Microsoft OneNote

ApplicationMicrosoft Corporation

Also called onenote, one note, onenote 2016

Microsoft CorporationProductivity

The Microsoft notebook app that syncs sections to OneDrive or SharePoint. Desktop OneNote is ONENOTE.EXE. A Store build can appear as OneNoteM.exe. It is not Notepad.

What you need to know

OneNote stores notebooks in sections. Notepad stores a single text file.

Desktop OneNote is ONENOTE.EXE from Office16. Microsoft also shipped a Store OneNote that uses a different image. Neither one is notepad.exe.

What is it?: A sectioned notebook app
Same as Notepad?: No. Notepad is plain text
Two OneNote apps?: Desktop and a Store build can both exist

Feex says

If two OneNote tiles open different windows, I would check ONENOTE.EXE versus OneNoteM.exe before I call it a broken Office install. I would not open Notepad expecting those sections.

What is Microsoft OneNote?

Microsoft OneNote is a notebook with notebooks, sections, and pages. Desktop OneNote is ONENOTE.EXE. It is not Word, not Notepad, and not OneNoteM.exe when that Store image is installed.

If you have never used it

If you want a notebook that syncs pages and ink, this is OneNote, not Notepad. Notepad is a single .txt file with no sections. Install desktop OneNote from Microsoft 365 or from Microsoft's OneNote download. A second "OneNote for Windows 10" tile is a different build. Pick one in Default apps.

What is it used for?

Notebooks and sections

Class notes, meeting notes, and clipped pages that sync as a notebook, not as a Word file.

Ink and clippings

Pen input and Send to OneNote. Notepad has neither.

Shared notebooks

OneDrive or SharePoint notebooks. Sync problems are OneNote plus the cloud, not WINWORD.

Who is it for?

Students and meeting note takers
People who saw two OneNote apps after an Office update
Anyone who should not treat this as Notepad with extra fonts

Current status

Actively developed. Microsoft has been consolidating toward desktop OneNote. Store OneNote for Windows 10 may still be present on older images.

How old is it?

OneNote launched in 2003 as part of Office. It is newer than Word and older than Microsoft 365. The Windows 10 Store OneNote was a later split. This article is the notebook app, not the 1980s Notepad line.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

Desktop OneNote (ONENOTE.EXE)

OneNote for Windows 10 (OneNoteM)

OneNote on the web

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
CPU	1.6 GHz or faster, 2-core, per Microsoft for Microsoft 365 Apps
RAM	4 GB for 64-bit, per Microsoft. Large files want more
Storage	4 GB class install plus your documents
Operating system	A current Windows release Microsoft lists for Microsoft 365 Apps

Resource profile

CPU demand: Sync and ink
RAM demand: Large notebooks and ink cache
Network demand: OneDrive and SharePoint notebooks

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
ONENOTE.EXE	Desktop OneNote
OneNoteM.exe	Store OneNote image when that build is installed

Startup components

OneNote starts when you open a notebook. Send to OneNote can start it from a shortcut.

File locations

Common Microsoft OneNote locations
Typical Click-to-Run	C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\ONENOTE.EXE

File formats

ONEONETOC2PDF

Common problems

Two OneNote tiles

Desktop and Store builds can both register. Set a default. Do not delete ONENOTE.EXE by hand.

Notebook will not sync

Check OneDrive or SharePoint access. Ending WINWORD does not fix OneNote sync.

Getting unstuck

Open file location to see which OneNote you launched

Office16\ONENOTE.EXE is this article. OneNoteM.exe is the Store sibling. notepad.exe is not a notebook.

Sign in and check notebook location

A local-only notebook will not appear on another PC. That is OneNote storage, not a Word path.

Repair Microsoft 365 Apps if desktop OneNote is missing

Do not download ONENOTE.EXE from a filename site.

Alternatives

Notion, Evernote, Joplin, and Notepad overlap for notes. Notepad cannot sync sections. Notion is a different vendor and a different file model.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Product page	www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/onenote What Microsoft ships as OneNote
OneNote help	support.microsoft.com/onenote Sync, ink, and crash help
Learn: OneNote	learn.microsoft.com/onenote Client differences
Download OneNote	www.onenote.com/download Desktop OneNote when it is not in your Office SKU

Related hardware

A pen-capable display helps ink. Sync still wants a working network and enough disk for the local cache.

Technical details

OneNote client names have shifted. This article describes desktop ONENOTE.EXE and mentions the Store image when both exist.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

Microsoft OneNote product page · Official OneNote product
Microsoft Support: OneNote · Notebooks, sync, and print help
Microsoft Learn: OneNote · Clients and sync behavior
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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