How to migrate browser profiles to a new Windows PC

Step by step

1. 1 min

   Close all browser instances

   Ensure the target browser is completely closed on both the source and destination PCs. Check the System Tray in the Taskbar to verify no background processes remain active.

   Note: Right-click the browser icon in the Taskbar and select Close window or Quit.
2. 2 min

   Navigate to the Application Data directory

   On the source PC, press Windows Key + R, type %localappdata%, and press Enter. Navigate through the directory tree: Google > Chrome > User Data (for Chrome) or Microsoft > Edge > User Data (for Edge).

   Note: For Firefox, navigate to %appdata%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles instead.
3. 3 min

   Copy the profile folder

   Locate the folder labeled 'Default' or 'Profile X'. Select the folder, right-click, and choose Copy. Transfer this entire directory to an external USB drive or network storage.

   Note: Copying the entire 'User Data' folder ensures all profiles and local cache are migrated.
4. 2 min

   Paste the data on the new PC

   On the new PC, install the matching browser version and launch it once to initialize the directory structure, then close it immediately. Navigate to the same %localappdata% path and paste the copied folders into the corresponding location.

   Note: Select Replace the files in the destination when prompted by Windows Explorer.
5. 1 min

   Launch and authenticate the browser

   Launch the browser on the new PC. The application will detect the imported profile files. You may be prompted to re-enter your OS login credentials or browser sync password to decrypt saved passwords.

   Note: If data does not appear, ensure you pasted the folder into the correct User Data directory path.