The safest way to move Microsoft Edge data to a new Windows account is to sign in to Edge with the same Microsoft account and enable Favorites sync. If the accounts differ or sync is unavailable, export the old Edge favorites to an HTML file and import that file into the Edge profile in the new Windows account. Creating a new Edge profile alone does not transfer anything.
Microsoft calls browser bookmarks favorites. The instructions below use both terms so you can match the wording shown in Edge.
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First, understand what is being moved
A Windows account and an Edge profile are separate layers. Your Windows account controls the Windows desktop, files, permissions and sign-in. An Edge profile is a browser environment inside that account. Each Edge profile can have its own favorites, settings, extensions, themes, open tabs and other preferences.
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There are two supported handoff methods for favorites:
- Edge sync: sign in to both Edge profiles with the same Microsoft account and enable Favorites sync. This can carry more than bookmarks, subject to the sync switches available in your account.
- Favorites HTML import: create an HTML export from the old Edge profile, transfer that file to the new Windows account, and import it. This is the practical route when the Microsoft accounts differ or synchronization cannot be used.
Do not delete the old profile until the destination has been checked. A deletion made while synchronization is active can propagate to other synchronized devices.
Choose the right migration route
| Situation | Best route | What it can carry | Network or file requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| The old and new Edge profiles can use the same Microsoft account | Edge sync | Favorites plus other categories whose sync switches are enabled | Internet access is normally needed for synchronization; no handoff file is required |
| The Windows accounts use different Microsoft accounts | Favorites HTML export and import | Favorites and their folder structure | Move one HTML file by any convenient method |
| Sync is blocked, unavailable or not trusted for the account | Favorites HTML export and import | Favorites and their folder structure | A transferred HTML file; a USB drive is optional |
| You need a complete copy of every Edge setting and credential | No complete transfer is established by these methods | Only the categories explicitly supported and enabled by Edge sync, or favorites through HTML | Review each category rather than assuming the whole profile follows |
Sync is broader, but it depends on account access and the selected sync settings. HTML import is explicit and portable, but it is primarily a favorites handoff.
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Use this method when you can sign in to Edge in both Windows accounts with one Microsoft account. It is the closest supported equivalent to moving an Edge profile because it can include several synchronized data categories, not just favorites.
Check sync in the old Windows account
- Sign in to the old Windows account and open Microsoft Edge.
- Open Settings > Profiles > Sync.
- Confirm that synchronization is turned on and that Favorites is enabled. Edge lets you select the data types that are synchronized, so inspect the individual switches instead of assuming every category is active.
- Leave the old Edge profile available while the destination is being checked. If the old profile shows a warning, a paused sync state or a request to verify the account, resolve that before relying on synchronization.
Favorites are the key setting for bookmarks. Depending on the account and Edge version, the sync page can also offer passwords, browsing history, extensions, settings, open tabs, autofill and other data. The available switches are the authority for what will be sent; do not promise yourself that every item in the profile will transfer.
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Connect the new Windows account
- Sign in to the new Windows account and open Edge.
- Use the profile menu to sign in with the same Microsoft account used in the old Edge profile.
- Open Settings > Profiles > Sync in the destination profile.
- Turn on Favorites and any other categories you intentionally want to synchronize.
- Allow time for the data to arrive. The exact delay depends on the account and connection; do not judge the migration immediately after enabling the switch.
Verify the destination before touching the source
Open the Edge Favorites menu in the new Windows account and inspect several levels of folders, not just the first visible links. Open representative favorites, check that important nested folders are present and confirm that the Favorites bar contains the items you expect. If you use multiple Edge profiles in the new Windows account, make sure you are checking the profile that is signed in to the intended Microsoft account.
Only after this check should you consider signing out, removing the old Windows account or resetting its Edge profile. Keep the old account or a separate backup until you are satisfied that the destination is usable.
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Use an HTML handoff when the Microsoft accounts are different, when synchronization is unavailable, or when you want a file you can inspect and transfer independently of account settings.
Create the handoff file in the old Edge profile
In the old Windows account, use Edge’s current favorites export command to save the favorites as an HTML file. Microsoft’s reviewed import documentation describes the destination procedure but does not specify the source-side export clicks for every Edge release, so the exact menu label can vary. Look for the export action in the Favorites management interface in the Edge version installed on the old account, and confirm that the resulting file is an HTML favorites file before leaving that account.
Export while you are working in the correct Edge profile. If the old Windows account contains several Edge profiles, each profile has its own favorites; exporting the wrong profile produces a valid file containing the wrong collection.
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Transfer the file to the new Windows account
Copy the HTML file to a location the new account can read. You can use a shared folder, a network location, cloud storage approved for your situation, an email attachment handled according to your organization’s policy, or removable storage. A USB flash drive is optional; it is not required by Edge’s import process.
Keep the original HTML file until the import and verification are complete. Treat it as a backup of the exported favorites, and avoid editing its contents unless you understand the HTML format.
Import the file in the destination Edge profile
- Sign in to the new Windows account and open Edge.
- Open Settings > Profiles > Import browser data.
- Find the control under Other import locations.
- Select Favorites or bookmarks HTML file.
- Choose the HTML file transferred from the old account and complete the import.
Edge places imported favorites in a folder on the Favorites bar. The folder may be named Imported, although the exact displayed name can vary. Expand that folder and check the nested structure rather than expecting every item to appear as a top-level favorite.
