connection), with result as described above.

I will also add that I do not have a ribbon in OneNote that looks like the one you show. On mine, there is no 'Open in app' button, but there is a drop-down menu that includes 'Open Notebook'. I am using Office 365 on a Mac.

I would like to restore the OneNote pages I have lost from the back up I created, so I hope you can help further and provide guidance that works. I have the exported notebooks but no means to access their contents, as the MS guidance and tool given for importing does not work.

Hi DMX2,

Thanks for posting back.

Thank you for sharing the detailed information, I understand the issue is that you have the exported notebook folder, After you import the folder to your OneDrive with OneNote Notebook Importer, it shows empty when you open it in OneNote Online. It seems the exported notebook isn't properly imported to personal OneDrive.

Regarding it takes hours to import the exported OneNote folder to OneDrive, I suggest you check if your personal OneDrive account is low on available space. If yes, manually delete unnecessary files from your OneDrive storage (including any failed notebook uploads) and then try importing the notebook folder again.

In addition, I deeply understand the notebook content is very important for you, and since the notebook needs to be imported to personal OneDrive then open in OneNote, to make sure you get the dedicated and professional assistance, I recommend you directly contact Microsoft support(on the page, click Contact support hyperlink), this is also the most efficient way to help you on the issue. Appreciate your understanding.

Best regards,

Tina

Hi Tina, Thank you for your further reply, which is appreciated. However, I have found that there is a problem with OneNote on a Mac and with Microsoft's support to Mac users of OneNote. This is illustrated by the screen shot provided above. It is for Windows OneNote and the version on a Mac does not have a similar option to 'open in app'.

I contacted Microsoft support and went through two levels of support. The first listen and accepted the problem, but could not help, so referred me on. The second was less satisfactory. I had said I was using OneNote on aMac, but he kept talking about how OneNote worked in Windows, which was irrelevant to my situation. He clearly had little idea about OneNote on a Mac, but was aware something was different and, with probing from me, it became apparent he could not help to recover what I had thought was a back up Notebook created by following MS guidance. I now expect this is impossible on a Mac.

I now also realise the advice on exporting and importing at the following page only applies to Windows, despite what it clearly says about applying to Macs too: https://support.office.com/en-us/article/export-and-import-onenote-notebooks-a4b60da5-8f33-464e-b1ba-b95ce540f309

When I went through it with the support technician, he asked me to choose options that just don't exist. In particular he thought I could export as a onepkg folder (I think), but that option (or any choices) was not there. Maybe it is on Windows, but it definitely is not on an up-to-date Mac.

All in all this has been a big let down and very frustrating. I use OneNote a lot, but have now found it is poorly supported on a Mac and that MS guidance provided is just wrong. Although it was plain to see, the MS support technician found this hard to accept, even though he kept talking about how it worked on Windows. MS need to get some advisers who can assist Mac users of Office too.

Hi DMX2,

I can totally understand your frustration, it is quite important for you to import and get the notebook as it is no longer available in OneNote client.

Actually we mainly focus on issues in notebooks saved in OneDrive for business, appreciate your understanding.

But I still would like to share with you some possible suggestions that you may have a try.

I suppose the exported notebooks has large size so it takes much time for it to be imported to personal OneDrive. The OneNote notebook importer tool is not stable enough and it results in empty notebook after a long time of waiting, really sorry about that.

1.If you shared the notebook with other people in previous, you may contact them to get the content of the notebook.

2.In the exported notebook folder, if you go into the folder, there should be some .one files and .onetoc2 files. These kinds of OneNote files cannot be opened in OneNote for Mac, it only can be opened in OneNote 2016 on Windows 10(not OneNote UWP).

Therefore, if it is possible and convenient, you may find a Windows computer having OneNote 2016 installed and try opening the notebook.

I also suggest you share your valuable feedback to OneNote UserVoice and let the developers know your concern and requirement and help improving the product.

Really sorry for the inconvenience again.

Best regards,

Tina

Hi Tina,

Thanks. These are good suggestions. Although, I had shared the Notebook on an iPad, I was not able to recover it from this, as the original had been lost from the iPad too.

Opening the exported files, which include .one and .onetoc2 files, on a Windows computer did work. I was able to import previously exported folders to an online account using the Windows browser and then access the same account on my Mac and move the Notebook sections back onto OneNote on my Mac.

There is still one large Notebook (over 400MB), which is what caused the problems in the first place. This did not import to the online account on Windows computer or at least had still not done so after more than 3 hours.

Next I will try opening the exported copy of the Notebook directly in the OneNote app on the Windows computer. I haven't tried this yet, as I'm not sure how I will then get it back to my Mac even if it does open. I'll try to work that one out once I've discovered if it will open direct in Windows OneNote.

I have now successful rescued smaller Notebooks that I had also lost, so good progress has been made.

I will try to feedback to the developers as suggested.

Regards, Dave