How to copy Chrome Profile

This guide explains how to create a backup of your Google Chrome profile, which includes your bookmarks, browsing history, extensions, and settings.

Important Notes Before You Begin:

• Close All Chrome Windows: Ensure that all Google Chrome windows are completely closed before proceeding with these steps. Failure to do so may result in data corruption.
• Locate the Chrome Data Directory: Your Chrome profile data is stored in a specific directory on your computer. The location is typically: C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome
  • Replace YOUR_USERNAME with your actual Windows username.
  • Note: The AppData folder is a hidden folder by default. You may need to enable the viewing of hidden files and folders in your File Explorer settings.

Steps to Copy Your Chrome Profile:

1. Identify the Relevant Folders: Within the C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome directory, you will typically see several folders. The two main folders you need to pay attention to are:

   • "User Data": This folder contains your primary Chrome profile data.
   • A folder that starts with a letter followed by an underscore and then more letters (e.g., Default, Profile 1, etc.). This folder represents your current active profile.

2. Verify the Active Profile: To confirm which folder is your active profile, check the "Modify date" of the "User Data" folder. It should generally be more recent than the folder starting with a letter and underscore. The latter folder's modification date often reflects the last time Chrome was launched.

3. Create a Backup:

   • Copy both the "User Data" folder and the folder starting with a letter and underscore to a different location on your computer. This will serve as your backup copy. You can copy them to an external hard drive, a different folder on your computer, or a cloud storage service.

4. Prepare for Profile Replacement:

   • Close all Chrome windows if you haven't already.

5. Delete Existing Profile Data:

   • Navigate back to C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data.
   • Select all the folders within the "User Data" folder and delete them.

6. Move Your Current Profile Data:

   • Go into the folder that starts with a letter and an underscore within C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome.
   • Select all the items (files and folders) within this folder and choose "Cut" (Ctrl+X or right-click and select "Cut").

7. Paste the Current Profile Data into "User Data":

   • Go back to the C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data folder.
   • Paste the items you just cut into this folder (Ctrl+V or right-click and select "Paste").

8. Remove the Empty Profile Folder:

   • Return to the C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome directory.
   • Delete the now empty folder that started with a letter and an underscore.

9. Launch Chrome:

   • Open Google Chrome.

Your Chrome profile, including all your tabs, bookmarks, extensions, and settings, should now be restored to the state it was in when you performed the backup.

Important Considerations:

• Why this works: This process essentially swaps out the default profile data with the data from the most recently used profile folder.
• Purpose of Backup: Creating a backup is useful for various reasons, such as migrating your Chrome profile to a new computer, troubleshooting issues, or reverting to a previous state.
• Troubleshooting: If you encounter any issues, ensure you followed the steps correctly and that all Chrome windows were closed. You can always restore your original profile from the backup you created.