How do you create separate shortcuts for different profiles?

[USMA56795]

The default shortcut has this as a Target:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge Dev\Application\msedge.exe" --profile-directory="Default"

 I think if I substitute other values for the profile-directory I can get the shortcut to use a different profile, but am not sure what to name it.  I searched around the application and AppData directories but nothing leapt out at me.

[#2]

@USMA56795The way profile works are the original will be "default". Any additional profiles will start with profile (then a number) like Profile 1, Profile 2, etc.
 
If you want to open your second profile, it will be this below in the Target text box.

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge Dev\Application\msedge.exe" --profile-directory="Profile 1"

 
I hope this helps.

Eric E.

[#3]

@Eric_MS If I try this, it just creates a new profile named "Profile 1" for me, even though I replaced it with "Work" which is an existing profile in Edge. How can I make it open an existing profile I have in Edge Chromium?

[#4]

@Koen Zomers  Unfortunately you have to know what profile number is associated with the displayed profile name.

For example, on one of my laptops Profile 1 = firstname.lastname@outlook.com, Profile 2 = firstname.lastname@work.com, Profile 3 = whyisthissohard@edgedev.com, etc.

If I want to access my work profile, my shortcut Properties looks like this:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge Dev\Application\msedge.exe" --profile-directory="Profile 2"

It would be great if Microsoft supported profile names in the argument, such as this:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge Dev\Application\msedge.exe" --profile-directory="firstname.lastname@work.com"

[#5]

I renamed my profiles to "WORK" and "HOME" - crazy naming convention, I know. Now trying to create a shortcut with --profile-directory and everything I try just creates a new profile. 

--profile-directory ="profile 1" [fail]

--profile-directory ="Profile 1" [fail]

--profile-directory ="profile 2" [fail]

--profile-directory ="profile 3" [fail]

--profile-directory ="work" [fail]

--profile-directory ="WORK" [fail]

--profile-directory ="home" [fail]

A little documentation would be good. How does using the profile name not work?

[#6 · Accepted solution]

@AllanRoss 

if I pin Edge to the taskbar I get a shortcut with this command

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge Beta\Application\msedge.exe" --profile-directory="Profile 1"

open the directory
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Edge Beta\User Data\

and check if there are Profile folders called like

• Profile 0
• Profile 1
• etc....

if you need to identify them:

inside these directories you have a file called Preferences

open it with a text editor (i.e. notepad.exe) copy everything into https://jsonbeautifier.org/ click Format/Beautify and then open the profile tree

there you find the name of the Profile associated to your profile folder "Profile x"

[#7]

@USMA56795 

Detailed description:

1. open Edge

2. Options

3. Profiles

4. only 1 profile exists:

 - define and name this profile 

 - Pin the current Icon to the taskbar

 - Create new profile and name it

 - Switch to new profile

 - Pin current icon to taskbar

 - Create new profile and name it

 - Switch to new profile

 - Pin current icon to taskbar

 - Repeat these steps for every additional profile.

 - Go to C:\Users\(Username)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\ImplicitAppShortcuts\

 - Inside each folder is a link to the dedicated profile

 - right click on the icon and choose 'send to'

 - A shortcut will be placed wherever you want. f.e. Desktop

 - Taskbar icon can be deleted

5. you have already existing profiles

 - follow steps above without creating new profiles:

 - (switch profile - pin to taskbar - switch profile - pin to taskbar - etc.)

- Go to C:\Users\(Username)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\ImplicitAppShortcuts\

 - Inside each folder is a link to the dedicated profile

 - right click on the icon and choose 'send to'

 - A shortcut will be placed wherever you want.

 - Taskbar icon can be deleted

Please note:

default profile command is: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\msedge.exe" --profile-directory=Default

afterwards each profile increases by 1, starting by: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\msedge.exe" --profile-directory="Profile 1"

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\msedge.exe" --profile-directory="Profile 2"

However, it seems that just adding these commands adds new profiles to the broswer than linking to the existing ones.

Profile folders can be found under:

C:\Users\(Username)\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Edge\User Data

- Default or

- (Profilename e.g. IT) or

- Profile 1 

- Profile 2

- etc.

[#8]

@USMA56795 Hi I can't see a folder named "Edge Dev" in the Edge folder in Microsoft. What to do? Any update I am missing or do I reinstall edge?

[#9]

Try the path "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application". I was running the dev channel when I made my post. The normal release channel uses a directory called "Edge". This allows people to have multiple release channels installed at the same time.

[#10]

@chris_conley  I tried this path and although I have two profiles in Edge, it is only showing me one program called msedge.exe 

What to do? 

[#11]

msedge.exe is the application.  To launch that application with a specific profile you need to add a command line parameter that describes which profile you want to launch.

1. Right-click the shortcut and select Properties (if you right-click the icon on the taskbar, the 'shortcut' is the third icon up, above "Close window" and "Pin to taskbar" / "Unpin from taskbar"
2. Go to the tab called Shortcut
3. In the "Target" field, add or update the --profile-directory="[foo]" parameter, where [foo] is the numeric name of your profile, such as the example below.

[#12]

@Koen Zomers edge://version/ This page gives you the profile directory path for the current profile you are using. 

[#13]

@r-v-p  you say

---

@r-v-p wrote:

@USMA56795 

Detailed description:

1. open Edge

2. Options

3. Profiles

What do you mean with "Options"?? Where is that? I don't see a command to pin current profile to task bar. Can you post a screenshot?

[#14]

@Ingeborg Hawighorst: I think he meant Settings.

If you open multiple Profiles at the same time, each one gets an icon in the Taskbar.  From there, you can right-click the icon in the Taskbar and select Pin to Taskbar (it should be the bottom-most selection).

[#15]

Best answer here, thank you