How to copy Edge profile to a different machine INCLUDING search engine preferences and extensions

[pieterdezwart]

The question is clear. I copied my Edge profile from C:\Users\[MYUSERNAME]\AppData\Local\Microsoft and exported and imported the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Edge\PreferenceMACs\Default registry key. My profile loads just fine on a different machine, but because of some retarded Microsoft decision Microsoft Edge decides to remove my default search engine as well as my extensions (they are included in the backup from the AppData folder but get removed as soon as I start Edge).

How can I prevent this from happening? I can live without the extensions because there's another way to install them automatically (even though there's no reason for Microsoft to remove them), but one thing I can't live with is Microsoft shoving their inferior search engine down everyone's throats and forcing me to manually change this on every machine I copy the profile to.

[#2]

@pieterdezwart 

You may be encountering two different safety mechanisms here.

The default search provider is a sensitive setting which I suspect is subject to special protection. I think your question illustrates just how sensitive a matter this is. The search provider preference can only be changed by positive user action, so changing it in any other way - like copying settings from one machine to another - should not be possible. If a non-user-initiated change is detected, Edge will revert to its default, which is Bing.

Extensions are a popular vehicle for introducing malware. Again, they have to be installed by the user (or in some cases by the administrator on managed machines). That's probably why you can't just copy extensions from one profile to another: it would be just too easy for a bad actor to introduce a malicious one.  

[#3]

I copy user's profiles for browsers and it preserves many settings, even flags.

%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Edge

 As for the search, that is the reason, search engines provides an extension to do it.

https://microsoftedge.microsoft.com/addons/detail/neeva-search-for-edge/jkepehajfncgppfeaaglhplickgffchi