Restore IE Edge Favorites: 3 Ways

If you upgraded to Microsoft Edge and your old Internet Explorer favorites seem to have vanished, you can restore them by importing them directly from the IE Favorites folder, from an HTML file you exported earlier, or by checking the hidden ‘Favorites Bar’ folder. The process takes under two minutes and works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Background: Why Your IE Favorites Disappeared

When you first install or update to the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge, the browser offers to import your data from Internet Explorer during the first-run experience. If you clicked “Skip” or closed that window, Edge does not automatically pull in your IE favorites. They are not deleted — they stay in the IE Favorites folder on your hard drive — but Edge simply doesn’t look there until you tell it to.

Another common cause: you were using the old Edge Legacy (the pre-2020 version) and later switched to the new Edge. The two versions store favorites in different locations, and the new Edge may not have migrated them automatically. In that case, your favorites are likely still in the old Edge profile folder, and you can recover them using the HTML export/import method below.

Method 1: Import Directly from Internet Explorer

This is the fastest way if you still have Internet Explorer installed (it is present on Windows 10 and most Windows 11 systems, even if disabled).

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the three-dot menu (⋯) in the top-right corner.
3. Select Favorites → Import favorites (or go to Settings → Profiles → Import browser data).
4. In the “Import from” dropdown, choose Internet Explorer.
5. Check the box for Favorites (you can also import history and passwords at the same time).
6. Click Import. Edge will place your IE favorites in a folder named “Imported” or “From Internet Explorer” in the Favorites bar.

If you don’t see Internet Explorer in the dropdown, it means IE is not installed or is fully disabled. Jump to Method 2.

Method 2: Import from an HTML File (Works for Old Edge and IE)

If you previously exported your favorites to an HTML file (or if you have an old Edge profile), this method works universally.

1. In Edge, go to the three-dot menu → Favorites → Import favorites.
2. In the “Import from” dropdown, select Favorites or bookmarks HTML file.
3. Click Choose file and locate the .html file (often named bookmarks.html or favorites.html).
4. Click Import. Your favorites will appear in a new folder named after the file.

If you don’t have an HTML export, you can create one from IE (if still available): open IE → click the star icon → the arrow next to “Add to favorites” → Import and export → Export to file → select Favorites → save the .htm file. Then follow the steps above.

Method 3: Recover from the Hidden Favorites Bar Folder

Sometimes your favorites are actually in Edge but hidden because the Favorites Bar is turned off. Check this first before doing anything else:

• Press Ctrl+Shift+B to toggle the Favorites Bar on/off.
• If the bar appears, look for a folder named “Imported” or “From Internet Explorer” — your favorites are inside.
• If you see the folder but it’s empty, your IE favorites might be in the system’s Favorites folder: C:\Users\[YourUsername]\Favorites. Open that folder in File Explorer and verify the files are there.

If the files are present but Edge isn’t showing them, you can drag them manually from File Explorer into the Edge Favorites Bar (Edge accepts .url files).

What to Do If the Import Doesn’t Work

If the import button is grayed out or nothing appears after importing, try these fixes:

• Restart Edge after the import — sometimes the UI doesn’t refresh.
• Check the “Other favorites” folder in the Favorites Bar — Edge sometimes puts imports there.
• Look in the Edge profile folder for a file named Bookmarks (no extension). If it’s corrupted, Edge may not display any favorites. You can rename it to Bookmarks.bak and restart Edge — this resets the favorites database, but you’ll lose any favorites added after the corruption.
• Use the HTML method as a fallback — it’s the most reliable because it doesn’t depend on the internal database.

Comparing the Methods: Which One Should You Use?

Method	Speed	Reliability	When to Use
Direct import from IE	Fast	High if IE is installed	You haven’t disabled IE and want a quick one-click restore.
HTML file import	Medium	Very high	You have an export file, or the direct import fails.
Manual drag from Favorites folder	Slow for many items	High	You only need a few specific favorites and don’t want to import everything.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will importing IE favorites delete my current Edge favorites?

No. Importing adds to your existing favorites — it never removes anything. Your current favorites stay untouched, and the imported ones appear in a new folder.

Can I restore favorites from the old Edge (Edge Legacy)?

Yes. If you previously exported them to an HTML file, use Method 2. If not, you can look in the old Edge profile folder (usually C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Edge\User Data\Default) for a file named Bookmarks. However, that file may be overwritten by the new Edge. The HTML export method is the safest.

Why are my IE favorites not showing up even after import?

Check the Favorites Bar (press Ctrl+Shift+B). The imported favorites are placed in a folder called “Imported” or “From Internet Explorer” — they don’t appear as individual icons on the bar. Also, check the “Other favorites” section in the Edge hub (Ctrl+Shift+O).

Is there a way to restore favorites if I never exported them and IE is gone?

If you never exported and IE is uninstalled, your favorites may still be in C:\Users\[YourUsername]\Favorites as .url files. You can manually copy them into the Edge Favorites Bar folder (open Edge → press Ctrl+Shift+O → click the three-dot menu → “Open Favorites folder” — then paste the .url files there).

Does the import also bring passwords and history?

Yes, if you check those boxes during the import. But passwords from IE are imported as plain text and may not be usable if they were stored with IE’s Protected Mode. It’s safer to re-enter passwords manually.

What if I have hundreds of favorites — will they import correctly?

Yes, the import handles large numbers of favorites. However, if you have thousands, Edge might take a minute to process. If it crashes, try importing in smaller batches by exporting from IE in sections.

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