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Go paperless by using OneNote2013

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The Microsoft OneNote2013 note-taking program can help support corporate initiatives to reduce employee dependence on paper and printed documents. This guide gives you a quick primer on OneNote2013 so you can join the paperless revolution.

Topics in this guide include:


Understanding the basics of OneNote2013

You can use OneNote the same way that you use a paper notepad on your desk. Write down detailed notes, jot down a quick reminder, or draw a quick sketch to communicate an idea. But OneNote provides advantages that you don’t get with a paper notepad. For one thing, you never run out of paper. You can also capture things in your digital notes that you can’t capture on paper—like an audio or video recording, or a screen clipping.

OneNote is easy to understand because it’s structured just like a physical notebook, with sections and pages. Here's how these common terms are used in OneNote:

·  Notebooks are for big things, like “FY2014” or that big project that will keep you busy for the next few months. Use notebooks to group sections. Each notebook can hold many sections.

·  Sections group pages of a similar subject together. For example, you might want to create a section for a smaller project, for meeting notes, for a vacation that you’re planning, or for a class or seminar. Each section can hold many pages.

·  Pages are where you actually create your notes. Write, type, and draw on pages just as you would on paper. Create more pages whenever and wherever you need them.

Understanding how OneNote is different

OneNote is different from other applications in a few important ways.

You can open a notebook and never close it

We’re conditioned to close files after we’ve finished using them. The best way to use OneNote, however, is to open it and never close it unless you need to restart your device. It’s like always having that paper notepad or sticky pad on your desk within easy reach.

You never have to save

Anything that you add to a OneNote notebook is immediately saved. An organizational change such as moving a page or section is also saved automatically, so you don’t have to think about it.

You send links instead of attachments

We have become accustomed to sending documents as Microsoft Outlook email attachments, but this is changing with the increased use of Microsoft OneDrive for Business and Microsoft SharePoint Online. With OneNote, when you want to share a notebook, or a section or page within a notebook, you just send a link.

Multiple authors can edit the same notes at the same time

In OneNote, you and your teammates can work on a shared notebook at the same time and see each other’s changes in real time. This makes OneNote a great collaboration tool.

Top 10 ways to use OneNote2013

OneNote provides lots of great ways to go paperless. Use this list to jog some ideas:

1.  Review and comment on a document. If you’re asked to review a file (a Microsoft PowerPoint deck, for example), print the file to OneNote, and then annotate it with typed or handwritten notes.

2.  Go shopping and capture screen shots as you go. For example, search for a new car. Easily capture and send screen shots to OneNote as you do your research.

3.  Organize your work and life. Store and categorize the information that’s most important to you in a central location. This information might be in email; in different programs like Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel spreadsheet software, or PowerPoint; in a paper notepad or printout; or even on sticky notes.

4.  Share your notes. OneNote is all about sharing. Share a notebook with your teammates on OneDrive for Business and then edit together in real time. Share notes in a Microsoft Lync online meeting that you start from Outlook or Lync. Or share a notebook (for example, budget, to-do list, or product research) with a family member on the consumer version of OneDrive.

5.  Take your work with you. If you upload a notebook to OneDrive for Business, you can take your work with you and easily access the notebook from a Windows Phone or another device that’s running the Windows8 or WindowsRT operating system.

6.  Create a to-do list. Add a to-do list to projects that you’re working on, and then mark off items as you go.

7.  Sketch an idea. Use OneNote to jot down anything that’s on your mind. Sketch out an idea for a floor plan or a server topology, and watch your ideas grow.

8.  Take down random thoughts by using Quick Notes. If you have a random thought that you don’t want to forget, jot it down as a Quick Note. With a Quick Note, you don’t have to think about where to place it in a notebook. You can always move it to a notebook section later—or not.

9.  Take lecture notes. Sometimes, you can’t write or type fast enough to take down everything in a meeting or lecture. In OneNote, you can record audio (and video) so that you won’t miss a word.

10.  Experiment. There’s no right way or wrong way to use OneNote. Organize as much or as little as you like. Jot down an idea and watch it take shape over time.

Creating a notebook

The best way to create a notebook is to create it on OneDrive or OneDrive for Business. When you create the notebook in the cloud by using one of these services, you can access it from other devices wherever you are. It’s also much easier to share your notes with others this way. And when your notebook is automatically backed up, you don’t have to worry if a device is lost or stolen.

To determine where to store a notebook, keep in mind that OneDrive is a consumer service that’s appropriate for personal files and notes. If you want to store business information, store it on OneDrive for Business, not your personal OneDrive account. Be careful about which notebook you’re working with so that you don’t accidentally upload personal information to OneDrive for Business or business information to OneDrive.

To create a notebook on OneDrive for Business:

1.  Tap or click FILE, and then tap or click New.

2.  On the left side of the New Notebook screen, tap or click OneDrive for Business portal name, and then on the right side of the screen, tap or click Documents.

3.  In the Create New Notebook dialog box, select a location for the notebook, enter a name in the Notebook Name box, and then tap or click Create.

