Keeping your OneNote notebooks safe is essential, especially when they contain important information for work, school, or personal projects. Google Drive offers a reliable cloud storage solution where you can back up your OneNote files without spending a penny. In this guide, I'll walk you through six completely free methods to back up your OneNote notebooks to Google Drive, ensuring your notes remain secure and accessible from anywhere.

Why Backup OneNote to Google Drive?

Before diving into the methods, let's quickly understand why backing up OneNote to Google Drive makes sense:

• Free storage (15GB with every Google account)
• Access your notes from any device
• Protection against local device failures
• Easy sharing capabilities
• Version history for recovering older versions

Method 1: Manual Export and Upload

The most straightforward approach is to manually export your OneNote notebooks and upload them to Google Drive.

Step-by-Step Process:

1. Open OneNote on your computer
2. Navigate to the notebook you want to back up
3. Click on "File" in the top menu
4. Select "Export" from the left sidebar
5. Choose what you want to export (Current Page, Section, or Notebook)
6. Select the format - OneNote Package (*.onepkg) works best for complete backups
7. Choose a save location on your computer
8. Open Google Drive in your web browser
9. Click "New" and select "File upload"
10. Navigate to and select your exported OneNote file
11. Wait for the upload to complete

This method gives you complete control over what gets backed up and when. It's perfect for occasional backups of specific notebooks or sections.

Pros and Cons of Manual Export

Pros	Cons
Simple to understand and execute	Time-consuming for multiple notebooks
Selective backup of specific content	Requires manual intervention each time
No additional software needed	No automatic scheduling

Method 2: Using Google Drive Desktop App

Google Drive's desktop application offers a more automated approach to backing up your OneNote files.

Setup Process:

• Download and install Google Drive for desktop from the Google website
• Sign in with your Google account
• Find the location of your OneNote notebooks on your computer
  • Default location is usually: C:Users[YourUsername]DocumentsOneNote Notebooks
  • Or check in OneNote by right-clicking on a notebook and selecting “Properties”
• Open Google Drive desktop settings by clicking the Drive icon in your system tray
• Click the gear icon and select "Preferences"
• Go to "My Computer" tab
• Click "Add folder" and select your OneNote notebooks folder
• Choose whether to sync to computer or back up to Drive only
• Click "Save" to confirm

Once set up, Google Drive will automatically sync your OneNote folders to the cloud whenever changes are detected.

Key Benefits:

• Automatic synchronization
• Real-time backup as you make changes
• No need for manual exports
• Works in the background

Method 3: Schedule Automatic Backups with Windows Task Scheduler

For a more hands-off approach, you can set up Windows Task Scheduler to automatically export and upload your OneNote notebooks.

Setting Up the Task:

1. Create a batch file (.bat) with the following commands:

   @echo off
   set date=%date:~-4,4%%date:~-7,2%%date:~-10,2%
   "C:Program FilesMicrosoft Office
   ootOffice16ONENOTE.EXE" /export "C:Users[YourUsername]DocumentsOneNote Notebooks" "C:Users[YourUsername]DocumentsOneNoteBackupsBackup_%date%.onepkg" /C
           

   (Note: Adjust the paths according to your OneNote and desired backup location)

2. Save the batch file to an easy-to-find location
3. Open Task Scheduler (search for it in the Start menu)
4. Click "Create Basic Task" in the right panel
5. Name your task (eg, "OneNote Backup")
6. Set the trigger (Daily, Weekly, etc.)
7. Choose the time for the backup to run
8. Select "Start a program" as the action
9. Browse to your batch file location
10. Complete the wizard

To complete the Google Drive part:

11. Set up Google Drive desktop app to monitor your backup folder
12. Configure it to sync the folder where your batch file saves the backups

Comparison with other methods:

Feature	Manual Export	Google Drive App	Task Scheduler
Automation	None	Full	Scheduled
Setup Difficulty	Easy	Medium	Advanced
Customization	High	Low	High
Resource Usage	Low	Medium	Low

Method 4: Using OneDrive as an intermediate

This method leverages OneDrive's native integration with OneNote and then connects it to Google Drive.

