Backing up sticky notes on Windows 10 isn’t exactly rocket science, but it’s one of those things that often gets overlooked until you really need them. If you’ve ever lost all your reminders because of a crash or a weird update, you’ll know how frustrating it can be. This process is pretty straightforward — you locate the main database file where Sticky Notes keeps all your data, copy it somewhere safe, and restore it later if needed. That way, those important random thoughts or grocery lists don’t vanish into the ether just because Windows decided to be annoying. It sounds simple, but on some setups, if you forget to close Sticky Notes before copying the file, the backup might be corrupted or incomplete — kind of weird, but that’s just how Windows works sometimes. Just make sure to close the app first. Anyway, here’s how you do it.Pro tip: If you want to automate this, there are some scripts and third-party tools that can help, but for most people, manual backup works fine and keeps it simple.
Backing Up Sticky Notes on Windows 10
How to find and copy the sticky notes database file
First off, you need to get to the file where Windows stores your notes. Usually, it’s hidden deep inside your user folder. The path is:
C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft. MicrosoftStickyNotes_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalStateReplace [YourUsername] with your actual user name. Because of course, Windows keeps these tucked away in hidden folders, so you’ll probably need to enable showing hidden files. To do that:
- Open File Explorer.
- Click on the View tab at the top.
- Check the box that says Hidden items.
This makes sure you can actually see the AppData folder and beyond. Once you’re there, navigate to the folder I mentioned. On some setups, this path might slightly vary, but generally, it’s still in the LocalState folder of the Sticky Notes app.
Make sure Sticky Notes is closed before copying
Before grabbing that ‘plum.sqlite’ file, close Sticky Notes. Not sure why it works, but Windows tends to lock the file if the app’s still open, so copying it might result in a corrupted copy. On some machines, this fails the first time, then works after a quick reboot, so be safe and close the app first. To do that:
- Click on the system tray icon for Sticky Notes or find it in the taskbar.
- Right-click and choose Close window or simply exit the app from the notification area.
Copy the data
Once that’s done, locate the file named plum.sqlite. Right-click on it, select Copy. Then, navigate to a folder where you keep backups, like an external drive, a Dropbox folder, or somewhere in OneDrive — whatever floats your boat.
Save your backup
Paste that file wherever you want. It’s like making a snapshot of your notes. To restore later, just put the backed up plum.sqlite file back into the same LocalState folder, overwriting the current one. Easy, but remember: Sticky Notes needs to be closed during restore too — same reason as before, to prevent file conflicts.
Additional Tips for Better Backup Routine
- Set a reminder to do this backup periodically, especially if you’re someone who jots things down all the time.
- Use a cloud service like OneDrive or Google Drive for extra safety — just save that
plum.sqlitesomewhere synced. - If you’re paranoid, keep multiple copies in different locations. Better safe than sorry, right?
- Be cautious when restoring; make sure Sticky Notes isn’t open or it might just refuse to read the backup properly.
FAQs and Common Snags
How do I restore my sticky notes from a backup?
Just copy your saved plum.sqlite file into the same folder — C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft. MicrosoftStickyNotes_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState — replacing the existing one. Then, open Sticky Notes and see if your notes show up. Sometimes, you might have to restart the app or even reboot to get it to reload properly.
Can I back up Sticky Notes to a USB drive?
Sure can. Just copy the plum.sqlite file onto the USB, then when needed, reverse the process by copying it back into the folder. Easy as that. Just remember to close Sticky Notes first.
What if I can’t find the AppData folder?
Make sure you enabled hidden files, like I mentioned earlier. The folder is hidden by default because of course Windows has to make things more complicated than necessary. You can also type %LocalAppData% in the address bar of File Explorer, and it’ll get you pretty close. Just navigate to the Packages folder from there.
Anything else to try if backups don’t seem to work?
Double-check that you’ve closed Sticky Notes completely. If it’s still running in the background, the file might be locked, or the backup could end up incomplete. On one setup it worked after a reboot, on another, I had to kill the process from Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and then try again.
Oh, and if you want to get fancy, there are scripts available on GitHub that automate this process, like at GitHub Repository: Winhance, but honestly, manual works just fine for most cases.
Wrap-up
Backing up your sticky notes isn’t a mind-blowing task, but it’s surprising how many skip it until the notes suddenly disappear. Just a quick copy-and-paste, and you’re basically saving your brain dump for later. Works for me — hope it helps you, too.
Summary
- Find the `LocalState` folder inside the Sticky Notes app data.
- Make sure Sticky Notes is closed before copying.
- Copy the
plum.sqlitefile. - Save it somewhere safe — cloud, external drive, whatever.
- To restore, replace the file in the same folder.