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Quick guide to Microsoft OneNote: Getting Started

How do I create a New NoteBook?

OneNote for Desktop
  1. Select 'File', and then select 'New'. You will see options for where you would like to save your new notebook. 
  2. Select where you want your new notebook to be saved, name it and select 'Create'. A new notebook will then be ready for you to use.
OneNote Online 
  1. Navigate to Your Office 365 account and select OneNote. 
  2. Select "+New Notebook"
  3. Give your new Notebook a name and it will open, ready to use.

How to Capture Notes?

How to capture Notes in OneNote, Including using Text, Formatting, and using a stylus or other digital pen. 

How do I Record Audio Notes?

Record audio notes in OneNote for Windows 10

Start a recording

To begin an audio recording in your notes, do the following:

  1. Click a location on the current page where you want to start the audio recording.

  2. On the Insert tab, click Audio.

OneNote begins recording immediately. To verify that a recording is in progress, note the increasing time counter on the Recording tab that appears.

Stop a recording

To end an audio recording, do the following:

  • On the Recording tab, click Stop.

OneNote ends the recording. If you want to continue recording at a later time, click Record.

Playback a recording

To listen to an audio recording in your notes, do the following:

  • Double-click any Audio Recording icon on any page in your notebook.

Tip: While playing back audio in OneNote for Windows 10, you can use the additional controls on the Audio tab that appears — including PauseBack 5 MinutesBack 15 SecondsForward 15 Seconds, and Forward 5 minutes.

Delete a recording

If you no longer need a particular audio recording, do the following:

  1. On any page, right-click the Audio Recording icon of the recording you want to delete.

  2. On your keyboard, press the Delete key.


Insert Audio Notes using OneNote Online
  1. Click a location on the page in OneNote where you want to place the recording, and then do one of the following:

    • To create an audio-only recording, click Insert > Record Audio.

    • To create a video recording with optional audio, click Insert > Record Video.

      Screenshot of the Insert menu with AV buttons in OneNote 2016.

    Recording starts as soon as OneNote adds a media icon to the page.

  2. To end the recording, press Pause or Stop on the Audio & Video tab.

  3. To play a recording, click the media icon on the page and then click Play.

If you take notes during the recording, they'll be linked to the audio and video created with OneNote. This way you can Search notes in OneNote and find specific parts of the audio or video recording.

How do I use OneNote?

OneNote is organised by Notebooks, Sections and Pages similar to a printed, spiral-bound notebook.

  • Notebooks: Notebooks are the major organisation category. You can create as many Notebooks as you want.
    • Sections in the current notebook: Sections let you organise notes by activities, topics, or people in your life. These are displayed as tabs within your OneNote Notebook. Start with a few in each notebook.
      • Pages in the current section: You can have as many pages as you want within each section of your Notebook.

A screen shot of a Notebook in OneNote, Showing the different levels Notebook, Sections and Pages

For further training videos visit the Microsoft OneNote video training page.

How do I Save?

How do I save in OneNote Online?
  • There is no save button on OneNote Online: the application automatically saves the changes to your OneDrive as you type ensuring you have the most up-to-date version of your notebook and means you don't need to manually save your notebook yourself.
  • This icon shows the last time the workbook was ‘synced’ and saved to Onedrive: *This only works for Online version

 Screenshot of cloud symbol with Tick

How do I save in OneNote Desktop?

You will need to manually save your work on OneNote Desktop. If you wish to automatically save your work to OneDrive from OneNote Desktop, you will need to turn on this feature. Instructions on how to do this can be found here.

What can I do if I can't find my OneNote notebook?

There may be a number of reasons why you can't find your OneNote notebook. If you're working on notebooks both online and offline, it may be that they are not syncing properly, and you will need to manually sync the notebooks yourself.

This can be done in OneNote for desktop by going to File, Info, and selecting "View Sync Status".

There you can see all notebooks available to you and by clicking "Sync Now", this should restore your work.  

If you're still having issues, please visit the Microsoft Office support pages, which show solutions for more common issues with finding lost OneNote files. 

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