Quick fix: Open Edge → edge://settings/reset. Click Restore settings to their default values. This resets startup pages, search engines, extensions to default but keeps your bookmarks, history, and saved passwords. For a deeper reset, sign out of sync first to avoid syncing your reset state back to other devices.

Edge accumulating issues: slow startup, mystery redirects, weird search results from a hijacked default. Reset clears most of this without erasing your bookmarks. Microsoft designed the reset to be conservative — reverts settings but preserves user data.

Symptom: Want to reset Microsoft Edge settings while keeping bookmarks intact.
Affects: Microsoft Edge on Windows 11.
Fix time: ~5 minutes.

What causes this need

Edge can develop issues:

Default search engine changed unexpectedly.
Startup page hijacked.
Sluggish, high memory use.
Extensions misbehaving.
Suspect malware.

Reset reverts these to default while keeping bookmarks, passwords, history.

Method 1: Reset Edge via Settings

The standard route.

Open Edge.
In the URL bar, type edge://settings/reset → Enter.
Or: Settings (three-dot menu) → Reset settings.
Click Restore settings to their default values.
Confirmation: shows what gets reset (startup pages, new tab, search engine, content blockers, cookies, extensions).
What stays: bookmarks, history, passwords, autofill data.
Click Reset.
Edge restarts. Settings are default.
Bookmarks still in the bookmarks bar / bookmarks manager.

This is the conservative reset.

Method 2: Back up bookmarks explicitly before reset

For extra safety.

Before reset, export bookmarks to a file.
Open Edge → edge://favorites.
Click the three-dot menu → Export favorites.
Save as HTML file. Store in safe location (USB, OneDrive).
Now even if reset goes wrong, you have a backup.
For deeper backup: copy Edge profile folder before reset.
```
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Edge\User Data\Default
```
Copy this folder to backup location.
After reset: if you need to restore something specific, copy specific files back (Bookmarks file, History file).
To import bookmarks back: edge://favorites → three-dot menu → Import favorites → pick HTML file.

This is the extra-safe approach.

Method 3: Deep reset by recreating profile

For when Method 1 isn’t enough.

If reset doesn’t fix issues: re-create the Edge profile.
Open Edge → Settings → Profiles. Pick your profile → Remove.
This deletes the profile. Sign-in lost. All sync data still in cloud (assuming you’re signed in to Microsoft).
Sign in fresh: open Edge → sign in with Microsoft account.
Sync pulls back bookmarks, passwords, history, extensions.
Fresh sync is cleaner; corruption from old profile is gone.
Caveat: locally-saved-but-not-synced bookmarks are lost if sync isn’t configured. Export first as in Method 2.
For sync issues: edge://settings/profiles → click profile → Manage sync → restart sync after re-adding profile.

This is the comprehensive reset.

How to verify the fix worked

Edge settings show defaults (Bing search, default new tab page).
Extensions list is empty (all reset).
Bookmarks intact: open edge://favorites. Bookmarks visible.
Passwords intact: edge://settings/passwords. Saved passwords visible.
History intact: edge://history. Recent pages visible.

If none of these work

If reset doesn’t help: Reinstall Edge: Settings → Apps → Installed apps → Microsoft Edge → Modify → Repair. Or Uninstall via PowerShell admin: Get-AppxPackage *MicrosoftEdge* | Remove-AppxPackage. Then reinstall. Malware check: run Windows Defender full scan + Malwarebytes free. Hijacked search: Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Address bar and search → Manage search engines → remove unwanted. Set Bing or Google as default. Slow startup: disable startup boost (Settings → System and performance) and unnecessary extensions. Sync conflicts: at microsoft.com/account/privacy/edge → clear cloud sync data. Re-sync from fresh state. For chronic issues across profiles: reinstall Windows or use a different browser temporarily.

Bottom line: edge://settings/reset → Restore settings to their default values. Bookmarks, passwords, history preserved. Export bookmarks first for safety. Use full profile recreation for deeper issues.