Work Smart by Microsoft IT

Go paperless by using
OneNote 2013
Customization note: This document contains guidance and/or step-by-step
installation instructions that can be reused, customized, or deleted entirely if
they do not apply to your organizations environment or installation scenarios.
The text marked by yellow highlighting indicates either customization guidance
or organization-specific variables. All of the highlighted text in this document
should either be deleted or replaced prior to distribution.

The Microsoft OneNote 2013 note-taking program can help support corporate
initiatives to reduce employee dependence on paper and printed documents.
This guide gives you a quick primer on OneNote 2013 so you can join the
paperless revolution.

Topics in this guide include:

For
2 | Go Paperless by using OneNote 2013

Understanding the basics of

OneNote 2013
You can use OneNote the same way that you use a paper notepad on your desk.
Write down detailed notes, jot down a quick reminder, or draw a quick sketch to
communicate an idea. But OneNote provides advantages that you dont get
with a paper notepad. For one thing, you never run out of paper. You can also
capture things in your digital notes that you cant capture on paperlike an
audio or video recording, or a screen clipping.

OneNote is easy to understand because its structured just like a physical

notebook, with sections and pages. Here's how these common terms are used
in OneNote:

Notebooks are for big things, like FY2014 or that big project that will keep you busy for the
next few months. Use notebooks to group sections. Each notebook can hold many sections.
Sections group pages of a similar subject together. For example, you might want to create a
section for a smaller project, for meeting notes, for a vacation that youre planning, or for a
class or seminar. Each section can hold many pages.
Pages are where you actually create your notes. Write, type, and draw on pages just as you
would on paper. Create more pages whenever and wherever you need them.

Understanding how OneNote is different

OneNote is different from other applications in a few important ways.

You can open a notebook and never close it

Were conditioned to close files after weve finished using them. The best way to
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use OneNote, however, is to open it and never close it unless you need to
restart your device. Its like always having that paper notepad or sticky pad on
your desk within easy reach.

You never have to save

Anything that you add to a OneNote notebook is immediately saved. An
organizational change such as moving a page or section is also saved
automatically, so you dont have to think about it.

You send links instead of attachments

We have become accustomed to sending documents as Microsoft Outlook email
attachments, but this is changing with the increased use of Microsoft OneDrive
for Business and Microsoft SharePoint Online. With OneNote, when you want to
share a notebook, or a section or page within a notebook, you just send a link.

Multiple authors can edit the same notes at the same time
In OneNote, you and your teammates can work on a shared notebook at the
same time and see each others changes in real time. This makes OneNote a
great collaboration tool.

Top 10 ways to use OneNote 2013

OneNote provides lots of great ways to go paperless. Use this list to jog some
ideas:

1. Review and comment on a document. If youre asked to review a file (a Microsoft PowerPoint
deck, for example), print the file to OneNote, and then annotate it with typed or handwritten
notes.
2. Go shopping and capture screen shots as you go. For example, search for a new car.
Easily capture and send screen shots to OneNote as you do your research.
3. Organize your work and life. Store and categorize the information thats most important to
you in a central location. This information might be in email; in different programs like Microsoft
Word, Microsoft Excel spreadsheet software, or PowerPoint; in a paper notepad or printout; or
even on sticky notes.
4. Share your notes. OneNote is all about sharing. Share a notebook with your teammates on
OneDrive for Business and then edit together in real time. Share notes in a Microsoft Lync online
meeting that you start from Outlook or Lync. Or share a notebook (for example, budget, to-do
list, or product research) with a family member on the consumer version of OneDrive.
5. Take your work with you. If you upload a notebook to OneDrive for Business, you can take
your work with you and easily access the notebook from a Windows Phone or another device
thats running the Windows 8 or Windows RT operating system.
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6. Create a to-do list. Add a to-do list to projects that youre working on, and then mark off items
as you go.
7. Sketch an idea. Use OneNote to jot down anything thats on your mind. Sketch out an idea for
a floor plan or a server topology, and watch your ideas grow.
8. Take down random thoughts by using Quick Notes. If you have a random thought that you
dont want to forget, jot it down as a Quick Note. With a Quick Note, you dont have to think
about where to place it in a notebook. You can always move it to a notebook section lateror
not.
9. Take lecture notes. Sometimes, you cant write or type fast enough to take down everything
in a meeting or lecture. In OneNote, you can record audio (and video) so that you wont miss a
word.
10. Experiment. Theres no right way or wrong way to use OneNote. Organize as much or as little
as you like. Jot down an idea and watch it take shape over time.

