Windows 10: Backup and Restore Microsoft Edge Favorites in Windows 10

How to: Backup and Restore Microsoft Edge Favorites in Windows 10

How to Backup and Restore Microsoft Edge Favorites in Windows 10


Microsoft Edge is a new web browser that will be available across the Windows 10 device family. It is fast, compatible, and built for the modern Web.

You can keep track of the websites you visit frequently by storing them as favorites in Microsoft Edge. The favorites bar is a toolbar in Microsoft Edge that you can also add your favorite websites you visit frequently on to make opening them faster and more convenient.

Starting with Windows 10 Insider Preview build 10565 and Windows 10 TH2 version 10511 build 10568, your favorites and favorites bar in Microsoft Edge are now stored in an ESE database file in the DataStore folder at the location below.

%LocalAppData%\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\MicrosoftEdge\User\Default\DataStore

This tutorial will show you how to backup and restore favorites and favorites bar in Microsoft Edge in Windows 10.


CONTENTS:

• Option One: To Import or Export Microsoft Edge Favorites as HTML File
• Option Two: To Backup Favorites from Microsoft Edge
• Option Three: To Restore Favorites in Microsoft Edge

OPTION ONE [/i] To Import or Export Microsoft Edge Favorites as HTML File
*note This is the most reliable option.

1. For how, see: How to Import or Export Microsoft Edge Favorites as HTML File in Windows 10





OPTION TWO [/i] To Backup Favorites from Microsoft Edge
*Warning Option 2 and 3 may not work unless you restore to the same build or version of Windows 10.
1. Open File Explorer, copy and paste the folder location below in the address bar, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

%LocalAppData%\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\MicrosoftEdge\User\Default

2. Copy the DataStore folder below to where you like as your backup. (see screenshot below)

*note The name of this DataStore folder must remain the same name.









OPTION THREE [/i] To Restore Favorites in Microsoft Edge
*Warning Option 2 and 3 may not work unless you restore to the same build or version of Windows 10.

*note This option has you copy the backup from OPTION TWO above to the "Favorites" and "Favorites Bar" folder of Internet Explorer, then import them into Microsoft Edge to restore.

You can restore the backed up favorites to any user account or Windows 10 (build 10586) PC.
1. Close Microsoft Edge if open.

2. Open File Explorer, copy and paste the folder location below in the address bar, and press Enter.

%LocalAppData%\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\MicrosoftEdge\User\Default

3. Copy the backed up DataStore folder from Option Two into the Default folder below. (see screenshot above)



4. If prompted, click/tap on Replace the files in the destination.




That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Import or Export Microsoft Edge Favorites as HTML File in Windows 10
• How to Import Bookmarks from Chrome to Microsoft Edge in Windows 10
• How to Import Bookmarks from Firefox to Microsoft Edge in Windows 10
• How to Import Favorites from Internet Explorer to Microsoft Edge in Windows 10
• How to Add or Remove Favorites in Microsoft Edge in Windows 10
• How to Edit URL for Favorites in Microsoft Edge in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off the Favorites Bar in Microsoft Edge in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable Favorites Bar in Microsoft Edge in Windows 10
• How to Create or Delete Folder from Microsoft Edge Favorites Bar in Windows 10
• How to Reset Microsoft Edge to Default in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable Sync Microsoft Edge Settings in Windows 10

:)

 

Microsoft Edge

At present you can't password protect bookmarks in Microsoft Edge. Perhaps someone will eventually write an extension for Microsoft Edge that does, but I think that is unlikely since it would be a royal pain in the you-know-where to have to enter a password
each time someone wants to use a bookmark.

If you want, you can backup your Favorites. This will allow you to restore your Favorites to the way they were. From a web search:

How to Backup and Restore Microsoft Edge Favorites in Windows 10

How To Backup Or Export Edge Favorites In Windows 10

How to: Backup Favorites of your Microsoft Edge Browser in Windows 10

 

Microsoft Edge

You said Edge is still working, so how did you access it if it's not found anywhere?

When it is open, right click it's icon on the task bar to Pin to Taskbar.

If this fails then you can folllow
How To Reinstall Microsoft Edge In Windows 10 .

If you have Favorites saved to Edge, back them up first following whichever method works here for

Microsoft Edge Favorites - Backup and Restore in Windows 10 .

 

So far I have only been using Google CHROME for my Browser and for email here, but wish to start using EDGE soon, as I used it MS IE most of the time when I was using Win 8, and win 8.1.

I and you have seen lots of comments about EDGE, and I am sure that several of the personnel at MS are working on it all the time, and it will get better and be solid within a short time.

I appreciate any of your comments. thanks.. cliff M.

 

It's stored in Local...so I guess Edge doesn't support roaming profiles, right?

 

It supports syncing with your Microsoft account if that helps. *Smile

 

This tutorial has been updated to work again. *Smile

 

Would saving and restoring this folder also save log in and site preferences that have previously been set up (like a cookie file in IE) ?

If not *Smile is there any way to do that ?

 

Hello Mooly, *Smile

I'm afraid that this doesn't affect cookies for those items. I haven't found a way for that yet.

 

Ooh, a challenge then (lol, I mean for you not me) *Smile They must be in there somewhere.

I wonder if its considered a security risk in some way, and that is why there is no option to do this. I think users should be given the option to save these details simply because when you have many sites set up in favourites (I have around 36, not just forums like this but parts suppliers, technical sites and so on) and sometimes you just need to do a full browser clean... and re-inputting all the passwords and setting site preferences and so on, even with copy and paste takes a long time.

 

More than 1/2 of my favorites saved disappeared after an unexpected Win 10 update.

That is why I am in your tutorial. I can see that the missing ones are still in the "Default" folder, in both "DataStore" and "Favorites" folders. But how to restore them back into the "FAVORATES" list on the up-right corner of the Edge browser?

 

Hello Aren, and welcome to Ten Forum. *Smile

You should be able to copy the old ones from the "Favorites" folder location into your "%UserProfile%\Favorites" folder to import them into Internet Explorer.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1...dows-10-a.html

Afterwards, reset Microsoft Edge favorites using OPTION THREE in the tutorial below to clear them. This will get rid of any corruption in your Edge favorites.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5...dows-10-a.html

When finished, import the favorites from Internet Explorer back into Microsoft Edge.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1...dows-10-a.html

You will still need to manually add any missing favorites back though.

 

Thanks very much Brink!
I will try to figure it out following your instructions. I tried to open those favorites from the links saved in the "default" folder, but find it erratic. The links there in the "datastore" don't even show the names of the websites. These favorites are very important to me. If they can't be recovered, I have lost weeks of work.

 

You're welcome Aren. Please let us know how it went.

 

Possibly the most value added post I have ever read on the internet. Thanks.