How to Manually Restore Deleted Chrome Bookmark Folders
Losing your carefully organised Chrome bookmark folders can be a nightmare—especially when Chrome Sync or an accidental deletion wipes out your saved folders. In this tutorial, I'll share the process I used to recover my bookmarks manually by leveraging Chrome’s built-in backup file (Bookmarks.bak). Follow these steps on macOS or Windows to restore your bookmark folders one-by-one.
What You’ll Need
- For macOS: Finder access to your Chrome profile directory (typically in your Library folder).
- For Windows: File Explorer access to your Chrome user data folder.
- A quiet moment and a little patience if you have many folders to recover.
General Overview
The method works by temporarily stopping Chrome Sync from overwriting your changes, restoring the backup file as your active bookmarks file, and then copying individual folders back into your restored bookmarks once Chrome has updated. The key steps for both operating systems are:
- Disconnect from the Internet: Prevent Chrome Sync from re-uploading the current (empty) bookmarks.
- Quit Chrome Completely: Ensure Chrome isn’t running in the background.
- Access Your Chrome Profile Folder: Locate the folder where the bookmark files are stored.
- Replace the Bookmarks File: Delete or rename the current bookmarks file, duplicate the backup file (Bookmarks.bak), and rename it to Bookmarks.
- Reopen Chrome Offline: Verify that your bookmarks are restored.
- Recover Each Folder: Copy the desired bookmark folder, reconnect to the internet, let Chrome update, then paste the folder back.
- Repeat: Do this for each folder you need to restore.
Detailed Steps for macOS
Prepare Your System
- Turn Off Wi-Fi: Disconnect from your network to prevent Chrome Sync from interfering.
- Quit Chrome Completely: Use Activity Monitor to ensure no Chrome processes are running.
Locate Your Chrome Profile Folder
Open Finder.
Press Go, Go To Folder
Then type in:
~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/
You’ll see two files: Bookmarks and Bookmarks.bak.
Restore the Bookmarks Backup
- Delete the Current Bookmarks File: Remove the Bookmarks file.
- Duplicate and Rename: Duplicate Bookmarks.bak and rename the copy to Bookmarks (remove the “.bak” extension).
Launch Chrome Offline
- With Wi-Fi still off, reopen Chrome and verify that your bookmarks now reflect the backup state.
Recover Your Folders
- In Chrome, open the Bookmark Manager (via chrome://bookmarks).
- Copy a Folder: Select and copy the folder you wish to restore.
- Turn Wi-Fi On: Reconnect to the internet and wait a moment for Chrome to sync.
- Paste the Folder: Reopen Bookmark Manager and paste the folder into your bookmarks.
- Repeat for each folder.
For Windows users
Prepare Your System
- Disconnect from the Internet: Turn off Wi-Fi or unplug your network cable.
- Quit Chrome Completely: Use Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) to ensure all Chrome processes are closed.
Locate Your Chrome Profile Folder
Open File Explorer.
Navigate to:
C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\
(If you don’t see the AppData folder, ensure that hidden files are visible by enabling “Hidden items” in the View menu.)
- You should see the files Bookmarks and Bookmarks.bak.
Restore the Bookmarks Backup
- Delete the Current Bookmarks File: Delete the Bookmarks file.
- Duplicate and Rename: Copy the Bookmarks.bak file and rename the copy to Bookmarks (remove the “.bak” extension).
Launch Chrome Offline
- With your computer still disconnected from the internet, launch Chrome.
- Check that your bookmarks now reflect the restored backup.
Recover Your Folders
- Open the Bookmark Manager in Chrome (type chrome://bookmarks in the address bar).
- Copy a Folder: Select and copy the bookmark folder you want to recover.
- Reconnect to the Internet: Enable your network connection and wait for Chrome to sync.
- Paste the Folder: Return to the Bookmark Manager and paste the folder.
- Repeat for each folder you need to restore.
Tips & Best Practices
- Regular Backups: Once you’ve restored your bookmarks, export them via Bookmark Manager (Organise > Export bookmarks) to keep a current backup.
- Disable Sync Temporarily: Consider signing out of your Google account or disabling bookmark sync while performing these steps.
- Use Built-In Backups: If you have Time Machine on macOS or File History on Windows, you may also restore the entire profile folder from a backup.
- Export Regularly: Even if you rely on sync, periodically export your bookmarks as an HTML file for an extra layer of safety.
Conclusion
By following these step-by-step instructions on macOS and Windows, you can manually restore deleted Chrome bookmark folders, even if Chrome Sync initially overwrites your restored file. It might be a bit tedious if you have many folders, but with a little patience, you can regain your organised bookmarks.
Have you ever had to restore your Chrome bookmarks manually? Share your experiences and any extra tips in the comments below!
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