Creating a notebook
The best way to create a notebook is to create it on OneDrive or OneDrive for
Business. When you create the notebook in the cloud by using one of these
services, you can access it from other devices wherever you are. Its also much
easier to share your notes with others this way. And when your notebook is
automatically backed up, you dont have to worry if a device is lost or stolen.

To determine where to store a notebook, keep in mind that OneDrive is a

consumer service thats appropriate for personal files and notes. If you want to
store business information, store it on OneDrive for Business, not your personal
OneDrive account. Be careful about which notebook youre working with so that
you dont accidentally upload personal information to OneDrive for Business or
business information to OneDrive.

To create a notebook on OneDrive for Business:

1 Tap or click FILE, and then tap or click New.

11. On the left side of the New Notebook screen, tap or click OneDrive for Business portal name,
and then on the right side of the screen, tap or click Documents.
12. In the Create New Notebook dialog box, select a location for the notebook, enter a name in
the Notebook Name box, and then tap or click Create.
13. Youre prompted to share your notebook with others. Its probably best to add your notes before
you share the notebook, so tap or click Not now.
Note: You can password-protect a section if you dont want to share it with
others. For more information, see Sharing a notebook later in this guide.

Taking notes
After youve created your notebook on OneDrive or OneDrive for Business,
youre ready to create sections and pages, and start taking notes.

Creating sections and pages

You can create a section in your notebook for anything that you want. For
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example, you might want to create a section for

each project that youre working on, and then
create another section for personal items. Theres
no right way or wrong way to organize a
notebook. Just create some sections and pages
and see what makes sense. You can always
reorganize later.

When you create a new notebook, the notebook contains one section called
New Section 1. That section contains one untitled page. Add and rename
sections as you see fit. To rename a section, right-click the section tab, and then
tap or click Rename. To add more sections, tap or click the plus sign (+) at the
end of the section bar. If you add more sections than what will fit on the section
bar, OneNote hides some of the section names, but you can click the arrow next
to the last section tab to see the hidden sections.

To rename the untitled page thats included by default, just click the page title
on the right side of the screen, and then start typing at the top of the page.
OneNote automatically inserts the date and time that the page was created.

To create a new page, on the right side of the screen, tap or click Add Page,
and then type a name for the new page.

To insert a page between already existing pages, just tap or click the plus sign
that appears when you pause on an existing page.
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Typing notes on a page

When youre ready to start taking notes, place your cursor anywhere below or
to the right of the page title, and then start typing. When you start typing,
OneNote creates a note container for the text. Note containers are visible only
when you type or format text in them, or when you pause on them.

You can type as much or as little text as you want in a note container. After you
finish typing your text, you can move the container anywhere on the page by
dragging it. When you want to add a note elsewhere on the page, just tap or
click and start typing.

After you type notes on a page, you can format the text in much the same way
that you would format text in any Microsoft Office application. For example, you
can create a bulleted or numbered list, or align text within a note container.

Writing notes or creating a sketch

If you prefer to write notes instead of typing them, or if you want to create a
sketch, tap or click the DRAW tab. The DRAW tab includes several different
pens and highlighters. Just select the pen or highlighter that you want, and then
use your finger or a stylus to start writing or sketching.

When youre ready to start typing again, tap or click the Type button on the
DRAW tab.

If you want to draw a shape, select an item from the Shapes list (tap or click
the More arrow if you dont see the shape that you want), and then tap or click
and then drag to draw the shape.

Tips:

If youre using your finger to write or sketch, you can add more space between buttons and
commands by tapping or clicking the Touch/Mouse Mode button. You can add this button
to the Quick Access Toolbar.
OneNote can convert handwritten notes to text. Just select the handwritten notes that you
want to convert, and then on the DRAW tab, tap or click Ink to Text.
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Adding a link
Whenever you type text that OneNote recognizes as a link, OneNote
automatically formats it as a link. You can also create a link manually. Just select
the text that you want to use as the link, and then tap or click Link on the
INSERT tab.

Attaching a file to notes

OneNote can keep all of your information about any subject or project together
in one placeincluding copies of related files and documents. Attached files
appear as icons on your notes page. Double-tap or double-click any icon to open
its file.

To attach a file:

1 In your notes, go to the page where you want to attach a file.

2 Tap or click INSERT, and then tap or click File Attachment.
3 In the Choose a file or a set of files to insert dialog box, select one or more files, and then
tap or click Insert.
TIP: As an alternative to attaching a file this way, consider printing a file to OneNote as a static
image. For more information, see Capturing information later in this document.

