How to troubleshoot the new Sticky Notes app on Windows 11
Try these troubleshooting steps if you’re having issues getting your notes with the new Sticky Notes app.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
OnWindows 11, if you have the new Sticky Notes app, but it’s missing your notes, you can still perform some troubleshooting steps to recover them, and in this guide, I will explain the steps to complete this process.
Microsoft is gradually rolling out anew version of Sticky Notesintegrated into the OneNote app. The new experience is similar to the legacy version, but it now includes an option to take screenshots, dock the app to the side of the screen, and requires the installation of OneNote.
Although the app is meant to modernize the experience with new visual elements and capabilities, the rollout isn’t going as smoothly as the company was hoping. Asmall group of usershas been reporting a few problems, including lag while scrolling because of the lack of smooth scrolling support and syncing issues, with some users noting that their notes are no longer available.
If you can’t find your notes after the new version of the app installs on your computer, you may still be able to recover them from the app’s database, reinstalling the app, uninstalling the updated version of OneNote, forcing resync, or use the legacy version of Sticky Notes.
In thishow-to guide, I will explain a fewtroubleshooting suggestionsyou can try to recover your notes as the new version of the app has been installed on your computer.
How to troubleshoot Sticky Notes on Windows 11
If you’re having problems with Sticky Notes, try the following troubleshooting steps.
Force Sticky Notes sync
If you’re noticing that your notes are gone in the new app, it’s important to note that the legacy version of the app is still available. As a result, the first step is to open the legacy Sticky Notes app (the onewithoutthe"Preview"label) from the Start menu.
Get the Windows Central Newsletter
All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.
If you can’t find your notes, you can sign out of both apps and back in with the same Microsoft account to trigger the synchronization process again.
The sign-in option for the new app is available through the OneNote settings.
In the case that the notes are available on the legacy version but are not syncing to the new version, you may need to transfer them manually by copying and pasting each note.
Recover Sticky Notes from database
If your notes are missing from the new Sticky Notes app integrated into OneNote, and you cannot open the legacy app, you may be able to recover the notes from the database that the app uses locally on the device.
To recover your Sticky Notes from the local database, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, you will once again have your notes. You can now recreate the notes in the new app.
If the database is empty, you may be able to recover your notes using an older version of the file. That’s, of course, if you have asystem backup.
Reinstall legacy Sticky Notes
If you don’t want to dig into the database, you may still be able to recover your notes by reinstalling the application.
If the legacy Sticky Notes app is missing, you may be able to install it again from the Microsoft Store with these steps:
After you complete the steps, launch the legacy Sticky Notes from the Start menu, and you should now have access to your notes.
Uninstall OneNote (temporarily)
If you cannot open the legacy version of the app, sometimes removing the newer app will make the legacy app available again.
To temporarily uninstall the OneNote app, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, the legacy Sticky Notes app should open with all your notes.
If you’re not interested in synching your notes across devices and new features, you can still download and install theclassic version of Sticky Notesthat was introduced onWindows 10.
The classic version has been repackaged as a “.exe” that can run alongside the legacy and new versions of Sticky Notes.
More resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources:
Mauro Huculak has been a Windows How-To Expert contributor for WindowsCentral.com for nearly a decade and has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides. He also has an IT background and has achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and CompTIA. He has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years.
