Sticky Notes - Backup and Restore

How to Backup and Restore Sticky Notes in Windows 7 and Windows 8​

   Information

Sticky Notes allows you to type and leave a Post-it type note on your desktop until deleted.

Sticky Notes is not available in the Windows 7 Starter and Home Basic editions.

This tutorial will show you how to backup and restore your Sticky Notes in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10 version 1511 and earlier.

EXAMPLE: Sticky Notes

OPTION ONE

To Back Up Sticky Notes

1. Open Windows Explorer (Windows 7) or File Explorer (Windows 8), and copy and paste the location below into the address bar, and press Enter.
%AppData%\Microsoft\Sticky Notes
2. Save a copy of the StickyNotes.snt file to where you like as a backup of it. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: This file is your backup of the current Sticky Notes on your desktop.

OPTION TWO

To Restore Sticky Notes

1. Delete all Sticky Notes you currently have on the Desktop if any.
NOTE: If you do not, then the backed up StickyNotes.snt file from Option One will not be able to replace the other one in step 4 below.

2. In Windows Explorer (Windows 7) or File Explorer (Windows 8), navigate to where you saved the backed up StickyNotes.snt file at, right click or press and hold on the StickyNotes.snt file and click/tap on Copy.

3. In Windows Explorer (Windows 7) or File Explorer (Windows 8), and copy and paste the location below into the address bar, and press Enter.
%AppData%\Microsoft\Sticky Notes
4. Right click or press and hold on an empty area in the "Sticky Notes" folder, and click/tap on Paste. (see screenshot below)

5. Click/tap on Copy and Replace. (see screenshot below)

6. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog, type stikynot, and press Enter.

7. Your Sticky Notes included in the backup from OPTION ONE have now been restored.

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Backup and Restore Sticky Notes in Windows 10
• How to Create and Delete Sticky Notes in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Change the Color of a Sticky Note in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Format Text in a Sticky Note in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Change the Default Font in Sticky Notes in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Enable or Disable Sticky Notes Delete Confirmation in Windows 7 and Windows 8

 

[brianzion]

nice so in theory i can save all my notes? example: back up at the end of every month and i can file them as jan, feb, march and so forth. at the end of the year i would have 12 back up files corresponding to a particular month of the year.

 

[Brink]

Hello Brian,

Yes, you sure could.

 

[brianzion]

i use a program called ClipCube http://goo.gl/lYU6k to save copied links etc from windows built in clipboard but this function with the sticky notes will be very handy to

 

[Brink]

ClipCube is a neat little program there.

 

[brianzion]

yeah its ok brink dont no if its been posted on the free programs thread? its wroth a mention there im sure the other forum users would be interested in it, comes in handy sitting in the tray it runs ok i have had no issues with it

 

[tommyg562000]

Awesome! Thanks so much, I was doing a re-install and didn't want to have to copy and paste all my notes into work.

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Tommy, and welcome to Seven Forums.

 

[JamesR404]

+1

Great tip! Thanks

I'll make a batch file to automate this and put the backup in my Dropbox at the start of everyday.

That way even if my laptop crashes I won't lose more than a day's worth of sticky notes

 

[Brink]

You're welcome James.

 

[Michael33]

Guess I didn't know that Appdata was a temp file that doesn't save the snt file when I backed up my system folder, which it was in; therefore I lost my sticky notes when I restored my system folder after re-installing my OS. Or did I miss something....?

 

[Brink]

Hello Michael, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Appdata is not a temp folder.

If you closed the sticky notes before backing them up, then that would have removed them though.

 

[Michael33]

No, I did not close them. This is not the first time it deleted them; it did it last time as well; however the time before that it did not. Not sure why.
If Appdata is not a temp folder then why wouldn't backing up my system folder be sufficient?

 

[Brink]

What system folder did you back up, and what did you restore from it?

If the whole thing, then that may be the problem.

What happens when you only back up and restore the StickyNotes.snt file?

 

[Michael33]

What system folder did you back up, and what did you restore from it?

The main system folder that is automatically set up when the OS is installed (the one with My Docs, My Music, etc.).

If the whole thing, then that may be the problem.

Yes, the whole thing; but it hasn't been a problem before (in general). I checked some of the other backup files and they were fine, just the snt wasn't there. In fact, the whole 'Sticky Notes' folder wasn't there either - not until I clicked on the Sticky Notes app in the start menu after reinstalling the OS. Then I noticed the folder suddenly appeared with a new snt file - apparently connected to the first sticky note that popped up when I started the app.

What happens when you only back up and restore the StickyNotes.snt file?

I suppose isolating the file is the most sensible work-around, but it just should save along with everything else in Appdata (it saved my Libraries just fine, for example).

 

[Brink]

The complete User profile folder ("C:\Users\(user-name)") and it's subfolders can't just be copied and pasted into new installations like that and work properly. Doing that is going to break all sorts of links, and could cause a number of unknown issues.

You could only copy over specific files, say your picture files, back into the new My Pictures folder if you like without issue though.

The above could be part of the issue. If you didn't delete the Sticky Note on the desktop from when you first opened it before copying the backup .snt file over, then that would be why the backup was not restored.

 

[AlphaX]

Sticky Notes - Unable to BackUp & ReStore

Sticky Notes - Unable to BackUp & ReStore
- Have no "%AppData%\Microsoft\Sticky Notes"

1st time attempting to BackUp & ReStore Sticky Notes. When I copy/paste "%AppData%\Microsoft\Sticky Notes" in the Search Bow I get a window on my DeskTop stating:
"Windows cannot find 'C:Users\Richard\AppData\Roaming Microsoft\Sticky'".

My OS isa Windows 7 Ultimate. Attempted to install the "SystemInfo.exe file", but it could not be verified, so i did not continue w/ it's install.

 

[Brink]

Hello Alpha,

See if pasting %AppData%\Microsoft\Sticky Notes in the address bar of Windows Explorer and pressing Enter works instead.

If not, then please verify if you have Tablet PC Components turned on (checked) in Windows Features. Sticky Notes is a part of Tablet PC Components. If turned off, you will not have Sticky Notes available.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[AlphaX]

Thank you ~ Address bar Worked. Is the Save Automatic?

Thank you.
Address bar worked.
Next question: Is it being Saved automatically? If not How do I save it? Pardon but, having a tough time following this.
For me this computer is intended to be just a "tool" to get the "job" done. Again, I find myself having to deal with idiosyncrasies concerning areas best left to people more attuned to what makes it work.
Since my 1st day in front of the CRT I have spent more time learning how to make it work, than having it work for me.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome. No worries. Please feel free to post any questions you may have here at Seven Forums. We'll be happy to help.

The sticky notes are saved automatically to the StickyNotes.snt file, but if you delete the sticky note on your desktop, it's gone for good.

The backup from this tutorial is basically just making a copy of the StickyNotes.snt file for your current sticky notes, and saving it where you like.