--- title: "How to restore lost favorites in Microsoft Edge | VaultForYou" description: "Lost favorites in Edge? First check the bar and the manager, then bring them back from sync, the Bookmarks.bak file or an HTML export. Step by step." url: https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/restore-bookmarks/edge lang: en published: 2026-11-03 updated: 2026-11-03 author: "VaultForYou Editorial Team" publisher: VaultForYou --- # How to restore lost favorites in Microsoft Edge > Most "lost" bookmarks are hidden; the rest come back from sync, the .bak file or an export. Published 2026-11-03 - Updated 2026-11-03 - By VaultForYou Editorial Team - Checked against each browser's help pages, November 2026 ## Quick answer Check first that they are only hidden: press Ctrl+Shift+B (⌘+Shift+B on a Mac) for the favorites bar and open `edge://favorites` and search. If they are really gone, turn sync back on with your Microsoft account, rename Bookmarks.bak to Bookmarks in the profile folder, or import your last HTML export. - **Check first:** `edge://favorites` and Ctrl+Shift+B (⌘+Shift+B on a Mac) - **From sync:** Settings -> Profiles -> Sync -> Favorites - **From the .bak file:** Rename Bookmarks.bak to Bookmarks while the browser is closed ## Restore favorites in Microsoft Edge 1. **Look in the manager** Open `edge://favorites` and search by name. Check every folder, including Other favorites. 2. **Show the bar** Press Ctrl+Shift+B (⌘+Shift+B on a Mac). A hidden bar looks like lost favorites. 3. **Check the profile** Click the profile picture at the top right: another profile has its own favorites. 4. **Turn sync on** Settings -> Profiles -> Sync -> Favorites. The account's copy downloads within a few minutes. 5. **Use Bookmarks.bak** Close Edge, open `%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Edge\User Data\Default\Bookmarks` (Windows) or `~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft Edge/Default/Bookmarks` (Mac), rename Bookmarks.bak to Bookmarks, reopen Edge. 6. **Import an export** Favorites panel -> ... -> Import favorites, or Settings -> Profiles -> Import browser data, and choose the last .html file you saved. Menu labels change between versions of Edge; the shortcut and the internal address `edge://favorites` don't. ## The three ways back - **Sync.** If favorites sync through your Microsoft account, sign in on this device and turn favorites sync on (Settings -> Profiles -> Sync -> Favorites); the account copy comes back. - **Bookmarks.bak.** Close Edge. In `%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Edge\User Data\Default\Bookmarks` (Windows) or `~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft Edge/Default/Bookmarks` (Mac), rename Bookmarks to Bookmarks.old and Bookmarks.bak to Bookmarks, then start Edge. This restores the list as it was when Edge last started. - **An export.** Import your last HTML export from Favorites panel -> ... -> Import favorites, or Settings -> Profiles -> Import browser data. ## Why they disappeared The usual causes: the bar was hidden with the shortcut, a different profile or account was active, sync was turned off and favorites removed from this device, a deletion synced in from another device, or the profile was reset. Edge doesn't delete favorites on its own. ## Keep some bookmarks out of Microsoft Edge altogether Private Bookmarks has its own encrypted backup, independent of Edge's profile and sync, so a browser reset doesn't take the vault with it. [Private Bookmarks](/private-bookmarks) is our free extension that saves pages into an encrypted vault on this computer: AES-256-GCM, a key derived from your password, no account, no sync and no network access. Saved pages never appear in the favorites bar, in `edge://favorites` or in your Microsoft account, and the vault locks itself after a few minutes. Edge installs Chrome Web Store extensions. The first time, Edge asks you to allow extensions from other stores; click Allow, then Add to Chrome works as Get. > **Add Private Bookmarks to Edge.** Free. Installs from the Chrome Web Store. [Add to Chrome](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/private-bookmarks-by-vaul/laonjbpehlabehhllohfaffbcpholdho) ## Frequently asked questions ### My favorites bar disappeared. Are the favorites gone? Usually not. Press Ctrl+Shift+B (⌘+Shift+B on a Mac); the bar was hidden. The favorites are still in `edge://favorites`. ### How long does Bookmarks.bak last? It is rewritten each time Edge starts, from the current Bookmarks file. Close Edge as soon as you notice the loss and copy the .bak file before reopening. ### Can Microsoft restore my favorites? Only what sync holds. Your Microsoft account keeps the current list, not old versions, so a deletion that synced is gone from the account too. ### Will I lose private bookmarks too? Private Bookmarks' vault is stored separately from Edge's profile and never synced. Removing the extension deletes it, so export its encrypted backup from the extension's Settings and keep that file. ## Sources - [Microsoft Support: Add a site to your favorites in Microsoft Edge](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/add-a-site-to-my-favorites-in-microsoft-edge-eb40d818-fd1f-cb19-d943-6fcfd1d9a935) - [Microsoft Support: Keyboard shortcuts in Microsoft Edge](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/keyboard-shortcuts-in-microsoft-edge-50d3edab-30d9-c7e4-21ce-37fe2713cfad) - [Microsoft Support: Add, turn on, or remove extensions in Microsoft Edge](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/add-turn-on-or-remove-extensions-in-microsoft-edge-9c0ec68c-2fbc-2f2c-9ff0-bdc76f46b026) ## Restore lost bookmarks in other browsers - [How to restore lost bookmarks in Google Chrome](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/restore-bookmarks/chrome) - [How to restore lost bookmarks in Chrome on a Chromebook](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/restore-bookmarks/chromebook) - [How to restore lost bookmarks in Brave](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/restore-bookmarks/brave) - [How to restore lost bookmarks in Opera](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/restore-bookmarks/opera) - [How to restore lost bookmarks in Vivaldi](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/restore-bookmarks/vivaldi) - [How to restore lost bookmarks in Chrome on Android](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/restore-bookmarks/chrome-android) - [How to restore lost bookmarks in Chrome on iPhone and iPad](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/restore-bookmarks/chrome-iphone) - [All browsers: restore lost bookmarks](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/restore-bookmarks) ## More for Microsoft Edge - [How to show the favorites bar in Microsoft Edge](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/show-bookmarks-bar/edge) - [How to bookmark a page in Microsoft Edge](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/add-bookmark/edge) - [How to delete favorites in Microsoft Edge](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/delete-bookmarks/edge) - [How to export favorites in Microsoft Edge](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/export-bookmarks/edge) - [How to import favorites in Microsoft Edge](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/import-bookmarks/edge) - [How to find where favorites are stored in Microsoft Edge](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/where-bookmarks-are-stored/edge) - [How to organize favorites in Microsoft Edge](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/organize-bookmarks/edge) - [How to edit favorites in Microsoft Edge](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/edit-bookmarks/edge) --- Private Bookmarks by VaultForYou is a Chrome extension made by VaultForYou. Add to Chrome: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/private-bookmarks-by-vaul/laonjbpehlabehhllohfaffbcpholdho