Save all your passwords when you reinstall Google Chrome

The function of remembering passwords is extremely useful and is used by a huge number of users in any browser. It allows you not to keep in mind or on paper hundreds of passwords from a variety of Internet resources, and it is convenient to log in every time by pressing a couple of buttons on the screen. However, when you reinstall the system or browser, all saved data, including passwords, disappears. This can lead to undesirable situations where the user cannot get to his own account on any site.

Is it possible to save passwords in Google Chrome when reinstalling the system

If the device (PC) or the browser itself begins to work incorrectly, you should try to understand the cause of the incorrect operation of the equipment or program. If the solution to the problem without reinstalling the software could not be found, then you should know that such actions delete most of the information, including previously saved passwords.

If you do not remember all the previously set passwords, as well as if you doubt the correctness of some, you should worry in advance about how to save all bookmarks and passwords for future use.

Options

Next, we will consider the most popular and effective ways to help save passwords in Google Chrome when reinstalling the system. Each user will be able to choose the most optimal option for himself, since each of them differs in complexity.

Install Google Chrome
Install Google Chrome

Using the settings in the browser

This method helps to save not only passwords previously set in the browser, but also other activities, such as search history, necessary bookmarks, and so on.

We'll need a Google account that we'll sync with.

To enable synchronization:

  • open the browser and click on the user's avatar located in the upper right corner of the screen;
  • click on "Enable synchronization";
  • if you have already signed in to your account, you'll see a confirmation box, and if you haven't signed in, Google will prompt you to sign in.

This function is extremely convenient because it allows you to upload all the data important to the user to the cloud storage, from which you can take the necessary information at any time. You can control the synchronization function directly from the settings. Thus, the user can select the data that needs to be sent to the cloud storage manually.

Also, synchronization of accounts on PC and mobile allows you to quickly log in to sites from any device.

By saving to a folder

This method is an alternative to the previous one, although it is more complex in execution. When chrome is installed on a personal computer or other device, a folder is automatically created in memory that stores the program's data, its work and temporary files, as well as saved information, to which passwords belong.

This means that you can save a folder with all your personal data and passwords to a portable media, then reinstall the system, and then return everything to its original place.

To do this, you need:

  • copy this address %LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser Data
  • Paste it either in the line next to Start or in Windows Explorer (Win+E).
  • find the Default folder there, and then transfer it to a flash drive.
Location of the desired Google Chrome folder
Location of the desired Google Chrome folder

Alternative methods

Although the methods above are the simplest and most affordable, there is another one, which is to export bookmarks. You can resort to this method using the standard set of Chrome tools. To do this, you need:

  • Open a browser.
  • Click on the three dots in the corner;
  • go to "Settings";
  • select "AutoComplete";
  • click the "Passwords" button, then go to "Saved passwords";
  • there are three dots opposite them, you must click them to display the Export button.

How to recover passwords after reinstallation

The recovery algorithm depends on how you saved your data.  If you choose to sync, after reinstalling the system:

  • install Chrome;
  • click on the user's avatar in the upper right corner;
  • click Turn on Sync.

If you downloaded the Default folder to removable media, after reinstalling the system:

  • reinstall the browser;
  • Open File Explorer (Win+E).
  • paste %LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser Data into the top row
  • move the Default folder from the flash drive there.
Transfer data to a folder with Google Chrome
Transfer data to a folder with Google Chrome

If you exported passwords to a CSV file, then:

  • enter the Chrome address bar chrome://flags/#PasswordImport
  • Check the enabled position and press the blue Relaunch button.
  • Tap the three dots in the top right corner, then "Settings";
  • "Autocomplete" – "Passwords";
  • click three dots next to "Saved Passwords";
  • the "Import" button will appear there (it appeared thanks to the PasswordImport checkbox);
  • click on it and specify the path to the CSV file.

After that, all saved passwords will be restored.

Mike Lombardi/ author of the article

QA Engineer, Head of Automated Software Testing Department. Knowledge of Java, C/C++, JSP, HTML, XML, JavaScript, SQL, and Oracle PL/SQL. Journalist and Columnist in the IT field. Website Creator and Administrator.

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