Managing random information by using a Quick Note

If you want to just take a random note and dont want to
think about where to put it in your notebook, use a Quick
Note. A Quick Note is like an electronic sticky note. Quick
Notes are stored in Unfiled Notes or the Quick Notes
section at the bottom of the list of notebooks.

You can move Quick Notes to other sections in the

notebook later, or you can leave them in the Quick
Notes section. You can search for information in a Quick
Note as you would in any other note, so you dont have
to worry about finding the information later.

Creating a Quick Note by using the Send to OneNote tool

You can create a Quick Note even when OneNote isnt running by using the
Send to OneNote tool. The Send to OneNote tool is automatically installed and
runs whenever you start your computer.

To create a Quick Note by using the Send to OneNote tool:

1 Press the Windows logo key ()+N, and then press N again.
14. Type your note in the small note window. If you want to handwrite your note or format it, click
the three dots at the top of the note window, and then select from the options on the ribbon.
You can even add pictures or sketches to a Quick Note, or record audio or video.
8 | Go Paperless by using OneNote 2013

Notes:

To review your Quick Notes, tap or click the arrow next to the notebook name, and then tap or
click Quick Notes.
If youre using Quick Notes to keep small reminders and important information visible at all times,
you can pin them so that they stay visible. To pin a Quick Note, tap or click the VIEW tab, and
then tap or click Always on Top.

Capturing information
The previous section showed how to take notes in a notebook. You can also use
OneNote to capture information in a number of ways.

Recording audio and video

Recording audio or video notes is a great option when you cant write or type
fast enough to take down everything word for word. Audio and video recordings
in OneNote are directly linked to any notes that you take while recording, so you
can search through your notes for specific notes that are associated with a
particular part of a recording. When you play back the audio clip, OneNote
automatically moves the cursor through your notes.

Note: You can search through audio recordings for spoken words. For more
information, see Searching through your notes later in this guide.

To start an audio or video recording:

1 Tap or click a location on the page where you want to place the recording.
2 Tap or click the INSERT tab, and then in the Recording group, tap or click Record Audio or
Record Video.
OneNote displays the AUDIO & VIDEO tab on the ribbon.

The recording starts as soon as OneNote places a media icon and date/time
stamp on the page.

15. While OneNote is recording, you can type notes that will be associated with the recording.
16. When youve finished recording, tap or click the Stop button on the AUDIO & VIDEO tab.
17. To play back a recording, tap or click the media icon on the page, and then tap or click Play on
the AUDIO & VIDEO tab.
Note: If you tap or click the See Playback button on the AUDIO & VIDEO tab,
OneNote will automatically position the cursor within any notes that you took on
the page during the recording. For example, if you recorded an interview and you
took notes two minutes into the clip, OneNote will jump to that exact part of your
notes when you play back the clip and it reaches the two-minute mark.

Capturing a screen clipping

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To capture a screen clipping:

1 Go to the screen that you want to capture. For example, open a particular webpage.
18. Switch to OneNote, and then click the spot on a page where you want to place the screen
clipping.
19. Press + S.
OneNote is minimized and the screen is dimmed.

Note: Press Esc if you want to cancel the screen clipping.

20. Drag in any direction to create a rectangular selection over the area that you want to capture.
When you release the mouse button, OneNote captures your selection as a picture and inserts it
into your notes page. If youre capturing a screen from the web, OneNote also inserts the URL
for the webpage (and the date that you captured the screen) so that you can return to it easily.

Printing a file to OneNote

You can print a static copy of a file to OneNote. This is particularly useful if you
want to annotate the text with typed or handwritten notes. For example, you
might want to annotate a coworkers PowerPoint presentation with handwritten
notes.

To insert a file as a printout:

1 Tap or click the INSERT tab, and then tap or click File Printout.
2 In the Choose Document to Insert dialog box, browse to the file that you want to insert, tap
or click to select it, and then tap or click Insert.
Depending on the type of file that youre inserting, OneNote will attempt to
start the source program for the selected file, and then digitally print its
contents to the current page in your notebook.

Note: By default, each page of an inserted file is placed in your notes as a

separate picture. You can move it wherever you want, like any other picture in
OneNote.

Organizing a notebook
After youve created a number of sections and pages, youll probably want to
reorder and combine elements to organize your notebook. Use the following
table to learn how to do common organizational tasks.
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Table 1. Common organizational tasks

To Do this

Reorder sections, pages, Drag the section, page, or notebook to a new place on the
or notebooks section bar, page list, or notebook list.

Move a page to a different Drag the page tab and let the pointer rest on the destination
section section until the section opens, and then place the page in the
desired location within the pages in the new section.

Move a section to a Drag the section tab and let the pointer rest on the notebook
different notebook list. When the list opens, drag the section to the appropriate
notebook.

