Sync Issues - Internal sync setup error

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Greetings, thank you for reading my message.

The original issue, started when rebooting my Windows OS 11 machine, somehow caused the passwords that I had saved in Brave Browser (Password Manager), to be lost.

Yet, when I rebooted the Windows OS 11 machine again, the passwords were recovered/restored for a while.

But now, rebooting the Windows OS 11 machine, no longer recovers/restores the passwords.

I then tried to uninstall Brave from my desktop and restarted the machine. First attempt at that, I didn’t clear browsing history, but I did that the second time around. But now, I have a windows machine that I cannot add to my sync chain.

My trying to fix things, I found a post to remove all chromium based browsers and did that, but an Internal sync setup error still keeps on popping up after I type in my sync code and click on OK.

I tried going to brave://sync-internals/ and I didn’t have a button to disable sync. Enable Sync-The-Feature does nothing when I click on it.

Internal sync setup error after typing in sync code and click on OK

  1. Open Brave
  2. Go to settings and click on sync
  3. type in the sync code and click on OK

Internal sync setup error

Brave Version(Version 1.73.89 Chromium: 131.0.6778.69 (Official Build) (64-bit)):

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In order to be prepared for the next time:

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.

Sharing (syncing) passwords

Consider using one of:

  • 1Password
  • Dashlane
  • LastPass

If you search for those online, you will find plenty of webpages offering what we used to call, “password wallets.”

Housekeeping - routines

As a matter of routine, back up your Windows Registry - BEFORE creating a System Restore Point. How to:

"https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-to-back-up-and-restore-the-registry-in-windows-855140ad-e318-2a13-2829-d428a2ab0692

Create a System Restore Point And: Edit its name, to include the date at the beginning of the name (Egs. 20241106_Wed_SysRstrPt_etc) . . . so you can find the specific System Restore Point that you later, suddenly need. How to create a System Restore Point:

“https://www.windowscentral.com/how-use-system-restore-windows-10”

You can use an application named “CCleaner” to police the System Restore Points, deleting old ones.

How to manually back up your Bookmarks as an HTML file:

Two ways to get to the Bookmarks Manager.

One way:

  1. Launch Brave and open the Main menu: newmenuicon.png
  2. Select Bookmarks --> Bookmarks Manage
  3. Open the More options menu at the top right
  4. Select Export and choose where you want to store the exported file.

Another way:

  1. In a new Brave Browser window, go to: brave://bookmarks
  2. Locate the “Organize” (vertically-arrayed 3-dot) menu button in the upper-right area of the window; click on that
  3. You should get a pop-up menu, in which you click on the “Export bookmarks” selection and choose where you want to store the exported file.

The exported file name: “bookmarks.html”

Be sure to store a copy on an external drive.

Back up Passwords that are stored by Brave Browser

Scrolling down the webpage at:

“https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/360018185951-How-do-I-use-the-built-in-password-manager”

A note states:

" Export Passwords - Selecting Download file will export all credentials you’ve saved in your browser as a .CSV file onto your system. Note that anyone who has access to your system will be able to open and view this file, so it is recommended that you delete this file once you’ve used the file for its intended purpose."

In order to encrypt that .CSV file:

“https://www.crucial.com/articles/pc-users/how-to-password-protect-a-folder”

“https://nordvpn.com/blog/how-to-password-protect-a-zip-file/”

“https://www.winzip.com/en/features/security/password-protection/”

And be sure to copy that compressed and encrypted file, to an external drive that you safely store.

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Thanks fro the info, I’ve tried clearing brave from the machine completely. Restarted the machine and installed the nightly build but the issue with the sync is still happening. Any tips on that? Thanks in advance.

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Please edit your Original Post, above. You might help Brave Support with a bit more clear/detailed explanation of your original issue with the following, if I understand you correctly:

“Greetings, thank you for reading my message.”

“The original issue, started when rebooting my Windows OS 11 machine, somehow caused the passwords that I had saved in Brave Browser (Password Manager), to be lost.”

“Yet, when I rebooted the Windows OS 11 machine again, the passwords were recovered/restored for a while.”

“But now, rebooting the Windows OS 11 machine, no longer recovers/restores the passwords.”

And in your second paragraph maybe replace that second paragraph with 2 paragraphs:

First part of 2nd paragraph, may I suggest, as its own paragraph:

“I then tried to uninstall Brave from my desktop and restarted the machine. First attempt at that, I didn’t clear browsing history, but I did that the second time around. But now, I have a windows machine that I cannot add to my sync chain.”

Second part of 2nd paragraph, may I suggest, as a subsequent paragraph:

“My trying to fix things, I found a post to remove all chromium based browsers and did that, but an Internal sync setup error still keeps on popping up after I type in my sync code and click on OK.”

All these suggestions, to help Brave Support more clearly see the steps that you had taken, prior to your Original Post.

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Thank you my friend, hopefully that helps them move forward with the issue.

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I solved my own problem (I think :smile: ). So what I did was saved a password and then when I tried to sync again it worked this time. I haven’t restarted my machine since and dreading to reboot at this point lol.