Importing ALL data from Chrome to Vivaldi (cookies and extension data)

[ssafin]

im switching from chrome to vivaldi and i already imported most of the data i can:

however, i also wanna import my cookies (so im logged into everything i use) and extension data (so i dont have to set them up again)

the best i could find online was this: https://help.vivaldi.com/desktop/tools/import-and-export-browser-data/

but i dont get how to do it. do i just copy and paste all my files from C:\Users\Computer\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default to C:\Users\Computer\AppData\Local\Vivaldi\User Data\Default?

[mib2berlin]

@ssafin
Hi, I don't think it will work to copy all files over but you can try with copying:
The file Cookies, Cookies-journal
The folders Extension Rules, Scripts, State.
The file History if you need it.
I would delete the files/folders in Vivaldi before copy them over from the Chrome profile.
The file Preferences is quite different to Chrome, I would not try this.

Welcome to the forum, mib

[ssafin]

@mib2berlin
didn’t work, i have nothing in my history and im not logged into anything

extensions also don’t have any previous data

[mib2berlin]

@ssafin
Hm, I checked this at moment and copy Cookies and Cookies-journal over from Chrome to Vivaldi work, the same for the history files.
Did you delete the existing files and folders in Vivaldi as I mention?
I don't really use extensions with settings, so I cant test this correctly.

EDIT: You can check the cookies in Settings > Privacy > Show Saved Cookies.

[ssafin]

@mib2berlin
yeah i deleted the files before copying them over

the only cookies here are from the sites i accessed when setting up vivaldi

this would be my cookies + more on chrome (wtf i didnt know it took up 9gb lmao)

[mib2berlin]

@ssafin
I guess this are cached files, some file download pages store files in the browser but not delete them when the download is finished.
Anyway, I have no idea why this not work for you.
You copied from Vivaldi profile folder "Default" to App Data\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default ?

[Pathduck]

@ssafin Cookies and extension data is encrypted in Chromium-based browsers. You can't copy it over.
If you try, the existing cookies will just be invalidated since they can't be decrypted.

Forget about cookies, just log in again on the new browser. Always a good idea with a "clean start" in any case - especially since you seem to have amassed a very large data amount in Chrome.

For extension data - most good extensions have an export data/settings feature. Those that don't are usually really simple extensions that take little time to set up again.

Would probably be faster to just sign in again on the sites you need than trying in vain to try copying over.

[mib2berlin]

@Pathduck
Hi, I always test before I post something here and it work to copy the cookie file over from Chrome to a clean Vivaldi profile.
Whether this is a good idea is another matter.

[Pathduck]

@mib2berlin Did you test this on Windows?

In Windows, for the first thing the Cookies file lives in another location, under Network\Cookies.

Secondly, the data is encrypted with the value of encrypted_key in Local State in addition to the DPAPI key. And this key will be different from each browser install.

It might be possible to hack it with replacing the value of encrypted_key but that's more than I think users should do on their own.

On Linux I believe the encrypted_key is not used but instead the key(s) in the OS keystore.

[mib2berlin]

@Pathduck
I test on Windows 11.
To be save I delete all cookies in Chrome, login to the forum with remember me.
Then delete the cookie files in Vivaldi and copy the Chrome file over.
After your post I tested again 10 minutes ago.

[Pathduck]

@mib2berlin Did you check that the cookies were actually kept?

Perhaps by some magic your value of encrypted_key was the same in Chrome and Vivaldi. But it shouldn't work.

[mib2berlin]

@Pathduck
Hm, this I don`t test, I just open Vivaldi and was logged in on the forum.
But you are right, it is better to not mess with this in a new Vivaldi install.
@ssafin
I have done this several times, if I need a page I just login again, passwords are there so just two clicks to do.

[Pathduck]

@mib2berlin I doubt the encryption scheme in Chromium browsers have changed between Win10 -> Win11.

You can use jq to view the value of encrypted_key in Local State:
jq '.os_crypt.encrypted_key' "Local State"

If they are the same, then copy files like Cookies and Login Data might work.

[mib2berlin]

@Pathduck
Thanks, will check tomorrow, enough messing with Windows for today.