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New Dell laptop, history from yesterday not found, tab group created not found!

Kevin M. Wilson 0 Reputation points
2026-05-07T04:41:10.0566667+00:00

/What the F%$# over, history, containers, tab groups from 5/5/2026! This is my cheap replacement laptop, until 5/20/26, and I'd like my data tabs/favorites/et al.

So, why isn't importing from where ever MS stores these types of data? I really need a workable solution, as my previous Lenovo LOQ was stolen.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Recovery and backup

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  1. Thomas4-N 15,965 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-05-23T10:32:19.73+00:00

    Hello Kevin M. Wilson,

    Just to clear up one thing first — Edge isn't actually a descendant of Chrome. They're both built on the same open-source Chromium engine, which is why they feel so similar, but they're separate products from different companies and each has its own sync system. Chrome syncs to your Google account, Edge syncs to your Microsoft account, and the two don't talk to each other in the cloud.

    What happened on your Dell Chromebook makes sense once you look at it that way. Chrome sync was already tied to your Google account and turned on by default, so the moment you signed in, everything came back down from Google's servers. For Edge to do the same thing, sync would have needed to be on with your Microsoft account on the old Lenovo before it was stolen, and then you'd sign in with that same Microsoft account on the new device. Without that, there's nothing on Microsoft's side to pull from, which is why Edge came up empty.

    So, it's less that Edge is behind Chrome and more that your data lived in two different accounts, and only the Google one was being synced. Once you're back on a Windows device on 5/20, signing in to Edge with your Microsoft account and turning sync on from the start will set you up so the same kind of restore works for you next time.

    Let me know if you have any other questions.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-05-07T04:41:20.9+00:00

    Browser history, tab groups, and similar data are not stored centrally by Microsoft in a way that automatically appears on a new device. They are local to the old device unless one of these is true:

    • Sync was turned on in the browser (for example, signed into Microsoft Edge with sync enabled), or
    • A backup/transfer method was used (cloud sync, export/import, or manual copy of a profile folder).

    If the Lenovo LOQ was stolen and there is no backup and no browser sync enabled, history and tab groups from that device cannot be recovered on the new Dell.

    For Microsoft Edge specifically:

    1. Edge can import data from other browsers and from older Edge/IE profiles, but this happens locally on the same device:
      • Edge imports favorites, browsing history, cookies, autofill data, extensions, settings, and other browsing data from other browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Internet Explorer, but only from what is present on that device.
      • Importing is done via Settings and more > Settings > Profiles > Import browser data, or by going to edge://settings/importData.
      • Importing is completed locally on the device; nothing is pulled from Microsoft servers unless sync or personalization is explicitly enabled afterward.
    2. Edge automatically migrates data only from:
      • Legacy Microsoft Edge to the new (Chromium-based) Microsoft Edge on the same machine. It does not require explicit consent and always migrates the legacy Edge data that exists locally.
      • Older versions of Microsoft Edge to newer versions on the same device when the browser is updated.
    3. Edge can import from Internet Explorer or Google Chrome if those profiles exist on the same device:
      • From Internet Explorer, Edge can import favorites, browsing history, passwords, search engines, home page, and some privacy settings. This requires that Internet Explorer data still be present on the machine.
      • From Google Chrome, Edge can import favorites/bookmarks, history, settings, pinned tabs, open tabs, and more, but again only from a Chrome profile installed on the same device.
    4. When data is imported into Edge:
      • The process is local; the imported data is not sent to Microsoft unless:
        • Signed into Edge with a Microsoft account and sync is turned on, or
        • The personalization/advertising toggle under Privacy, search, and services is enabled to allow Microsoft to save browsing activity.

    Given a stolen device:

    • If Edge (or another browser) sync was enabled with an account on the old Lenovo, sign into the same account on the new Dell and enable sync in that browser. That is the only supported way to get history, favorites, and possibly tab groups back.
    • If sync was not enabled and there is no backup or exported profile, there is no supported method to reconstruct history or tab groups from that stolen device.

    For future protection on the new laptop:

    1. Turn on browser sync:
      • In Microsoft Edge: Settings and more > Settings > Profiles > Sign in and enable sync for history, favorites, open tabs, etc.
    2. Optionally enable personalization if wanting Microsoft services to use browsing data across devices.
    3. Consider regular backups of user data (documents, exported bookmarks, etc.) using a backup solution or external drive.

    References:

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