My collections have disappeared, how do I recover them? Where is the "Get Started" button for Collections?

Anonymous
2023-02-12T17:25:24+00:00

I turned my computer on today, accessed Edge, went to Collections, and discovered that none of my saved items under Collections headings are available, they have disappeared. Previous Help articles say to click on the "Get Started" button -- I do not see the button. Where is the "Get Started" button on the Collections sidebar. Please help, I have important items in Collections which I need to access today. Thank you.

Microsoft Edge | Favorites, history, and downloads | Windows 11

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Anonymous
2023-04-04T19:47:10+00:00

Here's what I did:

-I browsed to: edge://sync-internals/

-Located "collections" at the bottom and saw my number of collections at 128.

-I clicked the three dots and created a new profile in edge browser and it generated as "profile2" (yours may different, like profile3)

-Went to C:\users\*****\AppData\Local\microsoft\edge\userdata\default\ in File Explorer

-Closed the browser

-Copied the "Collections" folder within that default folder

-Pasted the "Collections" folder into "profile2" of "userdata" (C:\users\*****\AppData\Local\microsoft\edge\userdata)

-Opened the Edge browser

-I clicked the three dots again and opened my original profile and clicked the settings wheel and selected "sign out" on the next page that came up.

-I checked "clear favorites, history, passwords..... from this device". Finished the prompt and signed out.

-This is the most important step: I went back to the home page of the browser in my newly created profile "profile2", clicked the three dots again and signed in with my original profile's credentials (email and password) while in "profile2".
-The browser did a full sync (took a minute) and kept the pasted collections from "profile2" which then all magically became my new original profile.

My collections are now synced across all of my devices, I've confirmed.

I've also saved the original "Collections" folder in safe place in case this happens ever again.

Daniel Stewart

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-05-09T19:36:56+00:00

    this did not work for me and i can't access my my microsoft edge collections. I keep getting told the site is "blocked" "contact the site owner for assistance" yeah.. no lucke contacting microsoft

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-02-26T19:07:10+00:00

    Guys, if you're looking for collections they are in Bing

    Go to bing.com and click the stack next to your profile and reward points counter.

    First thing is collections

    Microsoft, bring this back, don't lock it away in Bing. Make it a thing for Edge like it was before.

    To Jerbear_798, Thanks for the help finding disappeared collections. So, I have to go to Bing and then open the '...' to get to 'More tools' and I found Collections at the top of that tab.

    I really would like to copy the Collections information (links) to a resident file on my computer, but don't know how. Can you please help me with that? Thanks so much.

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-02-25T19:51:16+00:00

    I have given up hope regarding getting Microsoft's help with anything involving my PC. Answers from Microsoft are unhelpful, unclear and way too "techie" for "normal" people to understand-- probably on purpose. I notice A LOT that after posing a question, Microsoft replies and then promptly closes the thread so that it can no longer be addressed. I will take my inquiries regarding my PC elsewhere, where others will truly want to help me by giving me simple, everyday answers in easy to understand English, rather than rambling, frustrating, confusing technospeak. By not helping people using simple instructions, Microsoft, you are making yourself incomprehensible to your customers, thus losing your customers. Nice job making technology frustrating for everyone.

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-11-27T19:23:17+00:00

    My Collections on Microsoft Edge have disappeared a few times only to have them "magically" reappear a week or so later. I do not appreciate having these important links in my Collections suddenly disappearing. I wonder how people working for Microsoft would feel having THEIR private information suddenly gone? I've learned my lesson. I'm going to move all my links from my Collections to my Favorites so I can control them from being taken away from me without my permission in case Microsoft pulls this s**t again.

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