Sticky notes on Windows have become a go-to tool which allows you to quickly jot down reminders, ideas, meeting notes, and much more. These notes are easily accessible and automatically saved to your device. However, sometimes you may encounter issues when Sticky Notes are deleted from your Windows device. Usually, such instances occur due to the latest Windows update, software crash, accidental deletion, or a sync error.
The best part is that Windows offers several built-in recovery options, and there are also professional data recovery software tools available online that you can try to recover your lost Sticky notes. In this article, we’ll explore 5 ways to recover lost Sticky Notes on Windows. By the end, you’ll not only know how to restore your notes but also how to minimise the chances of losing them again.
Why Do Sticky Notes Disappear?
Before diving into different Windows data recovery methods to recover your lost Sticky Notes, understand why Sticky Notes vanish. Common reasons include:
- Accidental Deletion: You might have accidentally deleted sticky notes while performing other tasks on your Windows device. In older Windows versions, closing notes means permanent deletion.
- Windows Update Issues: Installing the latest system updates sometimes resets apps or clears temporary files, causing Sticky Notes to appear missing.
- App Crash or Bug: If the Sticky Notes app on your device crashes or its database file becomes corrupted, it may cause important saved notes to disappear.
- Sync Errors: If you sync Sticky Notes across devices with your Microsoft account, a sync issue may cause them not to show up properly.
How do I Recover Lost Sticky Notes on Windows?
Now that you know why Sticky notes are deleted on Windows PC, let’s move to the recovery workarounds. Here are the 05 best ways to recover lost sticky notes on Windows:
Method 01: Restore Sticky Notes from All Notes
Sometimes, your Sticky Notes may not be deleted but simply misplaced after closing the app. In such cases, follow these steps to access them again:
- Firstly, launch the Sticky Notes app on your device. If it is not located on your desktop, press the Windows + S keys and type Sticky Notes in the search box to open it.
- After opening it, right-click on the app from the taskbar and click ‘Show all notes.’
- Go through the list of notes appearing on the screen, including the one which has been deleted by closing the app accidentally.
- Double-click the note you want to reopen it on your desktop.
Method 02: Check Notes in Outlook or OneNote
If you’ve signed in to your Microsoft account, Sticky Notes might have synced automatically with the cloud. In such a case, you can follow the below steps to recover your lost Sticky notes using these cloud backup alternatives:
To recover using Outlook:
- Open a web browser and go to https://outlook.live.com/.
- Log in to the same Microsoft account that you’ve used to create a backup on your Windows device.
- Now, click on Notes from the left pane (this option is located under the “More Apps” option).
- Go through the list of all the Sticky Notes linked with your account.
- Select the one you want to recover and click Restore to restore it.
To recover using OneNote:
- Open the OneNote application or its web version on your device.
- Locate the Sticky Notes section in the navigation panel.
- Browse through the notes and copy the text you have lost from your Windows app.
Method 03: Use File History Backups
In addition to the cloud backup options mentioned earlier, you can use Windows’ built-in File History backup feature to recover your deleted Sticky notes. All you have to do is:
- Type File History in the Search box of your desktop and launch it.
- From the File History window, click Restore personal files from the left navigation pane.
- File History will display all your files in its backup. Locate your Sticky Notes-related entry and select it.
- Click the green Restore button at the bottom centre to recover the selected notes.
Method 04: Check the Sticky Notes Trash (for Newer Versions)
The latest Windows OS versions (Windows 10/11) come with a Sticky Notes app where deleted notes don’t always disappear permanently. Instead, they are often moved to a built-in trash section, allowing you to restore them easily. To recover your lost notes from the Stick Notes trash folder:
- Launch the Sticky Notes app on your PC.
- Click the three-dot menu (⋯) in the top-right corner and select Notes list.
- Now, locate the notes labelled as Deleted or check the Trash section.
- Select the deleted note you want to restore and reopen it on your desktop.
- Lastly, pin the restored note to the desktop to prevent accidental deletion.
Method 05: Use Professional Data Recovery Software
If the aforementioned Windows data recovery methods fail to restore your deleted Sticky notes, third-party data recovery software may be your last resort. One of the professional data recovery software which you can try to recover your lost Sticky notes is Stellar Data Recovery Professional, which works best for the recovery of files deleted from your PC, external drives, and other storage devices.
Sticky Notes stores all its content in a database file called plum.sqlite. If this file gets accidentally deleted from your Windows device, the recovery may become complex. However, in such a case, the Stellar Data Recovery Professional tool can help locate and restore the missing database file. Here’s how to recover deleted Sticky Notes using the Stellar Data Recovery Professional tool:
Step 1: Firstly, download and install the Stellar Data Recovery Professional tool on your Windows PC.
Step 2: Launch the software and from the homepage, and from the initial screen, select the All Data option and click Next to proceed.
Step 3: After that, select the folder/location from where the notes are deleted. Since notes are stored in the C: drive, select it and click Scan.
Step 4: Once the scan completes, look for the plum.sqlite file or older backups of Sticky Notes. Select the file and click Recover to save the selected file to a safe location.
Tips to Prevent Sticky Notes Loss In The Future
Recovering deleted Sticky notes on Windows is quite easy using the aforementioned Windows data recovery workarounds, but try to avoid such losses from your end. To avoid future deletions, follow these preventive measures:
- Always Sign in with a Microsoft Account: This ensures your notes are backed up to the cloud.
- Regularly Export Important Notes: Copy and paste crucial information into Word, Notepad, or OneNote as a backup.
- Enable File History: Go to Settings > Update & Security > Backup and set up File History to automatically save older versions of files.
- Update Sticky Notes App: Keep the app updated on your device so you can access the latest features, including the “Deleted Notes” recovery option.
Conclusion
If you ever find Sticky notes missing from your Windows PC, go with the aforementioned 05 ways to recover lost Sticky notes on Windows. Start by checking the previously created backups, such as via Outlook, OneNote, File History, etc. When these backups fail, use third-party professional data recovery software tools like Stellar Data Recovery Professional. By combining these methods, your chances of successfully retrieving lost sticky notes are quite high. And by following preventive measures, you can ensure you never face this issue again.
