How to Copy Chrome Profile to New Computer

Besides using the Chrome sync feature, you can also manually move or copy Chrome profile to another computer. Here is how to do it.

Without a doubt, of all the web browsers available today, Chrome is one of the most powerful and popular ones out there. A few of the best things about Chrome are its many options; it has an extension for almost anything and supports modern web standards. Not to mention, practically every website and web service out there is optimized for Chrome.

After installing Chrome, you can create a new profile and start using it. While using Chrome, you automatically install many extensions, have extensive browsing history & bookmarks, and more as part of your daily usage. All this data is stored on the disk. When you want to move to another computer, you can transfer Chrome profile to another computer rather than starting all over.

If you are wondering, Google Chrome has a built-in sync feature that lets you sync all the content with your Google account. However, the catch is that you have to sign in to a Google account to sync. If you don’t want to sign into a Google account, you must manually transfer Chrome profiles.

Though there is no built-in option to copy or move Chrome profile to a new computer, you can quickly do that with a few clicks. Since all the relevant data is stored on the disk itself, you need to move it to a new computer, and you are done. It doesn’t sound straightforward, but it is pretty easy to do.

So, without delay, let me show you how to copy or transfer Chrome profile to a new computer in Windows operating system

Note: I’m showing these steps in Windows 11, but they will work in Windows 10 and 8.

Note 2: Have an empty pen drive with you to copy and move the data.

Transfer Chrome profile to a new computer

Caution: The steps below will overwrite any existing profiles in the new computer. So, back up any current Chrome profiles in the new computer to be on the safe side.

There are three significant steps to transfer Chrome profiles to a new computer. That is, export Chrome profile to a folder, export relevant registry keys, and then import both of them on the new computer.

1. Open the File Explorer.
2. Go to the “%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\” folder.
3. Copy the “User Data” folder.
4. Paste it into the empty USB drive.
5. Press “Win + R” to open Run.
6. Type “regedit” and press Enter.
7. Go to the “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs” folder.
8. Right-click on the “PreferenceMACs” folder.
9. Choose the “Export” option.
10. Give it a name and save the .reg file on the USB drive.
11. Unplug the USB drive and plug it into the new computer.
12. Make sure Chrome is installed on the new computer.
13. Open the USB drive.
14. Copy the “User Data” folder.
15. Open the File Explorer.
16. Go to the “%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\” folder.
17. Paste the “User Data” folder.
18. If prompted, choose the “Replace” option.
19. Double-click on the .reg file in the USB drive.
20. Click the “Yes” button.
21. Press “Yes” when prompted.
22. Close the File Explorer.
23. Reboot the computer.
24. With that, you have successfully transferred your Chrome profile to another computer.

Same steps with a bit more detail:

To make things easier, I divided the steps into two sections. Follow the sections one after the other, and the Chrome profile will be transferred safely.

Export Chrome profile in Windows

The first thing to do is backup or export the entire Chrome profile to a pen drive. To do that, you have to copy Chrome’s User Data folder and relevant registry keys. Let me show you how.

First, plug in the empty USB drive. Next, open the File Explorer with the “Start key + E” shortcut. You can also click on the pinned File Explorer icon on the taskbar or search for it in the Start menu.

In the File Explorer, paste “%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\” in the address bar and press “Enter.” This action will take you to the Chrome folder. Copy the “User Data” folder and paste it into the USB drive.

Next, we need to export relevant registry keys. You will face difficulties transferring your Chrome profile to another computer without these registry keys. So, open the “Registry Editor.” You can search for it in the Start menu or use the “regedit” Run (Win + R) command.

After opening the Registry Editor, paste the below path in the address bar and press Enter.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs

Once you are here, right-click on the “PreferenceMACs” and choose the “Export” option.

Go to the USB drive, give the file a name of your choice, and click the “Save” button.

With that, you have successfully exported the Google Chrome profile in Windows.

Import Chrome profile in Windows

Once you have all the Chrome export files, you can import the Chrome profile to another computer. i.e., transfer Chrome profile to a new computer. Let me show you how.

Note: Ensure the Chrome browser is installed on the new computer before importing the old Chrome profile.

Plug in the USB drive with Chrome export files on the new computer. After that, open the USB drive and copy the “User Data” folder.

Next, go to the “%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\” and paste the “User Data” folder you just copied. If prompted, choose the “Replace” option.

After that, double-click on the “.reg” file in the USB drive. When prompted for confirmation, click the “Yes” button.

The above action will import or merge the Chrome registry keys.

Once done, reboot the computer. After rebooting, open the Chrome browser, and you should see all your profiles along with their associated data.

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That is all. It is that simple to move, copy, or transfer Chrome profile to another new computer in Windows.

I hope this simple and easy Chrome how-to guide in Windows helped you.

If you are stuck or need some help, comment below, and I will try to help as much as possible.