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The “Synchronization Required” message most often comes from Microsoft OneNote when the app cannot reconcile your local notebook with its copy in OneDrive or SharePoint. Start by checking your connection and OneNote’s sync status, then update OneNote and use its refresh or manual-sync command. Before closing, removing, or reinstalling a notebook, copy any recent unsynced notes: Microsoft warns that information still stored only on the device may not be recoverable.
The wording is not unique to OneNote, however. If another app produced the message, identify that app first; the menu paths below are specifically for OneNote.
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What “Synchronization Required” means in OneNote
OneNote keeps a local working copy of a notebook and synchronizes changes with the notebook stored online. A synchronization-required warning means those copies are not currently in agreement. The cause may be temporary connectivity, an outdated client, an expired sign-in session, changed permissions, or a problem with the OneDrive or SharePoint service that stores the notebook.
Confirm which application displayed the message
Look at the window title, taskbar icon, or notification that showed the warning. The instructions in this guide apply when the message came from Microsoft OneNote. Do not delete a notebook or reset an account based on a generic “synchronization required” alert from an unidentified application.
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Recognize the OneNote symptoms
Microsoft documents several related messages:
- A read-only notebook says, “You can’t edit this notebook because it’s not syncing. Please refresh the notebook to continue syncing. [Refresh Now]”.
- An editable notebook says, “Please refresh this notebook to continue syncing.”
- OneNote reports, “OneNote can’t sync your notes right now. We’ll keep trying. (Error code: E000006C / cig68).”
These messages indicate a synchronization problem, not proof that your notes are corrupted. The safest response is to preserve local changes and then test the connection from the least destructive step onward.
Protect unsynced notes before troubleshooting
Any text, ink, images, or attachments added since the last successful sync may exist only on the device where you made the change. Treat those edits as temporary until you verify that they appear in the web version of the notebook.
Copy recent work to a safe location
- Leave the affected notebook open on the device that contains your newest edits.
- Review the pages or sections you changed after the sync problem began.
- Copy important text into a separate document, or export or print the page if that option is available in your OneNote version.
- For handwritten or drawn content, take clear screenshots or copy the page to another locally saved notebook.
- Keep the backup on the originating device or another location you control until synchronization is confirmed.
Do not close the notebook, remove its account, uninstall OneNote, or move the notebook as a first step. Microsoft warns that closing, removing, or reinstalling while changes remain unsynced can cause data loss; lost unsynced information may not be recoverable, including by Microsoft Support.
Fix “Synchronization Required” in the safest order
1. Check the internet connection and OneNote’s sync status
Use a reliable internet connection before changing accounts or notebooks. If the device is switching between Wi-Fi and cellular data, connect it to a stable network and leave OneNote open while you test synchronization.
In desktop OneNote, open File > Info > View Sync Status. Inspect the affected notebook and note any error code shown. Select Sync Now for that notebook rather than immediately syncing or closing every notebook. This gives you a specific result to compare after each change.
If the sync status changes to a successful or current state, open the pages you recently edited and verify that the latest content is present. If the same error returns, continue with the next step instead of repeatedly clicking Sync Now.
2. Update OneNote and use Refresh now for refresh prompts or E000006C/cig68
For the read-only refresh message, the editable refresh message, or error E000006C / cig68, Microsoft’s documented sequence is to update OneNote and then select Refresh now in the notebook prompt. The button may appear as Refresh Now in the quoted warning.
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- Reopen the notebook after the update has finished.
- When OneNote displays “Please refresh this notebook to continue syncing,” choose Refresh now.
- Wait for the operation to finish before editing additional pages or switching accounts.
Updating first matters because a client that is behind the service can continue showing the same refresh prompt even when the network is working.
3. Open the notebook in OneNote for the web
This test separates a local-client problem from a notebook, permission, or service problem.
- In OneNote, copy the notebook’s URL.
- Open that address in a browser and sign in with the account that normally owns or uses the notebook.
- Check whether the browser version opens and shows your latest edits.
If the browser shows the newest content, the online notebook is reachable and the problem is more likely limited to the local OneNote client or device. After protecting unsynced work, closing and reopening the notebook can reset its local connection. If the browser cannot open the notebook at all, do not keep resetting the desktop client; investigate storage, permissions, or service availability instead.
