Manual method
- On desktop Edge open Settings and more > Favorites.
- Open the Favorites menu’s More options, choose Export favorites, and save HTML.
- Open the saved file and check folders and sample links.
- For account-held history use Microsoft’s privacy dashboard and its available download controls; record the selected category and date range.
Coverage and limitations: Favorites export does not contain browsing history. The cloud dashboard and on-device history are different datasets. No universal native full local-history export was verified; preserve needed individual pages separately.
Size and time to allow
Illustrative planning size: 0.01 GB; scenario range 0.001–0.2 GB. This is a storage-planning example, not a measured average. Your archive may be smaller or larger. Thousands of bookmarks and selected history records; the figure is for portable selections, not a full browser profile.
Preparation and hands-on time: Favorites export is local and generally quick; allow 5–15 minutes. Account-archive preparation is separate and not quantified here.
For the 0.01 GB example, network transfer alone is approximately:
| Connection download speed | Transfer estimate |
|---|---|
| 10 Mbit/s | 12 sec |
| 50 Mbit/s | 3 sec |
| 100 Mbit/s | 2 sec |
These calculations use decimal GB and 70% of the advertised speed. Tiny transfers can take longer because of startup overhead. Local exports do not need an internet download; use these numbers only for a network transfer. Preparation, retries, extraction, checking and a cloud upload are additional; use upload speed for the latter.
Where and how to keep it
An encrypted USB key can hold this example, but keep another independent copy on an external drive or in private encrypted cloud storage. A USB key alone is easily lost and is not a complete preservation plan.
Create a dated edge/YYYY-MM-DD/ folder. Keep received originals unchanged, use a separate working copy, and note the account/profile, selected dates, formats and known gaps in a private README. Compare file sizes, check any supplied checksums, and open sample files from the backup before considering the task finished. Repeat after meaningful additions. Follow the storage, archive-checking and large-file guide.
Sources and review
Public documentation was reviewed on 27 October 2026. No signed-in export or restoration was performed. Account options and availability can change; follow the current provider instructions.