Add Bookmarks to Microsoft Edge manually

Question

I would like to add bookmarks to Microsoft Edge, not by importing from IE but simply by dumping the bookmarks in the Edge bookmark folder.

This was possible in the Spartan builds and I think it was possible when edge was launched. I think the path used to be -

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

I have tried dumping the bookmarks in this folder and restarting my system but they haven't shown up in Edge. I am wondering if the folder has changed since Windows 10 Fall Update as Edge bookmark synchronisation was introduced in this latest Windows 10 update.

How do I manually add bookmarks or folders of bookmarks to favourites in Edge?

Solution 1

I am wondering if the folder has changed since Windows 10 Fall Update

Starting in in Windows 10 Insider Preview build 10565, your favorites in Microsoft Edge are now stored in an ESE database file instead of the previous Favorites folder.

This tutorial will show you how to change Microsoft Edge favorites to be stored in the new ESE database file or old Favorites folder location for your account in Windows 10.

Warning

This will reset and delete all your favorites in Microsoft Edge.

This is necessary to avoid corrupting your favorites when changing the storage location.

Note

The .bat files below will delete the two folders below to delete all your favorites in Microsoft Edge including favorites from the Favorites Bar for only your account.

(ESE database location)

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

(Favorites folder location)

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

The .bat files below will also change the DWORD value in the registry key below.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppContainer\Storage\microsoft.microsoftedge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\MicrosoftEdge\Main

FavoritesESEEnabled DWORD

0 = Favorites folder 1 = ESE database file

Microsoft_Edge_save_favorites_in_Favorites_folder.bat:

@echo off

:: Created by: Shawn Brink
:: http://www.tenforums.com
:: Tutorial: http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/30451-microsoft-edge-favorites-change-location-windows-10-a.html


RD /S /Q "%LocalAppData%\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\MicrosoftEdge\User\Default\DataStore"

RD /S /Q "%LocalAppData%\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\MicrosoftEdge\User\Default\Favorites"


REG ADD "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppContainer\Storage\microsoft.microsoftedge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\MicrosoftEdge\Main" /V FavoritesESEEnabled /T REG_DWORD /D 0 /F

Microsoft_Edge_save_favorites_in_ESE_database.bat:

@echo off

:: Created by: Shawn Brink
:: http://www.tenforums.com
:: Tutorial: http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/30451-microsoft-edge-favorites-change-location-windows-10-a.html


RD /S /Q "%LocalAppData%\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\MicrosoftEdge\User\Default\DataStore"

RD /S /Q "%LocalAppData%\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\MicrosoftEdge\User\Default\Favorites"


REG ADD "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppContainer\Storage\microsoft.microsoftedge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\MicrosoftEdge\Main" /V FavoritesESEEnabled /T REG_DWORD /D 1 /F

Source How to Change Storage Location of Microsoft Edge Favorites in Windows 10

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How do I manually add bookmarks or folders of bookmarks to favourites in Edge?

According to the source below there is an extra step required (deleting a value FavOrder from the registry, see steps 6 and 7).

Presumably deleting FavOrder causes Edge to rescan the favourites.

---

How To: Get Your Browser Favorites into Microsoft Edge When the Import Fails in Windows 10

You can make your browser favorites available to Microsoft Edge manually.

1. Close Microsoft Edge.

2. In the Windows 10 Cortana search bar type %userprofile%\favorites and hit enter. This opens Windows Explorer to the old location of your browser favorites.

3. Select all files and folders and choose Copy.

4. Now, in the Cortana search bar type %localappdata%\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\MicrosoftEdge\User\Default\Favorites and hit enter.

   This is the location where Microsoft Edge stores its favorite bookmarks.

5. Paste the files and folders you selected to copy in the previous step.

6. Open the Windows 10 registry editor (regedt32) and navigate to: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppContainer\Storage\microsoft.microsoftedge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\MicrosoftEdge\

7. Locate FavOrder and delete it from the Windows registry.

8. Open Microsoft Edge and view the manually imported favorites.

Source How To: Get Your Browser Favorites into Microsoft Edge When the Import Fails in Windows 10

Solution 2

There is now an alternative technique for importing and manually adding favorites to Edge. The EdgeManage application can directly interact with the ESE database that is used by Edge.

So, that means you can import your favorites from any location (like from a USB flash drive) without having to "wash" them through Internet Explorer first. You can also manually create a favorite by entering the name and URL directly.

Take a look at this Article for more information about how to accomplish these tasks with EdgeManage: http://www.emmet-gray.com/Articles/EdgeManage.html

PS: I am the author

Comments

[Duncan Gravill]

Thanks very much for your help. Using the .bat file I have switched Edge to use the Favourites folder, copied favourites to the folder and deleted FavOrder in the registry. Favourites are now showing in Edge. However I suspect that this will probably mean that currently the new Edge bookmark synchronization feature won't work. Really I would like to get my bookmarks into the ESE database as being the new default presumably it is the recommended way. I tried setting FavoritesESEEnabled in the registry to 1 but this did not work, the bookmarks just disappeared again.

[DavidPostill]

@FunkyFresh84 I don't have any more suggestions at this time. It may not be possible to add favourites manually to the ESE database. Presumably MS will provide a way of doing this at some point.

[Duncan Gravill]

After attempting to import the folder directly into Edge the bookmarks had actually shown up in Internet Explorer. So I switched the FavoritesESEEnabled in the registry back to 1 and simply imported the bookmarks from Internet Explorer. This seems to be a workaround for not being able to import the bookmarks directly.

[munrobasher]

Because Microsoft have disabled the synchronisation of Edge favourites if you join a computer to Azure AD with basic subscription, my clients are still using IE because one can redirect the favorites folder to OneDrive in case their laptop fails. I'd like to shift then onto Edge but this lack of automatic backup is a problem. I'm considering adding a PowerShell script to every laptop to backup the Edge database into OneDrive and then use EdgeManage to restore in case of a problem? Would that work?