5 Minute HelpDesk – How to Back Up and Migrate Bookmarks to a Different Web browser?
Google Chrome
To export bookmarks in Chrome to an HTML file
- Open Google Chrome
- Select the Chrome Customize and Control button (the triple dots on the top right)
- Click on Bookmarks
- Select Bookmarks Manager from the drop-down menu (Short cut to open Bookmark Manager Ctrl+Shift+O )
- Then select the Organize button (the 2nd set of triple dots on the blue banner) from the newly opened window.
- Select “Export bookmarks “
You can see on the ” Save As” dialogue box that Chrome has automatically given the HTML file a name containing the current date. You can change the file name if you want.
- Select the desired destination to save the file
- Then, click “Save”
You have successfully exported your bookmarks. Now you can import it into another web browser.
To import bookmarks to Chrome.
Ensure no other web browsers are open
- Open Google Chrome
- Select the Chrome Customize and Control button
- Select Bookmarks
- Then select “Import Bookmarks and Settings”
- Next, select the web browser from which you want to import the bookmarks
- Then choose the bookmarks file you’d like to import
- Click Import
You have successfully imported bookmarks. The imported files will appear in Google Chrome.
Mozilla Firefox
To export bookmarks in Firefox to an HTML file
- Open Mozilla Firefox
- Click the Library button on your toolbar Or Click on “Open Menu” button (the triple bar on the top right) and select Library.
- Click on Bookmarks
- Then select the “Show All Bookmarks” bar at the bottom.
A library window will be displayed (Short cut to open the library window: Ctrl+Shift+O )
- Then select “Import and Backup” from the toolbar on the Library window.
- Select “Export Bookmarks to HTML…” from the drop-down menu
From the Export Bookmarks File window, choose the desired location to save the file, named bookmarks.html by default. You can change the name if you want.
- Click “Save”
The Export Bookmarks File window will close and later close the Library window.
You have successfully exported your bookmarks from Firefox. Now you can import it into another web browser.
To import bookmarks from an HTML file
- Open Mozilla Firefox
- Open Library (refer the steps above)
- Select “Import and Backup” from the toolbar on the Library window
- Select the “Import Bookmarks from HTML…” option
- Select the HTML bookmark file you want to Import.
- The imported bookmarks will get added to the Bookmarks Menu.
Internet Explorer
To export bookmarks in Internet Explorer
- Open Internet Explorer
- Click on favorites button(the star-shaped icon)
- Click on the drop-down arrow (right side) of the “Add to favorites” button.
- Then, select “Import and Export”
- In the Import/Export Wizard, select the “Export to a file” option and click Next.
- Then select Favorites, and click Next.
- Choose the Favorites folder you need to export. To export, all of the folders select the Favorites folder at the top. Then, click “Next”.
- By default, the file will be saved to the Documents folder and will be named bookmark.htm.
- Click “Browse” to save the file to another location.
- You can select the location and change the file name according to your need.
- Click “Save”.
- Next click on “Export” on the Import/Export Settings dialogue box
- Then, click “Finish” to complete the exporting.
To import the bookmarks
- Open Internet Explorer
- Open Import/Export Wizard (refer the steps above)
- Select “Import from a file”, then click Next.
- Check the Favorites check box, and then click Next.
- Browse and select the file you want to import
- Then, click Next
- Click Finish
You have successfully imported the bookmarks to Internet explorer.
Microsoft Edge
To exports Bookmarks in Microsoft Edge
- Open Microsoft Edge
- Click the three-dot icon(top right side)
- Select the “Favorites” menu from the drop-down list
- Click on “Manage Favorites” button (Short cut to open Manage Favorites: Ctrl+Shift+O)
- The Favorites bar page will be displayed.
- Click on the three-dot menu and select “Export favorites”
- By default, the HTML file will have a name containing the current date. You can choose a location and change the file name according to your need.
- Click Save
To import the bookmarks
- Open Microsoft Edge
- Open Manage Favorites (refer to the above steps)
- Click on the three-dot menu displayed in the Favorites bar page
- Select “Import favorites”
- A pop-up menu will appear. Select the “Favorites or bookmarks” the checklist and uncheck the files you don’t want to import.
- Then from “Import from” drop-down menu, select “Favorites or bookmarks HTML file”
- Then click on “Choose file”
- You can choose the file to import and click on “open” to import the bookmarks.
- Finally, click on “done”
You have successfully imported the bookmarks.
Computing Australia is a member of The Computing Australia Group of Companies
Jargon Buster
Web Browser – An application used to access and view information on the internet: E.g. Google Chrome, Firefox etc.
Bookmarks – A saved shortcut which directs your browser to a specific webpage. Bookmarks store the title, URL, and favicon of the saved webpages.
Gordon is the Service Delivery Manager at The Computing Australia Group, he is responsible for the delivery of all Computing Australia technical support services. It is a busy portfolio to manage as we have a lot of techs and our clients generate thousands of new tickets every day. If you are looking for a tech company that is passionate about service delivery, give Computing Australia a go. Many of our clients have been with us for all of our last 20 years of operation which is something we are all proud of here.