Post-crash session restore not restoring tab groups

Question

Post-crash session restore not restoring tab groups

4004 60

Hello all, not sure if this is a bug or intended behaviour, but is certainly inconvenient.

Platform: Windows 10 21H2. This has been happening on the latest stable Edge versions, including 110.0.1587.63.

Scenario: Edge is closed with an unclean reboot/shutdown, or crashes. The closed session contains a tab group (at least 1). On next start up, Edge offers the option to restore the previous session in the popup (standard Chromium functionality).

Expected behaviour: the user clicks the Restore button, the previous session is restored. The tab group is either restored as a tab group, or as ungroup tabs.

Observed behaviour: the user clicks the Restore button, the previous session is restored sans the tab group(s). All tabs that were in the tab group are purged and not restored.

Strangely, the issue is not present when Edge is restarted by Windows as part of a (clean?) reboot scenario and initiates a session restore automatically (without a prompt) - I wish this was an available option regardless of the type of shutdown.

Any suggestions of how to counter this (except manually saving all tab groups as collections and then manually restoring)?

Reporting here as feedback submission has been gpo-disabled on this machine.

rf 15 Reputation points

2023-04-26T19:16:44.05+00:00

this also happens whenever there is a second edge browser open in the background. if it gets closed secondly, then the tab settings of that second browser supercede the setting of the main browser page. I have lost over 300 organized tabs. so frustrating that MS has such poorly designed features.
Ines Abrunhosa dos Santos 5 Reputation points

2023-07-22T02:27:10.8533333+00:00

Well well.. going back to previous version or previews build release from insider program or resetting default action does NOT bring back the window with the groupped tabs now does it? So what now? What solution do you have to bring back those tabs? Because I had an issue where taskbar had disappeared and only with this last update it came back and during that time where i didn' tahev it I needed some way to go to edge to look for a solution and was expecting Edge to open the window everytime with those groupped tabs, which I groupped precisely NOT to lose them because I shouldn0t have to emmorise which tabs I had grouped nor how I had groupped them nor shouyuld I have to worry, if that option to group tabs exists it's certainly NOT to be lost by closing the navigator, now is it????? This option is BS and a scam bcs we have the whole trouble to do it over and over and still it doesn't save nor restore nor even give us that option of restoring ??!!!!
Edwin Berry 10 Reputation points

2023-07-23T12:59:51.6833333+00:00

Of course, I have my Edge set to reopen all tabs after a close, and this has worked for over a year. But last night, Microsoft did an update on my computer and Edge lost all its tab history. Without this history, all the gimmicks to restore the tabs do not work.

It would be great if edge, like outlook, kept a file on my computer that would show my last tab session. But edge does not do that. Certainly, Microsoft can solve this problem but they have not done so. This is like a major oversight in Microsoft's edge browser plan.

If anyone knows where I can find my edge history, please tell me. ******@edberry.com
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Muhammad Irtaza 0 Reputation points

2024-05-07T17:46:43.16+00:00

someone deleted my window which contained groups using alt plus f4 command and i don't know how can i restore?
McKay, Leanne (DPS) 11 Reputation points

2024-11-24T23:38:18.94+00:00

@rf, I have also seen where a second Edge session, but on a second device running with my userid, also broke my primary device's Edge session recovery. I was able to recover most sessions from History, but it was painfully slow, lost window naming. Would be good if complete session backups/snapshots (all windows, window names, tab groups, other tabs order/state etc) could be under better user control.

Accepted answer

3 additional answers

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rf 15 Reputation points

2023-04-26T19:16:44.05+00:00

this also happens whenever there is a second edge browser open in the background. if it gets closed secondly, then the tab settings of that second browser supercede the setting of the main browser page. I have lost over 300 organized tabs. so frustrating that MS has such poorly designed features.
Ines Abrunhosa dos Santos 5 Reputation points

2023-07-22T02:27:10.8533333+00:00

Well well.. going back to previous version or previews build release from insider program or resetting default action does NOT bring back the window with the groupped tabs now does it? So what now? What solution do you have to bring back those tabs? Because I had an issue where taskbar had disappeared and only with this last update it came back and during that time where i didn' tahev it I needed some way to go to edge to look for a solution and was expecting Edge to open the window everytime with those groupped tabs, which I groupped precisely NOT to lose them because I shouldn0t have to emmorise which tabs I had grouped nor how I had groupped them nor shouyuld I have to worry, if that option to group tabs exists it's certainly NOT to be lost by closing the navigator, now is it????? This option is BS and a scam bcs we have the whole trouble to do it over and over and still it doesn't save nor restore nor even give us that option of restoring ??!!!!
Edwin Berry 10 Reputation points

2023-07-23T12:59:51.6833333+00:00

Of course, I have my Edge set to reopen all tabs after a close, and this has worked for over a year. But last night, Microsoft did an update on my computer and Edge lost all its tab history. Without this history, all the gimmicks to restore the tabs do not work.

It would be great if edge, like outlook, kept a file on my computer that would show my last tab session. But edge does not do that. Certainly, Microsoft can solve this problem but they have not done so. This is like a major oversight in Microsoft's edge browser plan.

If anyone knows where I can find my edge history, please tell me. ******@edberry.com
Deleted

This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.
Muhammad Irtaza 0 Reputation points

2024-05-07T17:46:43.16+00:00

someone deleted my window which contained groups using alt plus f4 command and i don't know how can i restore?
McKay, Leanne (DPS) 11 Reputation points

2024-11-24T23:38:18.94+00:00

@rf, I have also seen where a second Edge session, but on a second device running with my userid, also broke my primary device's Edge session recovery. I was able to recover most sessions from History, but it was painfully slow, lost window naming. Would be good if complete session backups/snapshots (all windows, window names, tab groups, other tabs order/state etc) could be under better user control.