Delete a section or page Right-click the section or page, and then tap or click Delete.
Note: If you need to recover a section or page that you deleted from a shared
notebook, open the shared notebook, tap or click the HISTORY tab, and then tap
or click Notebook Recycle Bin.

Combining multiple sections into a section group

If your notebook has more sections than what will fit on the screen, consider
combining sections into section groups. A section group keeps related sections
together and can hold as many sections as you want. For example, if you use
your notebook to store a large collection of recipes, you can create section
groups for alphabet ranges like AD, and then include a separate section for
each letter of the alphabet in that section group.

To create a section group:

1 Open a notebook that contains at least two sections.

2 Right-click any section tab, and then tap or click New Section Group.
3 Type a name for the section group, and then press Enter. Youll see the new section group to the
right of the section tabs near the top of the page.
4 To add an existing section to the section group, just drag a section tab to the icon for the section
group. When you tap or click the section group, youll see the section that you added.
5 To go back up a level, tap or click the green arrow to the right of the notebook name.

Creating subpages to create a page group

Create subpages to gather related pages together in a page group. A subpage is
the same as any other page, but its page tab is indented. The visual indentation
makes it easier to keep information separate. The graphic in the following
procedure shows subpages grouped under the Productivity page group.
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To create a subpage:

1 On the right side of the OneNote window, above the page tabs, tap or
click Add Page.

A new page is added at the bottom of the other

pages.

21. Type a page title for the subpage, and then press Enter.
22. Drag the page tab to the right. You can also drag the page up if you want to place it under a
different page.
Note: To demote or promote a subpage after you create it, right-click the page
tab, and then tap or click Make Subpage or Promote Subpage.

Sharing a notebook
If you share a notebook on OneDrive for Business, you can work simultaneously
with team members and track changes in real time. If team members are
viewing the shared notebook while youre typing, your notes automatically
appear on their screen and vice versa. The notes are refreshed every few
minutes so that everyone can see each others changes. You can even edit the
same paragraph of notes on the same page without interfering with each other.

To share a notebook on OneDrive for Business:

1 Open the notebook that you want to share.

23. Tap or click FILE, and then tap or click Share.
24. On the left side of the Share Notebook screen, tap or click OneDrive for Business portal name,
and then on the right side of the screen, tap or click Documents.
25. If youre prompted, sign in to your Microsoft Office 365 account.
26. If you want to start sharing immediately, on the right side of the Share Notebook screen,
under Invite People, do the following:
Enter the names or email addresses of the people that you want to share with.
Specify permissions (Can edit or Can view).
Type an optional personal message to include with the invitation.
27. Tap or click Share.
Note: You can assign a password to a section if you dont want people to be able
to access that section. To add a password to a section, right-click the section tab,
and then click Password Protect This Section. In the Password Protection
pane that appears, under Current Section, tap or click Set Password, and
then type and confirm your password.

When youre working with a shared notebook, use the HISTORY tab to
determine who has made changes and what changes they made. The following
table describes the buttons on the HISTORY tab.
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Table 2. Buttons on the History tab

Use this button To

Next Unread Move to the next unread section in the notebook. If the Next Unread button is not
available, there are no new unread notes.

Mark as Read Mark a section that youve read (to narrow down unread content).

Recent Edits Specify a time period to review recent edits.

Find by Author Search for changes by a specific author.

Hide Authors Display or hide author initials.

Page Versions View a previous version of a page. (To see a list of versions, select the page tab for a
page.)

Notebook Recycle Restore a deleted page or section from a shared notebook.

Bin

Taking notes in an online

meeting
OneNote is fully integrated with Outlook and Lync, so you can take and share
notes easily with others.

To take notes in a scheduled Outlook meeting:

1 In the Outlook Calendar, open the meeting that you want to take notes on.
2 On the ribbon, tap or click Meeting Notes.
3 In the Meeting Notes dialog box, do one of the following:
To share your meeting notes with others, tap or click Share notes with the meeting.
To take notes for yourself only, tap or click Take notes on your own.
28. In the Choose Notes to Share with Meeting dialog box, select a section and page for the
new notes, and then tap or click OK.
OneNote creates a page thats linked to your Outlook appointment so that
you can always keep the meeting details and your notes from the meeting
together in one place.

To take notes in a Lync online meeting:

1 In Lync, send an instant message, start an audio or video call, or tap or click Meet Now to start
an online meeting with someone.

