Where Does Sticky Notes Store Notes on Windows?
Where Sticky Notes keeps plum.sqlite with every note on Windows, and how to back it up properly.
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Sticky Notes stores every note in a SQLite database called plum.sqlite, inside its package folder under %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages. The classic desktop version used a different StickyNotes.snt file, but anything from the last several years is plum.sqlite.
The file is locked while the app runs, so copies taken with Sticky Notes open can back up mid write. Close the app (or sign out) before copying. The database holds note text, colors and positions; account sync holds the cloud mirror that usually makes the file unnecessary.
Where Sticky Notes stores this, by platform
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftStickyNotes_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\plum.sqlite
Paste %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftStickyNotes_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState into Explorer. Copy plum.sqlite with the app closed. The package name suffix varies on some installs: search Packages for StickyNotes if this exact name misses.
Frequently asked questions
How do I back up my Sticky Notes?
Copy plum.sqlite out of LocalState with Sticky Notes closed. To restore, sign out (or close the app), replace the file, and relaunch. Cloud sync then reconciles; keep the backup until the notes visibly return.
Do I even need the file if notes sync to the cloud?
Sticky Notes syncs through your Microsoft account, so signing in on the new machine pulls notes down without any file copying. The sqlite backup covers unsynced notes and the paranoid case where sync silently drops one.
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