4.  You’re prompted to share your notebook with others. It’s probably best to add your notes before you share the notebook, so tap or click Not now.

Note: You can password-protect a section if you don’t want to share it with others. For more information, see “Sharing a notebook” later in this guide.

Taking notes

After you’ve created your notebook on OneDrive or OneDrive for Business, you’re ready to create sections and pages, and start taking notes.

Creating sections and pages

You can create a section in your notebook for anything that you want. For example, you might want to create a section for each project that you’re working on, and then create another section for personal items. There’s no right way or wrong way to organize a notebook. Just create some sections and pages and see what makes sense. You can always reorganize later.

When you create a new notebook, the notebook contains one section called New Section 1. That section contains one untitled page. Add and rename sections as you see fit. To rename a section, right-click the section tab, and then tap or click Rename. To add more sections, tap or click the plus sign (+) at the end of the section bar. If you add more sections than what will fit on the section bar, OneNote hides some of the section names, but you can click the arrow next to the last section tab to see the hidden sections.

To rename the untitled page that’s included by default, just click the page title on the right side of the screen, and then start typing at the top of the page. OneNote automatically inserts the date and time that the page was created.

To create a new page, on the right side of the screen, tap or click Add Page, and then type a name for the new page.

To insert a page between already existing pages, just tap or click the plus sign that appears when you pause on an existing page.

Typing notes on a page

When you’re ready to start taking notes, place your cursor anywhere below or to the right of the page title, and then start typing. When you start typing, OneNote creates a note container for the text. Note containers are visible only when you type or format text in them, or when you pause on them.

You can type as much or as little text as you want in a note container. After you finish typing your text, you can move the container anywhere on the page by dragging it. When you want to add a note elsewhere on the page, just tap or click and start typing.

After you type notes on a page, you can format the text in much the same way that you would format text in any Microsoft Office application. For example, you can create a bulleted or numbered list, or align text within a note container.

Writing notes or creating a sketch

If you prefer to write notes instead of typing them, or if you want to create a sketch, tap or click the DRAW tab. The DRAW tab includes several different pens and highlighters. Just select the pen or highlighter that you want, and then use your finger or a stylus to start writing or sketching.

When you’re ready to start typing again, tap or click the Type button on the DRAW tab.

If you want to draw a shape, select an item from the Shapes list (tap or click the More arrow if you don’t see the shape that you want), and then tap or click and then drag to draw the shape.

Tips:

·  If you’re using your finger to write or sketch, you can add more space between buttons and commands by tapping or clicking the Touch/Mouse Mode button. You can add this button to the Quick Access Toolbar.

·  OneNote can convert handwritten notes to text. Just select the handwritten notes that you want to convert, and then on the DRAW tab, tap or click Ink to Text.

Adding a link

Whenever you type text that OneNote recognizes as a link, OneNote automatically formats it as a link. You can also create a link manually. Just select the text that you want to use as the link, and then tap or click Link on the INSERT tab.

Attaching a file to notes

OneNote can keep all of your information about any subject or project together in one place—including copies of related files and documents. Attached files appear as icons on your notes page. Double-tap or double-click any icon to open its file.

To attach a file:

1.  In your notes, go to the page where you want to attach a file.

2.  Tap or click INSERT, and then tap or click File Attachment.

3.  In the Choose a file or a set of files to insert dialog box, select one or more files, and then tap or click Insert.

TIP: As an alternative to attaching a file this way, consider printing a file to OneNote as a static image. For more information, see “Capturing information” later in this document.

Managing random information by using a Quick Note

If you want to just take a random note and don’t want to think about where to put it in your notebook, use a Quick Note. A Quick Note is like an electronic sticky note. Quick Notes are stored in Unfiled Notes or the Quick Notes section at the bottom of the list of notebooks.

You can move Quick Notes to other sections in the notebook later, or you can leave them in the Quick Notes section. You can search for information in a Quick Note as you would in any other note, so you don’t have to worry about finding the information later.

Creating a Quick Note by using the Send to OneNote tool

You can create a Quick Note even when OneNote isn’t running by using the Send to OneNote tool. The Send to OneNote tool is automatically installed and runs whenever you start your computer.

To create a Quick Note by using the Send to OneNote tool:

1.  Press the Windows logo key (ÿ)+N, and then press N again.

2.  Type your note in the small note window. If you want to handwrite your note or format it, click the three dots at the top of the note window, and then select from the options on the ribbon. You can even add pictures or sketches to a Quick Note, or record audio or video.

Notes:

·  To review your Quick Notes, tap or click the arrow next to the notebook name, and then tap or click Quick Notes.

·  If you’re using Quick Notes to keep small reminders and important information visible at all times, you can pin them so that they stay visible. To pin a Quick Note, tap or click the VIEW tab, and then tap or click Always on Top.

Capturing information

The previous section showed how to take notes in a notebook. You can also use OneNote to capture information in a number of ways.

Recording audio and video