Shared OneNote links won't open OneNote app when special characters are involved

Iron Contributor

When you click "link to page" in OneNote (doesn't matter if web view or from within the desktop app) this will create two links: one with onenote:https:// scheme that will open either the desktop app or Microsoft Store app and a "web view" link in parentheses.

Those two links in your clipboard can then be pasted in a new e-mail (say in Outlook) but also into a new conversation in Microsoft Teams.

Problem: links to pages that have special characters in their page titles like umlauts (ä, ö, ß) but even brackets [] , parantheses () or slash / won't open in OneNote app when pasted into Microsoft Teams (but will open when clicked on within a mail in Outlook).
OneNote app will try to open the referred link but display an error message like:
«We couldn't open that location. It might not exist or you might not have permission to open it.\n\nPlease contact the owner of |0 for more information.»

In short: application link pasted into Outlook works, same link pasted into Teams does not work. Pasting into Teams will somehow modify and break the onenote:https:// link

Could somebody else replicate this and confirm the bug please? It's not restricted to German language either as it happens in our environment with ( ) and / as well.

6 Replies
Hi, will check this out in the morning and report back with findings.

Thanks

Henry

Hi @bunchofsage ,

 

What was an example name of one of your OneNotes?

 

However before going into this much deeper I wonder if the following would work if you feel the link is getting broken due to an escape/break character or similar.

 

In a message are you clicking on the Rich Text Editor Icon:

henryarphillips365_0-1597910946625.png

If not, could you click it and for you link utilise across the top the following link option:

henryarphillips365_1-1597910987730.png

 

Does that method work any better?

 

Thanks

 

Henry

@HenryPhillipsNimbitechthanks for your reply!


> What was an example name of one of your OneNotes?

example page title:

Allg.: Kein gültiger Benutzer im Kontenplan

 

> Does that method [Rich Text Editor] work any better?

About pasting a link via Rich Text Editor: it's a bit more complicated as the Insert Link dialog only accepts https: scheme * and not the onenote: scheme that comes with OneNote application links. When I want to paste something with onenote:https://tenantname.sharepoint.com I get "invalid URL" and cannot press Insert.

* scheme = protocol, see https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-teams/inserting-links/m-p/1034700/highlight/true#M4...

 

Only today I've found 1 related discussion/uservote:

@bunchofsage 

 

Helllo, any update about this problem ?

 

I didn't found any workaround except forbid special characters...

@SantaHey 

The workaround is: open OneNote for web and create the link to notebook/paragraph/page from there. It will generate the notorious 2 way link: app link (and web view version in parenthesis) - but they're working with special char names as well.

 

So my workflow for posting OneNote links is: (steps 2-4 are only necessary when there's special chars)

  1. Copy link in OneNote application
  2. Paste the result from clipboard in the newly introduced "myself"-chat in Teams
  3. Click on the web view
  4. Copy link in OneNote online
  5. Paste the result where I need it

Perhaps a newer OneNote application version has this fixed Sadly, also OneNote in M365 MSO (Version 2208, with 32-Bit) still has this issue. I don't know if 64 bit version fixes this.

 

(sorry for the late reply - didn't see the response)

Good news - just tested it's fixed in this version at least:
Microsoft® OneNote® for Microsoft 365 MSO (Version 2208 Build 16.0.15601.20590) 64 Bit

Perhaps it's the 64 Bit version that's important.