4. Force a manual sync on your platform
Use the control for the platform where the warning appears. Leave the device powered on and connected until synchronization finishes, especially when the notebook is large or is being opened on that device for the first time.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors| Platform | Manual action | What to check afterward |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop OneNote | Open File > Info > View Sync Status, select the affected notebook, and choose Sync Now. | Confirm that the notebook’s status changes and that recent pages show the expected edits. |
| iOS | In the Notebooks or Recent Notes list, pull down to force a sync attempt. Install any available OneNote update from the App Store. | Reopen the notebook and verify that the newest page content is present. |
| Android | Open the notebook’s three-dots menu and choose Sync (account name) notebook. From the notebook list, Sync all is also available. | Keep the device on until the sync completes, then check the edited page. |
| OneNote for the web | Refresh the browser page after confirming that the notebook opens under the correct account. | Use the web copy as the reference for the latest successfully stored version. |
The mobile gestures and labels are different from the desktop command, but the purpose is the same: request a fresh synchronization without deleting the local notebook.
5. Refresh authentication and verify permissions
A synchronization failure can occur when a password was recently changed, a sign-in session expired, a different account is active, or access to the notebook was revoked.
- Compare the account shown in OneNote with the account that opens the notebook in the browser.
- Sign in again if OneNote requests authentication, using the same account associated with the notebook.
- If the password changed recently, complete the sign-in refresh rather than dismissing it.
- Return to the notebook and run the platform’s manual sync command again.
If the notebook works in the browser but not in the desktop app, open it in the browser and choose Open in OneNote. This creates a fresh local connection to the notebook instead of relying on a possibly stale entry.
6. Determine whether the notebook is in OneDrive or SharePoint
The browser test also identifies who may need to act. If a notebook stored in OneDrive will not open online, check whether the OneDrive service is available for your account. If the notebook belongs to an organization and is stored in SharePoint, contact the SharePoint administrator when access or the service appears to be the problem.
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Do not assume that a working internet connection proves the notebook service is healthy. Your device can be online while a specific OneDrive or SharePoint location is unavailable or while your account no longer has permission to open that notebook.
7. Close and reopen only after the backup
Closing and reopening a notebook can reset its connection when the web copy is current but the local client is stuck. Perform this step only after copying recent unsynced notes and confirming that you can access the online notebook.
- Save or copy every important local change.
- Close the affected notebook in OneNote.
- Reopen it from the notebook list, or use the browser’s Open in OneNote command.
- Run Sync Now and check the status before making more edits.
If reopening produces a new permission or account error, stop and resolve authentication rather than repeatedly removing and adding the notebook.
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| What you see | Most useful next action | Risk and rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Refresh prompt or E000006C/cig68 | Update OneNote, then choose Refresh now. | Low risk; it follows Microsoft’s documented remedy for this symptom. |
| Desktop status shows an error but the notebook opens in the browser with current edits | Back up local changes, close and reopen the notebook, then use Sync Now. | Moderate risk if local edits are not copied first. |
| Browser cannot open the notebook | Check OneDrive availability or contact the SharePoint administrator, depending on storage location. | Changing the local app will not restore missing permission or an unavailable service. |
| Only one phone fails to synchronize | Use the iOS pull-down or Android notebook sync command, update the app, and leave the device connected. | Usually reversible; avoid removing the notebook until local edits are protected. |
| Several devices show the same notebook failure | Verify the account and test the web notebook before resetting any device. | A shared permission or service problem is more likely than a single-device cache issue. |
| Recent edits exist only on one device | Copy or back up those edits immediately. | Highest data-loss risk; unsynced information may not be recoverable after removal or reinstall. |
What not to do
- Do not treat a generic synchronization warning as proof that OneNote is the source; confirm the app first.
- Do not keep editing on multiple devices while one copy is known to be out of date; this makes it harder to identify which version contains the newest work.
- Do not remove a notebook, sign out, or reinstall OneNote before copying unsynced notes.
- Do not switch to a different Microsoft account merely because it is already signed in on the device.
- Do not assume that a successful internet connection guarantees access to a particular OneDrive or SharePoint notebook.
When the problem is resolved
Consider the issue fixed only after the notebook opens in OneNote, the sync status no longer reports the error, and the latest edits appear in OneNote for the web. Check from the device that originally contained the edits and, if possible, from another signed-in device. Keep the temporary backup until those checks agree.
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