Top 6 Ways to Fix Unable to Sign in to Microsoft OneNote on Windows

Microsoft OneNote is an excellent app for creating, storing, and organizing notes on your Windows computer. You can even sync your notes across various devices and collaborate with others. That is, of course, only possible if you are signed into the OneNote app. What if you cannot sign in to Microsoft OneNote on your Windows computer?

Although signing in to OneNote is usually straightforward, there may be instances where you encounter difficulties. The good news is that resolving OneNote sign-in problems is simple if you apply the following troubleshooting tips. So, let’s check them out.

1. Close and Reopen the OneNote App

OneNote may need help connecting to its servers and verifying your credentials if one of its app processes glitches out. If it’s nothing major, restarting the OneNote app should solve your problem. So, let’s start with that.

Step 1: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc keyboard shortcut to open Task Manager.

Step 2: In the Processes tab, select Microsoft OneNote and click the End task button.

Open the OneNote app again and see if you can sign into your account.

2. Remove OneNote Credentials From Credential Manager

The Credential Manager in Windows stores login details for all your apps. If you recently updated your Microsoft account password or Credential Manager data has become inaccessible, OneNote might keep showing the ‘Sign In Required’ message. To fix this, you can remove your OneNote login details from the Credential Manager by following the steps below.

Step 1: Press the Windows + S keyboard shortcut to open the search menu, type in credential manager, and press Enter.

Step 2: Select Windows Credentials and locate Microsoft OneNote on the list. Then, click Remove.

Log into the OneNote app again and check if the issue is still there.

3. Run the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter

Windows Store Apps troubleshooter is a useful tool that automatically resolves common issues with all your apps, including OneNote. You can try running this tool to see if that gets OneNote to work again.

Step 1: Click the Windows Search icon on the Taskbar to access the search menu. Type troubleshoot settings in the text box and press Enter.

Step 2: Select Other troubleshooters.

Step 3: Click the Run button next to Windows Store Apps to initiate the troubleshooting process.

After running the troubleshooter, see if you can log into the OneNote app.

4. Clear OneNote Cache

Microsoft OneNote stores certain information locally on your computer to load quickly and serve you better. However, if this data becomes corrupt, OneNote may exhibit erratic behavior and prevent you from logging in. Thankfully, it’s both easy and safe to remove these cache files.

Step 1: Press the Windows + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog box. Type the following path in the Open field and press Enter.

%localappdata%\Microsoft\OneNote\16.0\cache

Step 2: In the File Explorer window that opens, select all the files and click the trash icon at the top to delete them.

Restart the app after this and check if the issue is still there.

5. Update the OneNote App

OneNote receives regular updates from Microsoft, which include new features, improved security, and addresses existing bugs. The sign-in issues with OneNote may exist due to a buggy or outdated app build. If that’s the case, updating the app should help.

Step 1: Click the search icon on the Taskbar, type in microsoft store, and select the first result that appears.

Step 2: Navigate to the Library tab and click the Get updates button to check for pending app updates. If a newer version of OneNote is available, click the Update button next to it.

6. Repair or Reset the OneNote App

If nothing else works, you can use the built-in app repair feature on Windows to fix issues with the Microsoft OneNote app. Here’s how.

Step 1: Press the Windows + S keyboard shortcut to open the search menu, type OneNote in the search box, and select App settings.

Step 2: Click the Repair button. You will see a checkmark next to the Repair button when the process completes.

If you can’t sign into OneNote even after this, you can try resetting the app on Windows. Doing so will delete all the app-related data and restore the app to its default state.

Overcome Sign-in Hurdles

Being can’t sign into Microsoft OneNote on Windows can harm on your productivity and cause frustration. Hopefully, one of the above tips has helped you fix issues with Microsoft OneNote, and you can sign into the app without problems.