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If user are facing the ‘OneNote Read-Only Status’ Issue on their Computer. Windows users usually use OneNote to take notes. With new updates, it now has more features and a better way to use them. But there are still mistakes in it. Syncing may not work right in the app, files may not open at all, or files may open as “read-only.”
You might see “read-only” because file permissions are set so that you can only read them, but the problem could also be with your system. OneNote from Microsoft is one of the oldest and most feature-packed apps for taking notes. Even though the software has been developed for years, it still has random sync problems, offline errors, and read-only status.
The second one is very confusing because you can’t change the note in OneNote. If this is the first time you’ve had this problem, here are nine ways to fix ‘OneNote Read-Only Status’ Issue. You can also go to the official Microsoft support site for more information about this error.
Ways To Fix ‘OneNote Read-Only Status’ Issue
Reopen Notebook
This trick has helped us a lot when we had problems with OneNote sync and offline on some notebooks. You can close a notebook and start it up again from the same place. What you need to do is listed below.
Step 1: Open OneNote on Windows 11/10.
Step 2: Click all notebooks at the top and right-click the notebook showing read-only status.
Step 3: Choose Close this Notebook.
Step 4: Go to File > Open and select a notebook location from OneDrive and open it.
Step 5: Try opening a note from the notebooks section and you won’t see any read-only errors.
Close OneNote from the Other Device
Another device can be used to open the same note. For example, if it’s open on a Mac and you’re trying to get to it on a Windows PC. In this case, OneNote will still show that the note can only be read. This means that you can only open and use notes on one device at a time.
Disable Read Only from Notebook Properties
OneNote saves all notebooks to the Windows OneDrive app by default. From the File Manager menu, you can see the notebook. If you have set your notebook to “Read-only,” it’s time to turn it off. If the notebook is set to “read-only,” you can only open it and can’t change it.
Step 1: Open File Manager on a Windows PC or use the shortcut Windows key + E.
Step 2: Navigate to OneDrive > OneNote, and you’ll see all your saved OneNote notebooks in a list.
Step 3: Right click on the notebook you are having trouble with and open Properties.
Step 4: From General > Attributes, turn it off Read only and click OK at the bottom.
Step 5: Open OneNote and try to access the notes in it.
Update OneNote
If you are using the native Windows OneNote app, you should check for updates or get the latest version from the Microsoft Store. When you try to open an old OneNote built on Windows 10 or 11, it may say that it can only be read.
Go to the Library menu in the Microsoft Store app. If a new version of OneNote is available, it will show up when you click Get Update. Install the update for OneNote and see if you can edit notes in it.
Get Editable Links
You can also share notebooks with other people using OneNote. If you work in a shared notebook and get a link that only lets you see the note, you won’t be able to change it. It will say that it can only be read. You need to ask the admin to send you a link to the notebook that lets you make changes. This is how.
Step 1: Open the OneNote Notebook you need to share.
Step 2: Go to File > Share > Get Sharing Link.
Step 3: Click Create an edit link and share it with others.
Step 4: Starting now, anyone with access to the link can make changes to OneNote Notebooks. So be careful when sharing it with others.
Activate a Microsoft 365 Subscription
Do you use the OneNote app that comes with your subscription to Microsoft 365? Most laptop manufacturers offer a free 30-day trial of Microsoft 365 Personal.
If you use the 30-day free trial, it will end and the OneNote app will only let you read notes. You will need to buy a Microsoft 365 plan or download the free OneNote app for Windows from the Microsoft Store. From the Microsoft Store, you can get OneNote.
Check OneDrive Storage
Microsoft only gives away 5GB of free space on OneDrive. That might not be enough for people who use OneNote a lot. Microsoft lets you buy more OneDrive storage or sign up for Microsoft 365, which gives you all Office apps and 1TB of OneDrive storage.
FAQ
Why can’t I edit my OneNote?
Look at the “Help” menu. If you’re sure you have the full version of OneNote and not just the trial version, and if you’ve already activated it, the next thing to check is that you have permission to read and write to the folders and files.
How do I enable editing in OneNote?
To make changes to a OneNote document, click Edit in Browser in the upper right corner of the page. If you click anywhere on the page, you can start typing. You can use the Home tab to change the font colour, style, or size. This is the same as using the desktop version of most Microsoft products.
Why is my Microsoft read-only?
Word files may only be able to be read on Windows or macOS because they are protected by Protected View, a password, or file permissions. If you’re using Windows, right-click the file, choose “Properties,” click the “Properties” tab, and then remove the “Read-only” attribute.
Why is my OneNote glitching?
If OneNote is still slow, some of the files in its cache might be broken. A cache is a group of temporary files that a programme can use to work faster. It’s kind of like filling in a template instead of starting from scratch every time.