Make new browser download recognize files from previous browser which worked fine

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1

Description of the issue:
How can this issue be reproduced?

  1. Loading from Windows drive failed to boot computer

  3. Got a new drive installed windows 10, (computer is 9 years old) Put the old drive into the computer with all the files intact. Copied the old files into the folder as it used to be. Tried booting up Brave but it does not recognize the old files.

  4. Expected result is to get the original files, bookmarks, PWs to work with the recent upload of Brave.

2

Sorry, wasn’t very clear in the above post… was up over 20 hours trying to get this to work.

Drive pooped out… wouldn’t load windows.

Got a new SSD and installed it. Took the old SSD with all the original files on it and made that an external drive

Got windows up and running with a new install on the new SSD. Loaded a fresh Brave on the new SSD. Deleted the BraveSoftware file on the new SSD and replaced the files with the originals from the external (old) SSD.

When I booted Brave I sit here with the new install seeming not using the old files.

Is there a way to get the new install to see the old files? The old files booting up on its own? What steps should I take from here to recover the original Brave?

3

Where stuff is, on your Windows OS PC

The important folder for backup, is named “BraveSoftware” - it is the parent for:

  • Brave Browser components that are updated
  • your Profile and other settings

When you first install Brave Browser (Windows OS), your initial Profile (aka Profile 1) is contained within the “Default” folder:

  • C:\Users\your_username\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\

Sometimes, you may see the following method of writing a Windows OS path:

NOTE: %LOCALAPPDATA% is a substitute for the beginning portion:

C:\Users\your_username\AppData\Local

Bookmarks and Bookmarks.bak files location:

  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Bookmarks
  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Bookmarks.bak

If you create 1 additional Profile (aka Profile 2), it will be stored in (carefully notice the folder name is different):

C:\Users[UserName]\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Profile 1\

If you create a 2nd additional Profile (aka Profile 3), it will be stored in

C:\Users[UserName]\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Profile 2\

Repeating:

Initial Profile (aka “Default” or “Profile 1”): C:\ . . . \BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default
1st Additional Profile (aka “Profile 2”): C:\ . . . \BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Profile 1
2nd Additional Profile (aka “Profile 3”): C:\ . . . \BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Profile 2\

If you create a Guest Profile (or there already is a Guest Profile), it will be stored in:

C:\Users[UserName]\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Guest Profile\

While Brave Browser is NOT running, you may copy the “Bookmarks” and “Bookmarks.bak” files from one user to another user.

Given your situation, I would:

1) Re-install Brave Browser on your new [C] drive, thus restoring the “BraveSoftware” folder that you deleted.

2) Run Brave Browser, with that new setup, visiting a few, simple websites.

3) Quit Brave Browser

4) .zip compress the new “BraveSoftware” folder:

C:\Users[UserName]\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\

5) .zip compress the old “BraveSoftware” folder:

E:\Users[UserName]\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\

Thereby preserving the new and the old, before proceeding.