Despite having only a basic interface and a handful of features, Windows' Sticky Notes app is surprisingly great at its job. However, some Windows 11 users have been facing issues with using the application since they upgraded from an older operating system.
It has been reported that some users were unable to find the Sticky Notes application at all, while others have seemingly lost their saved notes. As such, we'll cover both scenarios and the troubleshooting methods you can use if you encounter them.
What to Do if the Sticky Notes App Has Disappeared on Windows 11
Sometimes, the Sticky Notes app will suddenly become unavailable on Windows 11 computers. This can be caused by a variety of factors, such as an outdated operating system or a corrupted Sticky Notes application.
If upon launching the app you get an error message stating "the app is currently not available to you," then try the fixes mentioned below to fix the problem.
1. Update Windows
If you haven't updated Windows in a while, now might be a good time to do so. A system that is out-of-date is prone to issues like apps not working. This can be because of compatibility issues, generic inconsistencies, and other corruption errors that negatively impact the performance of the system.
Here is how to update Windows:
- Press the Win + I keys together to open the Settings app.
- Choose Windows Update from the left pane.
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You should now see a list of pending updates that must be installed. You can also click on the Check for updates button to look for them.
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Click on the Download & install button for each update and wait for the process to complete.
Once the updates are completely installed, restart your computer and upon reboot, check if the problem is resolved.
2. Update the Sticky Notes App
There is also a chance that the Sticky Notes app itself is outdated. If it is, you can update the application via the Microsoft Store.
Here is how you can do that:
- Press Win + S to open Windows Search, type in "Microsoft Store," and click the result when it appears.
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Once the app is launched, click on the Library icon on the bottom left.
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Now, click on the Get updates button on the top right. The available updates should begin installing now.
Wait for the app to be updated and then check if the issue is resolved.
You can also fix such corruption issues and errors by repairing or resetting the app, as we detailed in our guide on how to fix the Sticky Notes app.
We recommend that you first try repairing the app. If that does not work, you can proceed with resetting it. Resetting will revert the app to its default state and erase any data stored on it, but it will hopefully resolve the problem in the process.
3. Re-Register Sticky Notes
Another way of fixing issues with the Sticky Note app is by re-registering the application. This is an offline process and is performed using Windows Powershell.
Follow the steps below to re-register the application:
- Type Powershell into Windows Search and click on Run as administrator to launch Powershell with administrative privileges.
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In the following window, type the command mentioned below and hit Enter to execute it.
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftStickyNotes | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml" -Verbose}
After the process completes successfully, see if you can now use the Sticky Notes app. If the issue persists, we recommend that you reinstall the app using Powershell as well. Simply launch Powershell as an administrator by following the steps above, and then execute the command mentioned below.
Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.MicrosoftStickyNotes | Remove-AppxPackage
How to Recover Lost or Missing Sticky Notes
The second most common issue with the Sticky Notes app in Windows 11 is that notes disappear or get lost. If that happens to you, do not panic. There are quite a few ways to recover your lost notes, and we have listed the most effective ones below.
1. Check the "Show All Notes" Section
If you cannot find your notes in the Sticky notes app, then the first thing that you should do is check the "show all notes" section of Sticky Notes. The app by default hides the older notes to make space for the new ones, and you might not be able to find what you are looking for simply because of this.
To check the "show all notes" section, launch the app and right-click on its icon in the taskbar. Choose Show all notes from the context menu and see if you can find the required missing pieces.
2. Restore a Previous Version of Sticky Notes
You can also revert the notes app to a previous version in which you could access the required notes. App restore works very similarly to System Restore, which allows you to go back to an older version of Windows. Check out how to use System Restore on a Windows PC to learn more about how it works.
As for your Sticky Notes app, here's how to revert it:
- Open File Explorer and head over to This PC.
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Click on the View option located on the top and choose Show > Hidden files.
- Enable the Show hidden files, folders, and drives option and click Apply > OK to save the changes.
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Now, navigate to the following location in File Explorer, replacing [Username] with your account's name:
C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftStickyNotes_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState - Select the plum.sqlite folder and right-click on it.
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Choose Show more options from the context menu.
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Now, click on Restore previous versions, and in the following dialog, choose the version you want to revert to.
- Finally, choose Restore.
You can now check if this restored your data.
Take Notes Again Without Any More Problems
The methods listed above should help you get your notes app up and running again in no time. If however, you are still unable to solve the problem, you can consider switching to a third-party alternative till Microsoft releases an official fix for the issue. You can also contact the official support team at Microsoft to make sure they are aware of the problem you are facing.