How to Fix OneNote Not Responding, Freezing Issue?

When OneNote shows “Not Responding”, it usually means the app is stuck during a task (syncing, loading a large notebook, searching, or inking). You may see freezing, very slow response to clicks/typing, or sudden crashes. If OneNote crashes while changes are still unsynced, you can reopen to missing edits or sync conflicts.

Most cases come from sync/network delays (OneNote waiting on cloud responses), corrupted local cache, problematic add-ins, ink processing overhead, very large notebooks (many sections, images/PDF printouts), low free storage/RAM, or graphics (GPU) rendering issues. Use the fixes below in order.

1. Disable the Problematic Add-In

If OneNote started freezing or crashing after you installed an add-in, the add-in can conflict with startup, syncing, or background tasks. Disabling it prevents it from loading and often stops repeated freezes or crash loops.

Note: Many users will have no add-ins listed. If you do not see any COM add-ins, skip this fix.

1. Launch the OneNote Desktop app.
   
2. Click File and go to Options.
   
3. Click Add-ins.
4. At the bottom, open Manage and select COM Add-ins, then click Go.
   
5. Find the add-in you suspect (especially anything installed recently).
6. Uncheck it to disable, then click OK.
7. Restart OneNote and test again.

2. Disable Pen Features

If OneNote freezes mainly while using a pen, ink smoothing and handwriting processing can add constant background load. Turning these off can reduce stalls while drawing. The trade-off is less “polished” ink behavior and reduced handwriting indexing.

Note: These options are not available in every OneNote build. If you do not see them, skip to the next fix.

1. Open the OneNote Desktop app.
   
2. Click File > Options.
3. Open the Advanced tab in the left sidebar.
4. Scroll to the Pen section and uncheck Smooth ink when drawing with a pen (if present).
   
5. Also uncheck Enable automatic handwriting recognition (if present).
   
6. Click OK and restart OneNote.

3. Reset OneNote cache

If the local cache becomes corrupted, OneNote can freeze while loading pages, searching, or syncing because it repeatedly hits bad local data. Renaming the cache forces OneNote to rebuild clean local files on the next launch.

Important: Try to confirm your notebooks are synced before doing this. If you have unsynced local edits and you rebuild cache, you risk losing those local-only changes. If OneNote is unstable, open the same notebook on another device and verify your latest edits are visible there.

This cache method is for: OneNote Desktop (Microsoft 365/2016). If you are using the Microsoft Store OneNote app, use the Repair/Reset steps in Fix #4 instead.

1. Press Windows + R to open Run.
2. Type the following and press Enter:

   %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneNote

   

3. Open the folder for your version (for example, open 16.0 for OneNote 2016/Microsoft 365).
   
4. Right-click the cache folder and rename it (for example, cache.old).
   
5. Open OneNote again. It will generate a new cache folder automatically.

The first launch after a cache rebuild can feel slower while OneNote re-downloads content and re-indexes notebooks. If the freezing was cache-related, you should notice the worst stalls disappear after you repeat the same action that used to lock it up (search, sync, opening pages).

4. Repair or Reset OneNote

If OneNote still freezes after disabling add-ins and rebuilding cache, the installation itself may be damaged. Repair replaces broken program files and restores required components while keeping notebooks (cloud notebooks remain safe). This is a strong next step if problems started after a Windows or Microsoft 365 update.

Pick the option that matches your OneNote:

• If you use OneNote for Windows (Microsoft Store app): Use Windows “Repair/Reset” for the app.
• If you use OneNote Desktop (Microsoft 365/Office install): Repair Microsoft 365/Office (OneNote is part of the Office suite for many users).

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Click Apps.
   
3. Search for OneNote (Store app) or Microsoft 365/Microsoft Office (Desktop install).
4. Store app path: Click OneNote > Advanced options > under Reset, click Repair first. If it still freezes, you can try Reset (this may clear local app data).
   
   
5. Desktop (Microsoft 365/Office) path: Click Microsoft 365/Office > Modify (or Change) > run Quick Repair. If the issue persists, run Online Repair (takes longer but is deeper).