Where are Sticky Notes stored in Windows 11? (Backup and restore)

Applies to: the Microsoft Sticky Notes app on Windows 11 and Windows 10, plus notes on older Windows 7 PCs.

Where Sticky Notes are stored on your PC

The Sticky Notes app keeps everything in your user profile, inside the app’s package folder:

C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftStickyNotes_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState

The notes themselves are inside plum.sqlite, a SQLite database. You’ll usually see two companion files next to it, plum.sqlite-wal and plum.sqlite-shm. Recent changes can sit in the -wal file before they’re written into the main database, which is why you should always copy all three together (or the whole folder), never just plum.sqlite.

Each Windows user account has its own copy, so notes created by one account aren’t visible from another account on the same PC.

Version	Where notes are kept
Sticky Notes app, Windows 11 and 10	...\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftStickyNotes_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\plum.sqlite
Sticky Notes in OneNote (the newer version, opened with Win + Alt + S where available)	Synced to the Microsoft account set in OneNote and stored in that account’s Outlook mailbox
Windows 7 and early Windows 10 (classic desktop app)	%AppData%\Microsoft\Sticky Notes\StickyNotes.snt

How to open the Sticky Notes folder

The AppData folder is hidden by default, but you don’t need to unhide it:

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Click in the address bar, paste the path below and press Enter.
3. You should see plum.sqlite and its companion files. If the folder doesn’t exist, Sticky Notes has never been opened on this account.

%LocalAppData%\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftStickyNotes_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState

The same path usually works in the Run box (Win + R) too, but some users find File Explorer’s address bar more reliable. Don’t open or edit plum.sqlite while Sticky Notes is running; you could corrupt it.

Where synced notes are stored online

When you sign in to Sticky Notes with a Microsoft account (select the settings cog in the notes list and choose Sign in), the notes are saved to the cloud as well as to plum.sqlite. According to Microsoft, they’re stored in your Outlook/Exchange mailbox and count towards its storage quota. That means:

• Signing in with the same account on another PC, or in OneNote on your phone, brings your notes back automatically. This is the easiest way to move notes to a new computer.
• For work or school accounts, sync needs an Exchange Online mailbox; on-premises Exchange isn’t supported.
• If notes don’t appear on another device, open the notes list, select Settings and choose Sync now.

Because the notes live in your mailbox, Outlook can also show them; our Outlook tips guide covers getting around Outlook faster. Note that OneDrive doesn’t back up the AppData folder, so OneDrive sync settings make no difference to Sticky Notes.

How to back up Sticky Notes

If you don’t sign in, the local database is the only copy, so back it up before reinstalling or resetting Windows:

1. Close Sticky Notes. To be sure it’s not running, open Task Manager and end Microsoft Sticky Notes if you see it.
2. Open the LocalState folder as shown above.
3. Copy everything in it (at least plum.sqlite, plum.sqlite-wal and plum.sqlite-shm) to a USB drive, another drive or cloud storage.

Do this before you reinstall Windows or go back to Windows 10, because a clean install deletes the folder.

How to restore or move notes to a new PC

If you used a Microsoft account, just sign in to Sticky Notes on the new PC. For a local backup:

1. Install Sticky Notes from the Microsoft Store if needed, open it once so the folder is created, then close it completely.
2. Open the new PC’s LocalState folder.
3. Paste your backed-up files into it and choose to replace the existing ones.
4. Open Sticky Notes. Your notes should appear.

Users report this works best when the whole folder is copied rather than just the database file. Restoring replaces whatever notes are currently on that PC, so if it already has notes you want, back those up first or sync them with your account.

Coming from Windows 7? Old notes were saved in StickyNotes.snt. The current app has historically imported this file if you put it in its Legacy folder (inside the same package folder, next to LocalState) and renamed it ThresholdNotes.snt. Treat that as a best-effort method; it depends on the app version.

Can you recover deleted Sticky Notes?

Microsoft says deleting a note is permanent and can’t be undone. In recent versions, the X on a note only closes it, though, so first open the notes list (… > Notes list) and look for it there.

• If you sync with a Microsoft account, check other devices before they sync the deletion, and look in your Outlook mailbox’s deleted items.
• If File History or System Restore protects your drive, right-click the LocalState folder, choose Properties > Previous Versions and see whether an older copy is listed. Restore it to a different folder first, then copy it in with Sticky Notes closed.
• To avoid this in future, turn on Confirm before deleting in Sticky Notes settings.

Related guides

• How to reinstall Windows 10 (with or without losing files)
• How to downgrade from Windows 11 to Windows 10
• Outlook tips and tricks to save time every day
• How to stop OneDrive from syncing (pause, unlink or turn off)

Official sources: for more detail, see Microsoft’s own page:

• Microsoft Support: Troubleshoot Sticky Notes

Frequently asked questions

Is plum.sqlite safe to delete?

Only if you no longer need the notes on that PC. Deleting it removes all local notes; if you sign in with a synced account, they should download again from the cloud.

Can I open plum.sqlite to read my notes?

Yes, with a SQLite viewer such as DB Browser for SQLite, using a copy of the file rather than the original. The note text is in the Note table, mixed with formatting codes. It’s a useful last resort if the app won’t start.

Why are my Sticky Notes gone after a Windows update?

Usually they’re hidden rather than lost. Open the notes list, check that you’re signed in with the same account, and select Sync now. If the folder is empty, restore from a backup or Previous Versions.

Does Windows back up Sticky Notes automatically?

Only if you sign in with a Microsoft account, which syncs them to Outlook. OneDrive doesn’t include the app’s AppData folder, and the Windows Backup app generally restores apps rather than their local data, so local-only notes need a manual copy.