If you need to move OneNote notebooks from a school or work account to a personal Microsoft account, you can do so directly on macOS or Windows using built-in OneNote tools.
On Windows
Use “Save a Copy” Feature (OneNote for Windows App)
-
Open the OneNote for Windows app and sign in with your school or work account.
-
In the left pane, select the notebook to move.
-
Click File > Save a Copy.
-
Choose a location:
-
OneDrive – Personal to sync with your personal Microsoft account.
-
This PC to save a local backup.
-
-
Enter a notebook name and click Save.
Note: Saving to OneDrive – Personal allows the notebook to sync automatically, making it accessible on any device, including Mac.
On macOS
Option 1: Copy Sections Directly (Recommended)
-
Open OneNote on your Mac.
-
Sign in with both your school/work and personal Microsoft accounts (if not already).
-
Click the Notebook drop-down (top left) and select the notebook linked to your school or work account.
-
Hold down Shift and click to multi-select all the sections you want to transfer.
-
Drag and drop the selected sections into a notebook stored in your personal OneDrive
Tip: You can also right-click on a section and choose Copy Section To... to move it to another notebook.
Option 2: Use the Backup Tool
To restore from a backup and move to your personal account:
-
Open OneNote on your Mac.
-
Go to the menu bar and select: OneNote > Preferences > Backups
-
Select Back Up All Notebooks Now.
-
After backup is completed, go to File > Open Backups.
-
Select the notebook and sections you want to recover.
-
Once open, multi-select the sections using Shift+Click.
-
Drag and drop them into a notebook stored in your personal OneDrive.