Handle a second import carefully
If you repeat the import after correcting a file or profile mistake, Edge can create another imported folder or duplicate links. Before repeating the operation, identify which folder came from the first attempt. Remove duplicates only after confirming that the surviving links open correctly; do not delete the original export file until the cleanup is finished.
What Edge sync can and cannot promise
Edge sync supports selected data categories, and the user controls the available toggles. Microsoft describes categories that can include the following:
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| Data category | How to treat it during this move |
|---|---|
| Favorites | Enable the Favorites switch, or use the HTML route when accounts differ. |
| Passwords | May be synchronized when the relevant switch is available and enabled; verify in the destination rather than assuming every credential transferred. |
| Browsing history | May be synchronized if offered and enabled. |
| Extensions | May be synchronized if offered and enabled; extension sign-ins or local data can still require separate attention. |
| Settings and preferences | May be synchronized if offered and enabled, but this is not documented as a complete profile-directory clone. |
| Open tabs | May be synchronized if offered and enabled; check the destination’s open-tab view after sync. |
| Autofill | May be synchronized if offered and enabled. |
| Payment information | Has account-specific handling. Do not assume payment data will follow simply because Favorites sync is on. |
The practical rule is to verify each category that matters. A successful Favorites sync proves that favorites arrived; it does not prove that passwords, extensions, payment information or every preference arrived.
Verification checklist for the new account
Use this checklist before you retire the old Windows account or remove its Edge profile:
- Open the destination Edge profile, not another profile that happens to be installed.
- Check the Favorites menu and the Favorites bar.
- Expand nested folders and test important links.
- If you used sync, revisit Settings > Profiles > Sync and confirm that the intended switches remain enabled.
- If you used an HTML file, locate the imported folder and confirm that it contains the expected number and organization of links.
- Check any additional synchronized category individually instead of treating the move as a complete profile clone.
- Keep the old profile and the exported HTML file until you have finished testing.
Troubleshooting common failures
Favorites do not appear after signing in
- Confirm that both profiles use the same Microsoft account. Similar display names or two personal accounts are not enough.
- Open the sync settings in both profiles and verify that Favorites is enabled in the destination.
- Check for a paused sync state, account verification request or connectivity problem.
- Allow additional time, then close and reopen Edge in the destination profile.
- Do not delete the old profile while investigating; it may still be your intact source.
The destination shows the wrong favorites
Check which Edge profile is active. A Windows account can contain multiple Edge profiles, and each one has separate settings and favorites. If the wrong profile was used for the export or sign-in, switch to the intended profile and repeat the appropriate method.
The HTML import option is hard to find
Use the exact path Settings > Profiles > Import browser data, then look under Other import locations for Favorites or bookmarks HTML file. The terminology deliberately includes both “favorites” and “bookmarks.” If the labels differ, update Edge and inspect the current Import browser data page rather than selecting an unrelated browser-data source.
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The imported links are present but seem missing
Look on the Favorites bar for the imported folder, which may be called Imported, and expand its subfolders. The import does not necessarily place every link at the top level. Also check that you did not open a different Edge profile after completing the import.
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You are considering copying an Edge profile folder
The official material covered here does not establish manually copying Edge’s internal profile directory as a supported migration process. Internal files can be tied to account protection, version-specific behavior and local encryption. Use sync or the favorites HTML import instead of treating a directory copy as an equivalent supported transfer.
You expected Windows Backup to restore the whole Edge profile
Microsoft’s Windows Backup guidance points users to signing in to Edge and enabling sync to keep Edge preferences available. It is consumer-focused and includes constraints for work or school accounts. It is not documented here as a complete Edge-profile migration tool between Windows accounts, so do not rely on a Windows Backup restore to reproduce every Edge item.
Account and security considerations
Use the same Microsoft account for sync only when that account is appropriate for both Windows profiles. On a shared or managed computer, check whether organizational policy controls Edge sign-in, synchronization or password storage. A work or school account can have restrictions that do not apply to a personal account.
Favorites can contain private URLs, internal addresses and links that expose your browsing interests. Transfer the HTML file through a channel you trust, limit access to the temporary copy and delete extra copies after confirming the destination. The file is a handoff for favorites; it is not a secure export of passwords or payment details.
When sync is enabled, deleting a synchronized favorite or clearing synchronized data can affect other devices using that account. Make the destination check first, and perform cleanup only after you understand whether the action is local or synchronized.
Practical decision examples
You are moving to a new personal Windows account but keeping one Microsoft account
Use sync. Enable Favorites in the old profile, sign in with that account in the new profile, enable the same switch there and verify the folders before removing anything.
You are moving from a personal account to a different personal account
Use the HTML route for favorites. Export from the correct old Edge profile, transfer the file, import it through Other import locations and inspect the Imported folder. Handle passwords and other data separately because the HTML file does not represent a complete profile.
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Check the organization’s Edge and Microsoft-account policy first. If sync is restricted or the accounts cannot be combined, an HTML favorites handoff may still work for bookmarks, but other categories may require an administrator-approved process.
Quick Recap
Final migration sequence
- Decide whether the same Microsoft account can be used in both Edge profiles.
- Choose sync for a same-account move, or an HTML file for different-account and offline-style handoffs.
- Work in the correct old Edge profile.
- Enable and verify the relevant sync switches, or create and transfer the favorites HTML file.
- Import or synchronize in the destination profile.
- Check folders, links and any additional data categories you need.
- Retain the old profile and backup file until verification is complete.
- Only then remove old profiles or Windows-account data, taking synchronization effects into account.
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