2 In the meeting window, tap or click the Manage Presentable Content ( ) icon.
13 | Go Paperless by using OneNote 2013

3 In the pop-up window, tap or click the ONENOTE tab, and then tap or click My Notes.

29. In the Select Location in OneNote dialog box, select a section and page for the new notes
page, and then tap or click OK.
The new page is linked to your Lync conversation, so you and other
participants can contribute notes in real time.

Searching through your notes

One of the benefits of OneNote is that you can just start adding notes to your
notebook without worrying much about organization. OneNote has powerful
search tools to help you find your notes quickly.

Searching for text in your notes

By default, OneNote instantly searches through all of the notes in all of your
notebooks.

To start an instant search:

1 Press Ctrl+E, and then type your search keywords in the search box. As you type, OneNote
displays the search results in the pop-up window below the search box.
Note: If you want to change the search scope to just the current page, tap or
click Find on page (or press Ctrl+F). You can also narrow the search to a
section, a section group, or a notebook by selecting from the search list.

30. Tap or click an item in the results list to go to the page that includes those search terms. The
search terms are highlighted on that page.
31. When youve finished, press Esc or close the search window.
Note: By default, OneNote searches for text in pictures and screen clippings in
addition to note text. You can turn this off if you want. You can also choose to
search through audio. (You cant search through audio if youre using a
Windows RTbased device, however.) Audio search is turned off by default. To
turn these options on or off, tap or click the FILE tab, and then tap or click
Options.

Tagging notes to categorize and prioritize them

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You can tag your notes to categorize or prioritize information. For example, if
youre writing a paper, you might want to highlight information by using the
Important tag. When you tag a note, OneNote places an icon to the left of the
tagged text or other object.

For example, the following graphic shows a line of text thats marked with the
Important tag.

Examples of other built-in tags that you can use include: To Do, Question,
Highlight, Definition, Contact, Phone Number, Idea, Web site to visit,
and Critical.

To tag a note:

1 Select the text or other object that you want to tag.

32. Tap or click the HOME tab, and then in the Tags group, select a tag. For example, to create a
to-do list, tap or click To Do.

NOTE: You can customize the built-in tags to suit your needs. To customize a tag,
tap or click the downward-facing arrow at the bottom of the tags list box, and
then tap or click Customize Tags in the list.

To search for tagged notes:

1 Tap or click the HOME tab, and then in the Tags group, tap or click Find Tags.

2 In the Tags Summary pane on the right side of the screen, OneNote displays a list of all the
tagged notes in the notebook. To go to a tagged note on the appropriate page, tap or click the
entry in the list.
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3 If you want to customize the display of the results list, in the Group tags by list, select a
different grouping. For example, you might want to display the results by section name.
4 If you have a lot of notes and tags, you may want to narrow the search scope. To do this, select
from the Search list at the bottom of the pane. For example, you might want to narrow the
results to a particular section or to a particular week or day.

Using OneNote on a Windows

Phone or a Windows RTbased
device
After you share a notebook on OneDrive or OneDrive for Business, you can
easily access the notebook from a Windows Phone or a Windows RTbased
device.

Accessing a notebook from a Windows Phone

On Windows Phone 7, Microsoft OneNote Mobile is included as part of Microsoft
Office Mobile. On Windows Phone 8, OneNote is a stand-alone app that you can
pin to Start to access your notes in one tap. You can take a note by using just
your voice, search through the contents of notes, and move through your
notebooks more easily.

To learn more about OneNote on Windows Phone 8, go to

http://www.windowsphone.com/en-US/how-to/wp8/office/use-onenote-mobile.
For more information about Windows Phone 8, see the Extend your productivity
(and have fun) by using Windows Phone 8 Work Smart guide at
http://aka.ms/customerworksmart.

Accessing a notebook from a Windows RTbased device

Windows RT includes Microsoft Office Home & Student 2013 RT, which includes
Microsoft OneNote 2013 RT. You can access a notebook on OneDrive for
Business by using OneNote 2013 RT, or you can install and use the OneNote
Windows Store app. For more information about accessing OneDrive for
Business by using a Windows RTbased device, see the Get productive with
your Windows RT companion device Work Smart guide at
http://aka.ms/customerworksmart.

For more information

Whats new in OneNote 2013
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote-help/what-s-new-in-
microsoft-onenote-2013-HA102749260.aspx

OneNote product page

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote/
16 | Go Paperless by using OneNote 2013

Use OneNote Mobile

http://www.windowsphone.com/en-US/how-to/wp8/office/use-
onenote-mobile

Work Smart by Microsoft IT

http://aka.ms/customerworksmart

Modern IT Experience featuring IT Showcase

http://microsoft.com/microsoft-IT

This guide is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS,
IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT. 2014 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved.