Troubleshoot OneNote file sharing in Skype for Business

Why can’t I see the OneNote file being shared in Skype for Business?

Skype for Business can’t display the OneNote file you’re trying to look at, because you don’t have OneNote 2010 or OneNote 2013 installed on your computer, and the file is in a folder or on a server that doesn’t support Microsoft Web Application Companion (WAC).

What do I need to do to be able to view the file?

Do one of the following:

  • Obtain a copy of OneNote from the Microsoft Office OneNote website at https://office.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote/. (You can purchase a copy or download a free trial version). Then restart Skype for Business and connect to the meeting again. With OneNote on your computer, you should be able to view the file.

  • Ask the person sharing the file to copy it to a WAC-enabled location (SharePoint or OneDrive) and then to share it again. You should then be able to view the file without having OneNote on your computer.

To learn more about OneDrive, a free service provided by Microsoft, go to http://OneDrive.live.com. To learn more about SharePoint, go to http://sharepoint.microsoft.com.

More information about this issue

Ordinarily, you’ll be able to see a shared OneNote file in a Skype for Business conversation if you meet these three conditions:

  • You have OneNote 2010 or 2013 installed on your computer.

  • You have the necessary user credentials and permissions to see the file.

  • You have connectivity to the file location.

If you don’t have OneNote 2010 or 2013 installed, but you’ve met the other two criteria above, Skype for Business will try to open the OneNote file using Web Application Companion (WAC), which is the version of Office that allows for viewing documents using a web browser.

Because you don’t have a copy of OneNote installed on your computer and the file is in a folder or on a server that isn’t set up to support WAC, Skype for Business is unable to display it.

Either of the two actions described above should solve the problem.

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