Microsoft OneNote: Previous Versions

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Introduction

It is common for users to accidentally delete or overwrite content in Microsoft OneNote Class Notebooks.  There are several approaches to recovering this content and reviewing who has made changes and when.

*NOTE Multiple versions of Microsoft OneNote exist, each with subtle differences in functionality and layout.  For more information on the specific versions of Microsoft OneNote please refer to this Microsoft article.

This guide covers techniques that can be employed to recover lost and overwritten content and identifies the users responsible for edits to the Notebook.

  1. Review a list of changes in a notebook in OneNote
  2. Show the authors who have contributed to the Notebook
  3. Review and restore previous versions of content
See a list of recent changes in a notebook in OneNote

The Recent Edits tool in OneNote helps you keep track of changes people have made in a shared notebook.  You can use the tool to see a list of pages that changed over a set period.

1. Click History > Recent Edits. Pick a date range you want to see edits for.

Image showing how to access the recent edits of a Microsoft OneNote class Notebook.

2. In the Search Results list on the right, each page with changes is highlighted, along with a list of the changes on each page.

Image showing how to access the recent edits of a Microsoft OneNote class Notebook.

3. To move from change to change, click a page title in the Search Results list. You can search and sort your list of changes in the Search Results list too.

Image showing how to access the recent edits of a Microsoft OneNote class Notebook.

4. When you’re done reviewing the changes, click the close button in the upper-right corner of the ‘Search Results’ list.

Image showing how to access the recent edits of a Microsoft OneNote class Notebook.
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Show authors in a shared notebook in OneNote

When several people work in a shared OneNote Notebook it can be hard to know who’s made each change. Microsoft OneNote can show each author’s initials next to their changes.

*NOTE The Microsoft Windows version of Microsoft OneNote does not show the owner of the Notebook’s name against content that they add/amend however, it does show the names of all other users who add/amend content. The Microsoft Office 365 web version of the same OneNote Notebook shows a name against all content added/amended by ALL users (including the owner).

1. To show author initials, click History > Hide Authors.

Image showing how to view the author of a piece of content in Microsoft OneNote.

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Page Versions

Microsoft OneNote keeps track of changes made to content in your notebook and creates different versions of each page.  This allows users to review and even restore previous versions of pages if errors or mistakes are found in a current version.

To access previous versions, use the History tab (desktop application) or View tab (Browser based application).

Restoring Page Versions

1. To restore a previous version of a page go to the History tab and select Page Versions.

Image showing how to access the previous Page Versions in Microsoft OneNote

2. Previous page versions will appear shaded in grey. Selecting a previous version allows a preview of that previous content.  An information bar will appear at the top of the page to inform you that you are viewing an older version of the page.  Clicking on this bar will show you the possible restore options available.

Image showing how to review and preview the previous versions of content in Microsoft OneNote.

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