Skip to content

BRD.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
214 lines (160 loc) · 6.2 KB

BRD.md

File metadata and controls

214 lines (160 loc) · 6.2 KB

Universal Browser Backup Tool - BRD

1. Executive Summary

Project Name: Universal Browser Backup Tool
Project Type: Desktop Utility Application
Version: 1.0.0
Author: theyonecodes

Purpose

A simple, no-install utility to back up and restore browser profiles from Windows using a friendly GUI. Designed for non-technical users who need to protect their browser data (bookmarks, history, passwords, extensions, settings) without complex command-line operations.

Target Users

  • Non-technical Windows users
  • Users switching browsers or computers
  • Users wanting to protect browser data before system reinstallation
  • IT support staff needing a quick backup solution

2. Problem Statement

Users face several challenges when backing up browser data:

  1. Complexity - Current backup methods require navigating complex folder structures
  2. Risk of Data Loss - No simple way to restore browser profiles
  3. Multi-Browser Support - Users often use multiple browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, etc.)
  4. Profile Management - Modern browsers use multiple profiles that need individual backup
  5. Safety - No validation or safety checks before destructive restore operations

3. Objectives

Primary Objectives

  • Provide a one-click backup solution for browser profiles
  • Support multiple browsers with automatic detection
  • Include visual icons for easy browser identification
  • Implement safety checks (browser closure, manifest verification)
  • Enable profile restoration with rollback capability

Secondary Objectives

  • Cross-platform compatibility (Windows primary, macOS/Linux future)
  • Compression option for backup storage
  • Scheduled backup capability
  • Cloud storage integration

4. Supported Browsers

Phase 1 (Current Release)

Browser Profile Path Icon
Thorium %LOCALAPPDATA%\Thorium\User Data [Thorium Icon]
Google Chrome %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data [Chrome Icon]
Microsoft Edge %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Edge\User Data [Edge Icon]
Brave %LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data [Brave Icon]
Firefox %APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles [Firefox Icon]
Opera %APPDATA%\Opera Software\Opera Stable [Opera Icon]
Vivaldi %LOCALAPPDATA%\Vivaldi\User Data [Vivaldi Icon]

Phase 2 (Future)

  • Opera GX
  • Maxthon
  • Waterfox
  • Pale Moon

5. User Stories

US-01: Backup Single Profile

As a user, I want to back up a single browser profile so that I can save my bookmarks and settings before a system change.

Acceptance Criteria:

  • User selects browser from list with icons
  • User selects specific profile to backup
  • User picks destination folder
  • Backup creates timestamped folder with manifest
  • Success notification displayed

US-02: Backup All Profiles

As a power user, I want to back up all profiles at once so that I don't miss any data.

Acceptance Criteria:

  • User selects "All Profiles" option
  • All detected profiles are backed up
  • Each profile in separate subfolder
  • Manifest lists all backed up profiles

US-03: Restore Profile

As a user, I want to restore a profile from backup so that I can recover my browser data.

Acceptance Criteria:

  • User selects backup folder
  • System validates manifest
  • Current profile renamed with timestamp (safety)
  • Backup restored to correct location
  • Optional auto-launch after restore

US-04: Browser Detection

As a user, I want the tool to automatically detect installed browsers so that I don't need to configure anything.

Acceptance Criteria:

  • Only installed browsers shown in list
  • Browser icons displayed
  • Profile count shown for each browser
  • