How to Import Favorites From Windows to Mac

The most popular browsers export to a format that Safari can import.

When making the swap from a Windows PC to a Mac, you'll need to migrate all of your data. Pictures and documents should be pretty easy to transfer, a simple matter of copying the files to an external drive and swapping them over. Internet favorites aren't so simple. You'll have to first export your list of favorites from your browser application and then import them into your Mac's browser, Safari. This task will vary depending on which browser you use on your Windows computer.

Instructions

Export With Internet Explorer

1. Launch Internet Explorer and click the "Favorites" button. It looks like a star.

2. Click the down arrow next to "Add to Favorites" and click "Import and Export." Select "Export to a file" and click "Next."

3. Click "Favorites" from the list of items available for export and click "Next." Select the "Favorites" folder to include all of your favorites in the export and click "Next."

4. Click "Browse" and navigate to your desktop to save the file in an easy-to-find location. Click "Export." The file "Bookmarks.htm" will be saved to your desktop.

Export With Firefox

1. Launch Firefox and click the "Bookmarks" tab to open a sub-menu. Click "Show All Bookmarks."

2. Click "Import and Backup" in the top menu bar and click "Export HTML."

3. Browse to your desktop and click "Save." The file "Bookmarks.html" will be saved to your desktop.

Export With Chrome

1. Launch Chrome and click the wrench icon from the top-right corner of the page. Click "Bookmarks Manager."

2. Click "Organize" and click "Export Bookmarks."

3. Browse to your desktop and click "Save." A file named "Bookmarks-datecode-.html" will be saved to your desktop.

Import With Safari

1. Transfer the bookmarks file to your Mac computer. You can use a flash drive, an external hard drive or email the file to yourself and retrieve it from the Mac computer. Place the file on your Mac's desktop.

2. Launch Safari and click "File." Select "Import Bookmarks."

3. Browse to the location of your bookmarks file and double-click it. Safari will copy all of the bookmarks stored in the export file from your Windows computer into your new bookmarks folder.

Tips & Warnings

• Depending on your browser, you may lose the folder structure of your bookmarks list. If this happens, you will have to recreate folders to organize your list of bookmarks.

References

• Microsoft Windows: Import or Export Favorites in Internet Explorer
• Mozilla Firefox Help: Exporting Bookmarks to an HTML File
• Google Chrome Help: Import or Export Bookmarks
• Apple Safari 3.0 Help: Importing and Exporting Bookmarks