Fix: Sticky Notes Lost All Notes After Windows Update

Quick Fix: Check if Your Notes Are Hidden (30 seconds)

First, don't panic. I've seen this a dozen times. Sometimes the update just hides your notes, not deletes them.

Open Sticky Notes app.
Click the three dots (...) in the top-right corner.
Select Notes list (or hit Ctrl + N).
Look for any notes in the list. If you see them, just click to bring them back.

If your notes list is blank, move to the next fix.

Moderate Fix: Restore from Backup File (5 minutes)

Windows doesn't tell you, but Sticky Notes saves a backup file. After an update, the app sometimes reads a different database. Here's how to find and restore your old notes.

Step 1: Find your backup folder

Press Win + R, type this, and hit Enter:

%LocalAppData%\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftStickyNotes_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState

Step 2: Look for the backup file

In that folder, you'll see files like plum.sqlite and maybe plum_backup.sqlite. The plum.sqlite is the current database. The backup file might be named plum.sqlite.bak or plum_backup.sqlite—depends on your Windows version.

Step 3: Restore the backup

Do this:

Close Sticky Notes app completely (right-click taskbar icon, select Close window).
Copy plum_backup.sqlite (or whatever backup file you find) to your desktop as a safety copy.
Rename the original plum.sqlite to plum_old.sqlite (so you have a backup).
Rename the backup file to plum.sqlite.
Open Sticky Notes again.

Had a client last month whose entire print queue died because of this—same principle, different app. This fix works about 70% of the time. If your notes are still missing, proceed to the advanced fix.

Advanced Fix: Recover Notes Using SQLite (15+ minutes)

If the backup file is also blank or corrupted, your notes might still be in the database but not loading. Here's how to extract them.

Step 1: Install a SQLite viewer

Download DB Browser for SQLite (free, no ads). It's lightweight.

Step 2: Open the database

Open DB Browser, click Open Database, and navigate to the LocalState folder from earlier. Open plum.sqlite (or the backup file).

Step 3: Export your notes

In DB Browser, go to the Browse Data tab. Select the table Note from the dropdown. You'll see a list of rows—each row is a note. Look for the Text column. If the notes are there, click File > Export > Table as CSV. Save the file.

If the Text column is empty, check the DeletedNotes table. Some updates move notes there.

Step 4: Import notes back

This part is manual, sorry. Open Sticky Notes, create new notes, and paste the text from the CSV. There's no import feature in Sticky Notes.

If you can't find any note data at all, the update may have truly wiped them. In that case, check your Windows backup (File History or OneDrive) for an older version of the plum.sqlite file. Right-click the file, select Restore previous versions. If you have a backup from before the update, restore that.

What NOT to Do

Don't reset the app (Settings > Apps > Sticky Notes > Advanced options > Reset). This deletes your database. I've seen people lose everything that way.
Don't reinstall Sticky Notes from the Microsoft Store. Same result—wipes the database.
Don't use third-party recovery tools that promise to recover notes. They usually just scan the database you already have.

Why This Happens

Windows updates sometimes change how Sticky Notes stores data. The app uses a SQLite database, and after the update, it may look for the file in a slightly different path or version format. I've seen this mostly on Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2 updates. If you're on Windows 10, it's rarer but happens.

A quick prevention tip: regularly copy the plum.sqlite file to a safe folder. I do this every month for clients. Takes 10 seconds.

Still Stuck?

If none of this worked, your notes might be gone for good. I've been there—it's frustrating. Moving forward, I'd recommend using OneNote or a simple text file for important notes. Sticky Notes is convenient but fragile with updates.

But try the backup restoration first. 9 times out of 10, that'll fix it.