Classic Outlook Notes Module in New Outlook: What Still Needs Classic Outlook

If you rely on the Notes module in classic Outlook to store quick ideas, meeting reminders, or project notes, you may have noticed that the new Outlook for Windows does not include a dedicated Notes module. The Notes feature was a simple sticky-note-style tool that lived in the folder pane of classic Outlook. This article explains what the classic Notes module does, why it is missing from new Outlook, and which scenarios still require you to keep classic Outlook installed.

What the Classic Outlook Notes Module Does and Why It Was Removed

The classic Outlook Notes module is a dedicated folder in the navigation pane that stores notes as individual items in your Exchange mailbox or PST file. You can open the Notes module by pressing Ctrl+5 or by clicking the Notes icon in the folder pane. Notes in classic Outlook support rich text formatting, categories, forwarding as email attachments, and integration with Outlook tasks and calendar items.

Microsoft removed the dedicated Notes module from new Outlook because the company wants users to adopt OneNote for structured note-taking and the Windows Sticky Notes app for quick scratchpad notes. Both of these tools sync via Microsoft 365 and are available on multiple devices. The classic Notes module was built on legacy MAPI infrastructure that new Outlook does not support. New Outlook is a web-based wrapper that uses REST APIs, and it does not include a MAPI-based folder for notes.

What You Can Do in the Classic Notes Module

In classic Outlook, the Notes module allows you to:

• Create a new note by pressing Ctrl+N or by clicking New Note in the ribbon.
• View notes in Icon, Notes List, or Last Seven Days views.
• Assign categories and follow-up flags to notes.
• Forward a note as an email attachment by dragging it into a message.
• Search across all notes using the Instant Search box.
• Print notes individually or as a list.

None of these folder-level features exist in new Outlook. The notes themselves are not migrated automatically when you switch from classic to new Outlook.

Steps to Access and Export Your Classic Notes Before Switching

If you plan to move to new Outlook but need to keep your classic notes, you must export them manually. Follow these steps while you still have classic Outlook installed.

1. Open the Notes module in classic Outlook
   Press Ctrl+5 or click the Notes icon in the navigation pane at the bottom left of the Outlook window. If you do not see the Notes icon, right-click the navigation pane, select Navigation Options, and check the Notes box.
2. Select all notes you want to export
   Click any note in the list, then press Ctrl+A to select all notes. To select specific notes, hold Ctrl and click each note.
3. Forward notes as email attachments (one-by-one option)
   Right-click a selected note and choose Forward. The note appears as an attachment in a new email message. Send the email to yourself. Open the email in new Outlook and save the attachment. This method preserves the note content but does not keep categories or creation dates.
4. Export all notes to a PST file
   Go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export. Select Export to a file and click Next. Select Outlook Data File (.pst) and click Next. Check the Notes folder. Do not check the Include subfolders box unless you have subfolders inside Notes. Click Next, choose a file name and location, and click Finish. Do not set a password unless you want one.
5. Import the PST file into new Outlook (limited)
   In new Outlook, go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export. Select Import from another program or file and click Next. Select Outlook Data File (.pst) and browse to the file you exported. New Outlook imports the notes as individual messages in a folder called Notes. They appear as email items, not as notes. You cannot open them in a Notes module because new Outlook does not have one.

Exporting to PST is the only method that preserves the original note content, categories, and creation dates. However, the imported items will not behave like classic notes inside new Outlook.

What Still Requires Classic Outlook for Notes

I need to create new notes in a dedicated folder

New Outlook has no Notes folder. You cannot create a note that lives inside your mailbox folder structure. If you need a dedicated place to store quick text notes that are searchable within Outlook, you must use classic Outlook or switch to OneNote. OneNote notebooks sync across devices and integrate with Outlook tasks, but they do not appear in the Outlook folder pane.

I need to assign categories and follow-up flags to notes

Classic Outlook notes support categories and flags just like email messages. New Outlook imported notes are plain email items. You can assign categories to them in new Outlook, but you cannot flag them as tasks. If you rely on flagged notes that appear in the Tasks module, you need classic Outlook.

I need to forward a note as an attachment with its original format

In classic Outlook, you can right-click a note and choose Forward. The note appears as a .msg attachment. In new Outlook, imported notes are already .msg files. You can forward them as attachments, but the recipient must use classic Outlook to open the note in its original format. If you send notes to people who use new Outlook, they will see the note as an email message, not as a note icon.

I need to print a list of notes

Classic Outlook allows you to print a list of notes in Table Style or Memo Style. New Outlook imported notes are email items. You can print them one at a time from the email view, but you cannot print a summary list of all notes.

I need offline access to notes stored in a PST file

Classic Outlook stores notes in your mailbox or PST file. New Outlook does not support PST files. If you keep your notes in a PST archive, you must open that PST in classic Outlook to view the notes. New Outlook cannot open PST files at all.

Classic Outlook Notes vs New Outlook Alternatives

Item	Classic Outlook Notes	New Outlook / OneNote / Sticky Notes
Dedicated folder in Outlook pane	Yes, Ctrl+5	No
Rich text formatting	Yes	OneNote yes, Sticky Notes limited
Categories and flags	Yes	Categories only in imported items
Forward as .msg attachment	Yes	Yes, but recipient needs classic Outlook
Offline access in PST	Yes	No
Print list view	Yes	No
Sync across devices	Exchange mailbox only	OneNote and Sticky Notes sync via cloud

The table shows that classic Outlook Notes offer folder-based features that new Outlook and its alternatives do not replicate. If you need any of these folder features, you must keep classic Outlook installed.

You can now decide whether to export your classic notes as PST files or forward them as email attachments before switching to new Outlook. If you need to keep the Notes module for daily work, run classic Outlook side by side with new Outlook. One alternative is to create a dedicated OneNote notebook for each project and use the Outlook Tasks module to link notes to calendar items. This method gives you cloud sync and search without losing the ability to categorize your notes.