Answer 1

ShiJieLi-MSFT 11,841 Microsoft External Staff

Hi @4004,

Unfortunately, I have failed to reproduce this issue on Windows 10 21H2 and 22H2, and all the tabs within tab groups are restored as expected.

Here're some suggestions for troubleshooting:

Try turning off installed extensions.
Try resetting Microsoft Edge. Settings --> Reset settings --> Restore settings to their default values.
Try repairing or re-installing Microsoft Edge.

Also, there're some useful workarounds for you to restore closed tab groups without losing them:

Instead of selecting "Restore" after a crash, restore them from History --> Recently closed. This equals to the "Restore" option in the prompt.
Enable the flag Tab Close Controller at edge://flags. This flag helps you restore closed tab groups from History --> Recently closed. If the lost tab groups in your case are "closed" by Edge itself, you may get them back in this way.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

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Best Regards,

Shijie Li

Edwin Berry 10 Reputation points

2023-07-23T12:56:56.24+00:00

Of course, I have my edge set to reopen all tabs after a close, and this has worked for over a year. But last night, Microsoft did an update on my computer and Edge lost all its tab history. Without this history, all the gimmicks to restore the tabs do not work.

It would be great if edge, like outlook, kept a file on my computer that would show my last tab session. But edge does not do that. Certainly, Microsoft can solve this problem but they have not done so. This is like a major oversight in Microsoft's edge browser plan.

If anyone knows where I can find my edge history, please tell me. ******@edberry.com
Ines Abrunhosa dos Santos 5 Reputation points

2023-07-24T04:02:34.65+00:00

Thanks I will try the option above.. arms I thought I was alone in this.. it's kind of annoying having to think it'll happen again at every update and having everything that was organized just vanish like that.. it's not like it's hard work not it was organized and one last thing to worry about and if I couldn't remember something or any thig unfinished... it was there as I'd end up falling in that tab and remember I had to continue what I was doing
McKay, Leanne (DPS) 11 Reputation points

2024-11-24T23:49:13.0333333+00:00

I would emphasise how important Edge sessions, window naming, and tabs organisation generally are to my business workflow management in real-time. There is nothing else I rely on so heavily, because it integrates every other tool and reference material together per-case, per client - it is my primary mind-map. Inability to restore is serious data loss.
Richard Jewell 0 Reputation points

2025-03-11T13:12:06.0766667+00:00

Hello,

To reproduce a similar situation, open two edge sessions/instances on the same PC. Set up a number of groups in one so that they are grouped on the Tab bar. Setup a second group in the second Instance of Edge, repeat the process to create as many groups as you want and give the groups different names to the groups in the first instance of edge. Now go back and close the first instance of Edge. Then close the second instance of Edge.

Reopen Edge, you will see that that those groups assigned in the first instance are not there, only those in the second. the groups in the first instance are also not to be found in the workspace either, which normally retains Groups once they are added.

Answer 2

Chris Renfro 15

For the record I too am experiencing this same issue. On at least three occasions my Edge was closed unexpectedly due to updates or the like and in all three instances this happened. Lucky for me I knew about Ctrl+Shift+T to pull up recently closed tabs.

Chris Renfro 15 Reputation points

2023-03-09T12:40:28.6133333+00:00

Realized I left out a key piece of information. I'm running Windows 11 Pro 22H2. I'll try the suggestions provided but be advised this is not just a Windows 10 thing.
Ines Abrunhosa dos Santos 5 Reputation points

2023-07-24T03:59:37.3+00:00

That's the problem tho.. I did that.. but it restores and reopens links.. not tab grupos.. since I can't remember what links and I'm which group I had on that session... - as I was not expecting having to memorize expecting for it to not restore them - I did not save any print screen or similar to retype, reopen and regroup every single link... so that doesn't help.. I've tried everything even going to history manager like older versions had to check in the links list of the was a hint such as " X tabs opened" as in the amount of tabs then I'd know that was he session to restore.. butt there was no such thing more any grouped tabs to restore.. so I'll try the suggestion above.. But I've switched to Chrome which I generally hate.. but at least there.. we get to SAVE groupped tabs!
Jim RatherFly 5 Reputation points

2023-10-11T17:51:36.8266667+00:00

Is it just me?
If my grouped tabs, which I grouped mostly to make sure I didn't lose, are ABSOLUTELY LOST when a freak situation happens and a crash happens, why was I seeking to use this feature?!
When I lose something in other ways, I usually can reassemble or recover in some way, but this seems to MAKE SURE the LOSS IS PERMANENT.

Hard to believe no one has come up with a plug-in or fix that just keeps saving so recovery is possible.
I am mad I lost stuff.
My loss seems deeper because... I do not know what I lost, because it is completely gone!
But my focus can't get away from how imperative dependable behavior should be for these browsers.
I guess I can depend on it failing?!

Answer 3

GL 5

same issue here.

crashes/updates = all open tabs are lost

disappointing to see how poorly designed it is.

Answer 4

HaiXin Tie (Personal) 0

I am still experiencing this issue every time Edge crashes on my MacBook Pro. All tab groups are lost each time... It's a pain to restore them when you have a lot of open tabs. Here are the Edge and OS information:

Microsoft Edge Version 119.0.2151.72 (Official build) (arm64)

MacBook Pro with M2 Pro chip and latest MacOS Sonoma Version 14.1

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Post-crash session restore not restoring tab groups

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