How do I pre-configure Brave when installing fresh on a Windows computer?

[user1641718407]

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Description of the issue: I can’t figure out how to pre-configure Brave with the settings and about:flags changes I’ve specifically made.
How can this issue be reproduced?

1. Install Brave on a fresh computer.
2. There is no step 2, because I don’t know how to do it.

Expected result: I expected some kind of export / import settings option.

Brave Version( check About Brave): Version 1.73.105 Chromium: 131.0.6778.265 (Official Build) (64-bit)

Additional Information: Through reading the forums I’ve learned about the existence of an initial_preferences file and people are saying to use the Chrome example, but the Chrome sample is literally just this

{
  "distribution": {
    "import_bookmarks_from_file": "bookmarks.html",
    "do_not_create_desktop_shortcut": true,
    "do_not_create_quick_launch_shortcut": true,
    "system_level": true,
    "verbose_logging": true
  },
  "first_run_tabs": [
    "http://www.example.com",
    "http://welcome_page",
    "http://new_tab_page"
  ]
}

which is not really very helpful. I just want a simple straightforward way so everytime I have to install Brave fresh, I can just maybe import a file or run a batch script and it’ll be ready to go with all my settings and flags set.

Note that I am not talking about my browsing history or bookmarks or anything like that. I just want the settings (appearance, whether vertical tabs is on or not, shortcut keys, etc) and flags (that I’ve set in about:flags).

Most of the threads I’ve found were already locked, old, or both without any concrete answers.

[289wk]

Some info, re some settings - Group Policy:

https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/360039248271-Group-Policy

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May be of interest:

brave://chrome-urls/#internals

There, scroll down to, and click (to examine each of):

brave://prefs-internals/
brave://local-state/

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[LxWulf]

Beside, this is a very interesting information you shared, and also was not aware of; is it possible to have or set a template installation and export this to use it on a new installation of windows? So we don’t need to run again and again through all settings?

If this is the wrong post to ask, I’m happy to create a new one.

[289wk]

You are OK.

Notice the BraveSoftware folder in the following path:

• %LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default

I would routinely back up that BraveSoftware folder, because it is the topmost ranking folder that within it and its subfolders, are your Brave Browser data. For example, within your default initial Brave Browser Profile folder - named “Default” - are your:

• Bookmarks
• Bookmarks. BAK
• Preferences

files.

Using a good text editor for Windows (EditPad Pro or EditPad Lite, or NotePad++), you can (with Brave Browser NOT running) examine that external Preferences file.

Use the same text editor to also examine the internal Preferences that you see in the window at:

• brave://prefs-internals/

You will discover, that, other than structural differences, the contents of the external Preferences file at:

• %LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Preferences

are somewhat different than the contents of the internal Preferences in the window at:

• brave://prefs-internals/

Would be great, if they were an exact match, but they are not.

So, there is no easy way to be certain about THE file to use reliably, as one that could be set in place . . . and viola!

I think, that you should follow the Policy approach, and see what you can develop. Be sure to see what you can find about the same approach, for Google Chrome users.

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BTW, you can - with BB NOT RUNNING - edit certain parts of the external Preferences file at:

• %LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Preferences

that are in common with the internal Preferences in the window at:

• brave://prefs-internals/

In particular, in the external Preferences file, an example of the character string that was the beginning of what I copied:

"javascript":{"[*.]101airborneww2.com,*":

matches the following screenshot in the internal Preferences in the window at:

• brave://prefs-internals/

The screenshot:

The lesson: After a fresh installation of Brave Browser, I can locate the Allowed JavaScript portion of the brand new external Preferences file . . . and copy to that portion, the long list of previously Allowed JavaScripts from the same portion of my old external Preferences file.

That worked, to my great relief, because I finally came upon the day when I had to do a fresh installation of Brave Browser on a “new” (actually used, but 3 years newer than my old) MacBook Pro.

I have several hundreds of pre-approved (Allow) javascript sources, and I wondered if the copy and paste method would work. It did, if you are willing to be very careful and perform the precise editing.

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Meanwhile, a comprehensive Group Policy thing - as a feature of Brave Browser, you may have to campaign for; I do not know if one exists.

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Group Policy issues at GitHub > Brave

https://github.com/brave/brave-browser/issues?q=group%20policy%20in%3Atitle%20is%3Aissue%20sort%3Aupdated-desc%20%20

Make Brave-specific options configurable through Windows Group Policy templates #26502

https://github.com/brave/brave-browser/issues/26502

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[LxWulf]

Thank you, @289wk, for your detailed post! I will deep dive in this. One thing I thought about is, are there any ID’s or perhaps keys which are or would be the same if I copy those folders over to a new device?

My idea or goal is to have a template to set those on different devices without needing to set general settings every time again.