Exporting Edge Favorites & Favorites Bar items?

[BeerFan]

Hi y'all,

I'm starting to try to use Edge more and more, to try to give it a fair shot.  It seems to handle most day-to-day sites pretty well, although there definitely still some major bugs to be worked out.  What really irks me the most about it as a browser in general is the lack of options.  It seems very basic in terms of what it offers in terms of customization and changing settings, and also in terms of a user's ability to manage their Favorites list.

 

On the topic of Favorites, I can't for the life of me figure out a way to export my Edge fav's to a file. I'm planning to do a clean install from ISO of the latest Win10 build once they're released in the next few days, and I don't want to have rebuild all of my Favorites.  I found info in the MS forums that said the location of the Favorites folder was:

C:\Users\YOUR NAME\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\MicrosoftEdge\User\Default\Favorites

However, that folder, on both my desktop (10565) and laptop (10586) is completely empty.  Looks like that folder only contains fav's imported from IE, if you've chosen to do so.  Another question is related to the Favorites Bar items:  I'm wondering if the specific location of that data is different than the other favorites.

[neufuse Veteran]

I don't get why they did it how they did... they could of just used the favorites folder also and read the changes to it and synced it to their database... I use to just copy the folder and archive it now it's turned into a task to back up stuff (outside cloud backup)

[Mockingbird]

Settings > Sync your content > Sync > On

You favorites should now be saved to the cloud

[neufuse Veteran]

Settings > Sync your content > Sync > On

You favorites should now be saved to the cloud

doesn't help for someone who isn't using the cloud

[BeerFan]

So, does anyone know the local location of Edge Favorites if you did not import them from IE?  Or did they just decide to totally obliterate the local copy to force users into cloud dependence?

[Mockingbird]

So, does anyone know the local location of Edge Favorites if you did not import them from IE?  Or did they just decide to totally obliterate the local copy to force users into cloud dependence?

My favorites are in "C:\Users\YOUR NAME\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\MicrosoftEdge\User\Default\Favorites" folder.

I don't know why yours isn't.

[+Zagadka Subscriber²]

My favorites are in "C:\Users\YOUR NAME\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\MicrosoftEdge\User\Default\Favorites" folder.

I don't know why yours isn't.

Because MS loves making things straight forward.

I have no idea why you still can't manage them directly from the browser (not Favorites page)

[Boo Berry]

I have no idea why you still can't manage them directly from the browser (not Favorites page)

Probably because Edge is basically in an alpha state and lacks a lot of features and customizations? It'll probably be added in time. Maybe for Redstone?

[BeerFan]

Yeah, that's a great way to release an OS - with a half-baked, brand-new browser as your new default.  Then, be sure to bury the old one (IE) beneath menus that average Joe user will not look inside.  Personally, if integration of the browser with the OS was such a big deal that they couldn't have released Edge separately, once it was ready for prime-time, then they should have delayed the release of the OS altogether until Edge was more fully developed.

[Jim K Global Moderator]

They are located here:  

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

To reimport them you have to drop the links into %UserProfile%\Favorites and then import them into Edge.  (Settings > View favorite settings > select IE > Import).  

I do not think you can just drop shortcuts back into the first path ... mine wouldn't show up until used the IE route.

[BeerFan]

They are located here:  

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

To reimport them you have to drop the links into %UserProfile%\Favorites and then import them into Edge.  (Settings > View favorite settings > select IE > Import).  

I do not think you can just drop shortcuts back into the first path ... mine wouldn't show up until used the IE route.

Guessing you didn't read through the thread all the way, but they are not located there on either of my two machines.  Actually, the ...\Favorites\Links folder doesn't even exist on either of mine running 10586.3, and the ...\Favorites folder is just empty.  However, after a clean install, my favorites do show up again after Edge settings are synced.  So, they are stored in my cloud settings.  I just can't find the local location to save my life.

 

[egray]

After the "November Update", the edge browser no longer stores its favorites in a folder structure.  Instead, it is now stored in an ESE database.

http://www.emmet-gray.com/Articles/EdgeExport.html

[egray]

EdgeExport v 1.2

 

I’ve made a few changes to the EdgeExport application to nudge it away from just being a “demonstration project”.  The original idea was to tread lightly, and not interfere with the original database at all… so that my application could not possibility do any harm.

 

But a few folks were having trouble with database integrity (getting a message saying that the database was not shutdown properly).  So, I’ve modified the application to automatically attempt a recovery of the database. 

 

You can download the updated version from the same location:

http://www.emmet-gray.com/Temp/SetupEdgeExport.exe

 

[egray]

I've been busy making a new utility to manage Edge favorites.   It's still a "beta", but is suitable for folks to try out.

 

It will allow you to:

 

• View favorites and folders in a graphical tree
• Use "drag and drop" to move favorites and folders around
• Sort all or portions of your favorites
• Rename folders/favorites
• Manually add/delete folders/favorites
• Edit the URLs inside favorites
• Import favorites from an HTML-based bookmarks.html file
• Export favorites to an HTML-based bookmarks.html file
• Backup and Restore the Edge database (can be used to copy to another PC)

Try out the beta version at  http://www.emmet-gray.com/Temp/SetupEdgeManage.exe

[Boo Berry]

Installer gives off an error; Error reading setup initialization file

 

Is there a portable version for those of us who don't want to install an app?

[egray]

On ‎3‎/‎16‎/‎2016 at 5:47 PM, Boo Berry said:

Installer gives off an error; Error reading setup initialization file

 

Is there a portable version for those of us who don't want to install an app?

Yeah, I had a copied the wrong setup file to the web site, but I've since replaced it with a good version.

Don't ya know it... the wrong version was only up for about 8 hours or so, but long enough for you to get it!

I'll put a zip file of the contents of the Program Files folder on my website at  http://www.emmet-gray.com/Articles/EdgeManage.html   so you won't have to run the installer.

 

Edited March 24, 2016 by egray

[Boo Berry]

Nice, it works good!

[egray]

On ‎3‎/‎16‎/‎2016 at 8:45 AM, egray said:

I've been busy making a new utility to manage Edge favorites.   It's still a "beta", but is suitable for folks to try out.

 

It will allow you to:

 

• View favorites and folders in a graphical tree
• Use "drag and drop" to move favorites and folders around
• Sort all or portions of your favorites
• Rename folders/favorites
• Manually add/delete folders/favorites
• Edit the URLs inside favorites
• Import favorites from an HTML-based bookmarks.html file
• Export favorites to an HTML-based bookmarks.html file
• Backup and Restore the Edge database (can be used to copy to another PC)

Try out the beta version at  http://www.emmet-gray.com/Temp/SetupEdgeManage.exe

Well, it's no longer a beta (Hooray!)

Download it from http://www.emmet-gray.com/Articles/EdgeManage.html