How do I back up my bookmarks and access them online?

We should have a backup of your entire hard drive in case our laptop fails. Its almost certain operating system contains usable backup software. Otherwise, there are over 30 free third-party alternatives for Windows, including BackUp Maker, AOMEI Backupper, and EaseUS Todo Backup Free.

Fortunately, with almost all browsers, you can save bookmarks as a single file in HTML web format. Double-click this file to load it into a tab in your standard browser, where you can click links to your heart's content. In fact, some people find it easier to have their bookmarks as a local website than bookmarked folders. The disadvantage? The saved document is not updated when you add a new bookmark.

In a well-designed browser like Vivaldi, you can simply select "Export Bookmarks ..." from the File menu to create a backup file.

In Firefox, you must use the dark library key or press Ctrl-Shift-B, then click on the "Import and save" drop-down menu item. In Google Chrome, you can press Ctrl-Shift-O to load the bookmarks manager or, like me, type chrome: // bookmarks in the address bar and press Enter. Then click on the three dots in the blue marker bar and select "Export Markers".

In Microsoft Edge, click the three dots for Settings or press Alt-X and then the "Import from another browser" button. The export routine was cleverly hidden behind the import routine.

Once you have saved a file called Vivaldi_Bookmarks-20190207.html or similar, you can save it in a safe place. Options include an external hard drive, USB flash drive, SD card, etc. You should also place the file in one or more of your free online storage, such as Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, Apple iCloud, Dropbox or whatever you prefer to upload. Once the file is online, you can access it from other PCs, smartphones, tablets, and other devices.

You can even save your bookmarks in a Microsoft Word document, keeping any layout and providing Ctrl-click links. To do this, I load the HTML file into a browser, save it as an MHTML or MHT file, load it in Word, and then save it as a Word file. Internet Explorer can save files in standard MHTML format. Chrome-based browsers like Google Chrome, Vivaldi, and Opera can also save MHTML files if you change the settings. Alternatively, you can add a browser extension like SingleFile that works in both Firefox and Chrome.

Browsers often use folders and subfolders to manage bookmarks. Many of them, including Chrome, Firefox, Vivaldi, and Edge, have built-in sync systems to sync bookmarks between devices that can, at worst, be restored on replacement computers. However, folders can become bulky if you have hundreds or thousands of bookmarks. This is where bookmark managers come in.

Bookmark managers generally allow you to add tags, notes, and comments. Tags are useful because you can assign multiple tags to each link. This corresponds to storage in multiple folders.

Bookmark managers must also provide an extension or bookmark so that you can add bookmarks to websites in your browser without accessing the bookmark manager website.

Google has one of the simplest bookmark managers, which is justifiably dark, but might be suitable for some users. Apple's iCloud bookmarks are better and work in many different browsers: Safari, Firefox, Chrome, IE, but not Edge, on many different devices.

I have not used many bookmark managers nor searched for online applications. So you have to give it a try to find something you like. Options include start.me, Ninja bookmarks, Dropmark, Raindrop.io, Bookmax, Atavi and only for Chrome Booky. Unfortunately, two of the most popular websites in this category, Delicious and Xmarks, have been closed.