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Installation Guide

Quick Install (Recommended)

Step 1: Download

Download the latest release from the Releases page.

You will receive a ZIP file containing:

UniversalBrowserBackup.bat
UniversalBrowserBackup.ps1
LICENSE
README.md

Step 2: Extract

Extract the ZIP file to your desired location, for example:

  • Desktop
  • Documents
  • USB Drive (for portable use)

Step 3: Run

Double-click UniversalBrowserBackup.bat

That's it! No installation required.

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

Component Requirement
OS Windows 10 or Windows 11
PowerShell Version 5.1 or later
RAM 4 GB
Disk Space 100 MB (plus backup storage)
Display 800x600 resolution

Recommended Requirements

Component Requirement
OS Windows 11 (latest updates)
PowerShell Version 7.0+
RAM 8 GB or more
Disk Space 1 GB+ (for backups)

Verifying Installation

Check PowerShell Version

Open PowerShell and run:

$PSVersionTable.PSVersion

You should see version 5.1 or higher.

Check GitHub Repository

Visit: https://github.com/theyonecodes/universal-browser-backup-tool

Verify you're using the latest version by checking the Releases page.

Portable Installation (USB)

For portable use (e.g., IT technicians):

  1. Create a folder on your USB drive (e.g., BrowserBackupTool)
  2. Extract all files to that folder
  3. Run UniversalBrowserBackup.bat from the USB

Advantages

  • ✅ No installation on host PC
  • ✅ Works on any Windows 10/11 PC
  • ✅ Portable across machines
  • ✅ Leave no traces on host PC

Limitations

  • ⚠️ Backups stored locally on each PC
  • ⚠️ Requires USB drive access

System-Wide Installation

For IT administrators who want to deploy to multiple machines:

Option 1: Batch File Distribution

  1. Create a shared network folder
  2. Place UniversalBrowserBackup.bat and UniversalBrowserBackup.ps1 in the folder
  3. Create a shortcut to UniversalBrowserBackup.bat
  4. Distribute shortcut to users

Option 2: Software Deployment

Use your preferred deployment tool (SCCM, Intune, PDQ Deploy, etc.) to:

  1. Copy files to a local folder (e.g., C:\Program Files\BrowserBackupTool)
  2. Create a Start Menu shortcut
  3. Optionally create a Desktop shortcut

Option 3: Portable Mode

Users can extract and run from any location they choose.

Post-Installation

First Run Checklist

  1. ✅ Close all browsers
  2. ✅ Double-click UniversalBrowserBackup.bat
  3. ✅ Verify browser detection (should show installed browsers)
  4. ✅ Test with a small backup to a test folder
  5. ✅ Verify backup contains manifest.json

Configuration (Optional)

The tool stores no persistent configuration. All settings are per-session.

For custom default backup location, you can:

  1. Edit UniversalBrowserBackup.ps1
  2. Find the line: $script:txtFolder.Text = [Environment]::GetFolderPath("Desktop")
  3. Change to your preferred path

Uninstallation

To remove the tool:

  1. Delete the folder containing the tool files
  2. Delete any backup folders you created
  3. No registry changes or system files are modified

Updating

To update to a new version:

  1. Close the tool if running
  2. Download the new release
  3. Replace the old files with new files
  4. Keep your backup folders (they are compatible)

Troubleshooting Installation

"Cannot run scripts" Error

If you see a PowerShell execution policy error:

  1. Right-click UniversalBrowserBackup.bat
  2. Select "Run as Administrator"
  3. Or run PowerShell as Admin and execute: 
    Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

"Access Denied" Error

Ensure you have write permissions to the target folder.

Browser Not Detected

  • Ensure browser is installed
  • Ensure browser has been run at least once to create profile
  • Try running the browser normally first

Next Steps

For additional help, please open an issue on GitHub.