Trying to convinced Edge it needs my Bookmarks. ":-\\

Check Edge’s Imported favorites folder first, then import the same HTML file into a temporary Edge profile to determine whether the file or the original profile is causing the four-bookmark result.

1. Check where Edge placed the import

1. In Edge, press Ctrl+Shift+O to open the Favorites page.
2. Expand Other favorites and look for a folder named Imported.
3. Check its subfolders as well; Edge may preserve the source folder hierarchy rather than placing every bookmark directly on the Favorites bar. Microsoft specifically notes that HTML imports may appear in an Imported folder.^1^

If only four bookmarks exist there, continue below rather than repeating the import in the same profile.

2. Test the file in a clean Edge profile

1. Select the profile icon in Edge’s upper-right corner.
2. Select Set up a new profile.
3. Choose Personal, then Start without your data.
4. In the new profile, enter this in the address bar: edge://settings/profiles/importBrowsingData
5. Under Other import locations, select Import beside Import browser data now.
6. For Import from, select Favorites or bookmarks HTML file.
7. Choose the same HTML file and complete the import.^1^

Edge profiles keep separate bookmarks and settings, so this test does not alter the original profile.^2^

If the temporary profile also imports only four

The HTML file—or Edge’s handling of its structure—is the leading suspect.

Open the file in Notepad and:

• Search case-insensitively for href=.
• Inspect entries near the beginning, middle, and end of the file.
• Verify that bookmarks are actual links, not plain-text URLs.
• Look for abruptly cut-off content or incomplete tags.
• Keep an untouched backup before editing anything.

A conventional browser-exported bookmark entry resembles:

<!DOCTYPE NETSCAPE-Bookmark-file-1>
<TITLE>Bookmarks</TITLE>
<H1>Bookmarks</H1>
<DL><p>
  <DT><H3>Example folder</H3>
  <DL><p>
    <DT><A HREF="https://example.com">Example</A>
  </DL><p>
</DL><p>

Microsoft does not publish a stricter HTML schema on its import page. If the file contains only four conventional anchor entries, that suggests an incomplete or nonstandard export, but it does not conclusively prove that the file contains only four bookmark records. If possible, regenerate the HTML using the original bookmark program’s Export bookmarks/favorites command rather than a Save As operation or hand-built page.

If all bookmarks import into the temporary profile

Reset the favorites database in the original profile:

1. In the working temporary profile, confirm the complete import and use Ctrl+Shift+O → three-dot menu → Export favorites to create a clean backup.
2. In the original profile, temporarily pause Favorites sync, if enabled, so synchronized data does not immediately restore the old state.
3. Close every Edge window.
4. In File Explorer, open: C:\Users\<YourName>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Edge\User Data\Default
5. Only if Default is the affected profile folder, rename Bookmarks to Bookmarks.old. If the affected profile uses another profile folder, identify and use that folder instead.
6. Restart Edge; it creates a fresh bookmarks file.
7. Import the clean HTML backup.
8. Keep Bookmarks.old until the complete favorites collection has been confirmed.

This profile-level reset is the documented Q&A remedy for corrupted local bookmark data.^3^

3. Conditional fallbacks

• Update Edge: open edge://settings/help; Edge checks for updates automatically. Restart it if requested.^4^
• Repair Edge only if both profiles mishandle a known-good export: on Windows 10, use Start → Settings → Apps → Apps & features → Microsoft Edge → Modify → Repair. Some builds label this page Installed apps. Repair normally preserves browser data, so use it after the profile-level reset rather than expecting it to replace a corrupted favorites database.^5^

References

1. Import your favorites and passwords in Microsoft Edge | Microsoft Support
2. Sign in and create multiple profiles in Microsoft Edge | Microsoft Support
3. How to fix favorites bookmarks that are duplicating and corrupted - Microsoft Q&A
4. Getting the latest Microsoft Edge update just got easier | Microsoft Support
5. What to do if Microsoft Edge isn't working | Microsoft Support