How to Use OneNote 2013

Taking Your First Look at OneNote 2013

1. Open OneNote. Simply click on the application from the Start menu/Start screen, program screen containing all your programs after swiping up (or if you have a Start menu under the All Programs list).

   1. Be careful when opening the Windows Start menu if you are running this on Windows 10. Windows 10 has an integrated OneNote that you should be aware of. The integrated OneNote has a lot less features than OneNote 2013 and if you have that 2013 version should be avoided. (Also, if you didn't update to the overhaul-update in November 2015, your notes on the integrated OneNote won't sync to OneNote 2013 and you'd be fried with lost notes everywhere!) Microsoft gave Windows 10 users a ploy type of program in hopes that people will be like "Wow!" in hopes that it would be enough for people to purchase the full version of any of the Office suites which all contain the program.

2. Look at your current options. You should have a notebook that says "__(name)______'s Notebook" if you are signed into your current Microsoft account (includes Outlook, Hotmail and Windows Live Hotmail), or Office 365. There should be some setup instructions.

3. Create a new notebook. If you want to create a new Notebook click 'Add Notebook' on your left or you can import files as a Notebook. If you've created notebooks on other Microsoft account linked apps or other computers and would like to retrieve them on the computer, after letting your named Notebook load in it's entirety single-click the notebook drop-down and click "Add Notebook" then choose one of your open Notebooks in your Microsoft account.

4. Add a section. Although you get a "Quick notes"(unremovable) section and "My notes" section installed to each notebook by default, you can create other sections by clicking on an empty page or on the plus sign to the right of the last section in that particular notebook typing your Notebook sections' name and clicking onto the first page blank page created to save your name.

5. Add a page to the section. Click 'Add Page' and name it whatever you like. OneNote will send you directly to the title portion of the Note, but as you type, the title will appear in the Notes list on the right hand side bar. By default, OneNote will save two how-to like notes in your named Notebook's QuickNotes folder, (one called "OneNote: one place for all of your notes" and the other called "OneNote Basics".

6. Get to know the parts of the screen that you will know and love. Besides the Ribbon and toolbar set (that a majority hate for whatever reason it is)(You'll understand what each section of the Ribbon contains by the end of this article and probably be ready to work and get your notes written and potentially be using your notes soon enough, you have a drop-down list of all your notebooks you've opened, a set of visualized tabs for all your Notebook sections (much like tabs that a regular notebook has with those plastic edges and a thin piece of cardboard and writing on them) as well as a portion for the note itself, while to the right of the note is a listing of Notes inside each section of the Notebook.