Microsoft Edge is a web browser developed by Microsoft, designed to provide a fast, secure, and user-friendly browsing experience. It is the default browser in Windows 10 and is available for other platforms as well. Edge offers various features and enhancements, including a streamlined interface, improved performance, built-in security measures, and compatibility with popular web standards.
One of the important aspects of using a web browser is managing your bookmarks or favorites, which allows you to save and quickly access your frequently visited sites. In Microsoft Edge, you have the option to back up your favorites, ensuring that you can keep a copy of your bookmarked websites or transfer them to another browser or device.
By following the steps provided, you can easily back your Edge favorites and have them stored as an HTML file, which can be imported into another browser or restored at a later time. This process allows you to maintain a consistent browsing experience and access your favorite sites across different platforms or devices.
Whether you’re looking to switch browsers, perform a system backup, or simply have a backup of your bookmarks for peace of mind, exporting your Edge favorites provides a convenient solution. Now, let’s dive into the steps to back up or export your Edge favorites on a Windows computer.
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How to Back Up Microsoft Edge Favorites: A Step-By-Step Guide
In Microsoft Edge, your saved website bookmarks are referred to as favorites. When you sign into the browser using a Microsoft account, you have the option to enable syncing, which automatically stores your favorites in the cloud. This ensures that your bookmarks are accessible across devices.
However, if you prefer not to sign in or would like a local backup, you can easily back up your Edge favorites to your local hard drive, USB drive, SD card, or any preferred location of your choice. This allows you to have a local copy of your bookmarks, providing an additional layer of control and flexibility over their storage.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to back up your Microsoft Edge favorites:
Step 1: Launch Microsoft Edge, then Open the Microsoft Edge browser on your computer. ( three horizontal dots).
Step 2: Access the Favorites Menu Click on the “Favorites” button located at the top right corner of the browser window. It looks like a star icon.
Step 3: Open the Favorites Management Window In the Favorites menu, click on the “Manage favorites” option. This will open the Favorites management window.
Step 4: Export Favorites In the Favorites management window, click on the “…” (ellipsis) button located at the top-right corner.
Step 5: Select “Export Favorites” from the drop-down menu. This will open a new window to save your favorites file.
Step 6: Choose the Save Location. Pick a convenient location on your computer where you want to save the favorites file. You can select any folder or create a new one specifically for your favorite backup.
Step 7: Name your favorite file. Provide a name for your favorite file. The default name is “bookmark.htm,” but you can change it if you prefer. Make sure to keep the “.htm” extension intact.
Step 8: Save the File Click the “Save” button to save the favorites file to the chosen location on your computer.
Step 9: Confirm the Backup Once the file is saved, a confirmation message will appear, indicating that your favorites have been successfully exported.
Why Does Backing Up Favorites in Microsoft Edge Favorites Essential?
Backing up favorites in Microsoft Edge is essential for several reasons:
Data Loss Prevention
Favorites are a collection of sites or webpages that users have bookmarked for easy access. If you don’t back up your favorites and your browser data gets lost or corrupted due to various reasons like hardware failure, software glitches, or accidental deletion, you may lose all your bookmarked sites. By creating a backup, you can prevent the loss of valuable bookmarks.
Smooth Transition to a New Device
When you switch to a new device or reinstall your operating system, you must set up your web browser again. If you have a backup of your favorites, you can easily restore them to your new device or browser, saving you time and effort in re-finding and bookmarking your favorite sites.
Syncing Issues
Microsoft Edge offers a syncing feature that allows you to access your favorites across multiple devices if you’re signed in with the same Microsoft account. However, there may be instances where the syncing doesn’t work correctly or is temporarily disabled.
In such cases, having a backup of your favorites ensures that you can still access your bookmarks even if the syncing feature isn’t functioning properly.
Organization and Convenience
Over time, users tend to accumulate a large number of bookmarks in their favorites. It can take a significant amount of time to curate and organize them according to personal preferences. By backing up your favorites, you preserve your organizational structure and avoid the need to recreate the entire bookmark hierarchy manually.
Disaster Recovery
In the event of a system crash, malware attack, or any other unforeseen circumstances that result in data loss, having a backup of your favorites ensures that you can recover your bookmarks quickly and easily. It provides an additional layer of protection for your valuable online resources.
Overall, backing up your favorites in Microsoft Edge is a good practice to ensure the safety and accessibility of your bookmarked sites, prevent data loss, and facilitate a smooth browsing experience across devices.
3 Simple Methods to Back Up Your Favorites in Microsoft Edge
For more backing-up options, we will present three useful methods for creating backups of your Microsoft Edge favorites. By following these steps, you can ensure that your favorites list is securely stored and accessible to you at all times.
First Method: Exporting Microsoft Edge Favorites to an HTML File
Exporting your Microsoft Edge browser favorites to a file is a simple process that can be completed in under a minute. To back up or export your Microsoft Edge favorites as an HTML file on Windows 10, just follow the instructions provided below.
Step 1: Launch the Microsoft Edge browser and either click on the three dots located at the top right corner and select “Favorites” or use the shortcut key combination Ctrl+Shift+O.
Step 2: Within the Favorites popup, click on the three dots icon.
Step 3: Select the option “Export favorites.”
Step 4: Choose a preferred location on your system to save the file.
Second Method: Synchronizing Microsoft Edge Favorites with the Cloud
Synchronizing your data with the cloud is an excellent option to safeguard not only your Microsoft Edge favorites but also other valuable information. To successfully sync your favorites, please follow the steps below:
Step 1: Open the Microsoft Edge settings and click on “Sync.”
Step 2: Among the available syncing features, ensure that the “Favorites” option is enabled. If it is currently disabled, simply toggle it on.
Remember, please make sure to sign in to your Microsoft account before proceeding with the syncing process.
Third Method: Backing up Microsoft Edge Favorites Using a Professional Backup Tool
Yet another option to back up your Microsoft Edge favorites is by directly utilizing professional backup software. If you are a tech writer and desire a hassle-free solution for your Microsoft Edge favorites list, consider backing up or exporting all your bookmarks to a file. Third-party backup software like EaseUS Todo Backup can be utilized for this purpose.
Final Thoughts
By following the step-by-step guide provided, you can easily back up your Microsoft Edge favorites and ensure that your bookmarks are securely saved.
Moreover, having a backup of your bookmarks is essential for safeguarding your valuable collection of websites and making it easier to restore them in case of any unexpected data loss or when switching to a new device or browser.
By taking the time to back up your favorites, you can have peace of mind knowing that your curated list of websites is always accessible and protected.