Implementation Steps:

• Ensure your OneNote is syncing to OneDrive (default for most users)
• Verify sync by checking in OneNote:
  • Right-click on a notebook
  • Select "Properties"
  • Confirm it shows a OneDrive path
• Install both OneDrive and Google Drive desktop apps
• Locate your OneNote notebooks in the OneDrive folder on your computer
• Configure Google Drive to sync that specific OneDrive folder:
  • Open Google Drive preferences
  • Go to "My Computer" tab
  • Add the OneDrive folder containing your notebooks
• Verify the files that appear in your Google Drive web interface

This creates a double-backup system where your notes are saved to both cloud services automatically.

Benefits of This Approach:

• Leverages OneNote's built-in cloud sync
• Creates redundant backups across two cloud providers
• Minimal setup once configured
• Automatic synchronization

Method 5: Using Free Third-Party Sync Tools

Several free tools can help automate the process of syncing between different cloud services or folders.

Option 1: FreeFileSync

• Download and install FreeFileSync from their official website
• Open the application
• Add your OneNote folder as the source
• Add your Google Drive folder as the destination
• Configure sync settings :
  • Choose "Mirror" synchronization
  • Set file comparison method (usually "File content" for accuracy)
• Save your configuration as a batch job
• Set up scheduling using the built-in scheduler or Windows Task Scheduler

Option 2: Syncthing

• Download and install Syncthing
• Set up the application on your computer
• Add your OneNote folder as a sync folder
• Add your Google Drive folder as another sync folder
• Configure the sync relationship between the two folders
• Let Syncthing handle the automatic synchronization

Comparing Third-Party Sync Tools:

Tool	User Interface	Automation	Resource Usage	Learning Curve
FreeFileSync	Graphical	Scheduled	Low (only when running)	Medium
Syncthing	Web-based	Real-time	Medium (runs continuously)	Medium-High

Method 6: Using OneNote Web Clipper and Google Drive

This method works well for backing up specific notes rather than entire notebooks.

Process:

1. Open your OneNote notebook in OneNote Online
2. Navigate to the page you want to back up
3. Use browser's print function (Ctrl+P or Cmd+P)
4. Select "Save as PDF" as the destination
5. Save the PDF to your computer
6. Open Google Drive in your browser
7. Upload the PDF files to your Drive
8. Organize them in folders that mirror your OneNote structure

For automation:

1. Create a folder on your computer for these PDF exports
2. Always save your exports to this folder
3. Set up Google Drive desktop app to sync this folder

Best Uses for This Method:

• Backing up critical individual pages
• Creating shareable versions of your notes
• Making searchable archives of important information
• Converting OneNote content to a more universally accessible format

Choosing the Right Backup Method for Your Needs

With six different methods available, how do you choose the right one? Consider these factors:

Frequency of Backups Needed

• Real-time backups: Methods 2 or 4
• Daily backups: Methods 3 or 5
• Occasional backups: Methods 1 or 6

Technical Comfort Level

• Beginner: Methods 1, 2, or 6
• Intermediate: Methods 4 or 5
• Advanced: Method 3

Volume of Data

• Small (few pages): Method 6
• Medium (several notebooks): Methods 1, 2, or 5
• Large (many notebooks): Methods 3 or 4

Decision Matrix for Backup Methods

Your Priority	Recommended Method	Alternative Method
Simplicity	Manual Export (Method 1)	Google Drive App (Method 2)
Automation	Task Scheduler (Method 3)	Third-Party Tools (Method 5)
Redundancy	OneDrive Intermediary (Method 4)	Manual Export (Method 1)
Selective Backup	Web Clipper (Method 6)	Manual Export (Method 1)

Tips for Effective OneNote Backups

Regardless of which method you choose, follow these best practices to ensure your backups are effective:

Organizing Your Backups

• Create a dedicated folder structure in Google Drive for your OneNote backups
• Use clear naming conventions that include dates (eg, "Work_Notebook_2023-10-15")
• Keep version history enabled in Google Drive
• Consider creating separate backup sets for personal and professional notebooks

Backup Schedule Recommendations

• Critical work notebooks: Daily backups
• Project notebooks: Weekly backups
• Personal notebooks: Monthly backups
• Rarely changed notebooks: Quarterly backups

Security Considerations

• Enable two-factor authentication on your Google account
• Check Google Drive sharing settings to ensure your notebooks aren't accidentally shared
• Consider password-protecting sensitive OneNote sections before backing up
• Regularly review who has access to your Google Drive

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Even with the best backup systems, problems can arise. Here's how to address common issues:

File Size Limitations

If your OneNote notebooks are very large, you might encounter upload limits:

• Split large notebooks into smaller sections before exporting
• Use the section export feature rather than exporting entire notebooks
• Consider compressing (.zip) large export files before uploading

Sync Conflicts

When using automatic sync methods, conflicts can occur:

• Close OneNote before scheduled backups run
• Set sync tools to "mirror" mode rather than "two-way sync" to prevent conflicts
• If using Method 4, ensure you're not actively editing in both OneNote desktop and web versions simultaneously

Missing Content After Restore

If you need to restore and find missing content:

• Check if you're opening the correct version of the backup
• Look for the "Notebook Recycling Bin" in OneNote
• Try opening the backup in OneNote Online if desktop version has issues
• Check if the content was in a section group that needs to be expanded

Quick Tip to ensure your videos never go missing

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Simply download PicBackMan (it's free!) , register your account, connect to your online store and tell PicBackMan where your videos are - PicBackMan does the rest, automatically. It bulk uploads all videos and keeps looking for new ones and uploads those too. You don't have to ever touch it.

Conclusion

Backing up your OneNote notebooks to Google Drive doesn't have to cost you anything. With these six free methods, you can find an approach that matches your technical comfort level, backup frequency needs, and the volume of notes you want to protect. Whether you prefer the simplicity of manual exports or the hands-off convenience of automated solutions, implementing a regular backup strategy will ensure your important notes are never lost.

Remember that the best backup is the one you actually use consistently. Start with a simple method if you're new to this, and you can always graduate to more sophisticated approaches as your comfort level increases. The peace of mind that comes from knowing your notes are safely backed up is well worth the initial setup time.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Will backing up OneNote to Google Drive affect my OneNote performance?

No, backing up OneNote to Google Drive won't affect OneNote's performance. The backup process happens separately from your normal OneNote usage. If you're using real-time sync methods, you might notice a slight increase in your computer's resource usage, but it shouldn't be significant enough to impact normal operations.

2. Can I access and edit my OneNote files directly from Google Drive?

Not directly. Google Drive doesn't have built-in support for editing OneNote files. When you back up OneNote files to Google Drive, you're storing them for safekeeping, not for direct editing. If you need to make changes, you'll need to download the file back to your computer and open it with OneNote. For quick viewing without editing, consider using Method 6 to save notes as PDFs.

3. How much Google Drive space do OneNote backups typically require?

The space required varies widely depending on the content of your notebooks. Text-only notebooks are quite small (often under 5MB), but notebooks with many images, file attachments, or audio recordings can grow to hundreds of megabytes or even gigabytes. Start by checking the size of your OneNote folders on your computer to get an estimate. Remember that Google Drive offers 15GB of free storage, which is sufficient for most users' notebook backups.

4. What happens if I edit my notebook while an automatic backup is in progress?

This depends on the backup method you're using. For Methods 2 and 4 (using sync apps), the changes will usually be captured in the next sync cycle. For Method 3 (scheduled exports), you might experience file access conflicts if OneNote is trying to write to the notebook while it's being exported. It's best practice to schedule automatic backups during times when you're unlikely to be actively using OneNote.

5. Can I restore my Google Drive OneNote backups to a different computer?

Yes, that's one of the main benefits of cloud backups. You can download your OneNote backup files from Google Drive to any computer and open them with OneNote. For .onepkg files, you'll need to import them through OneNote's File > Open menu. For notebooks backed up using the folder sync methods, you can simply download the entire folder structure and open the .one files directly with OneNote.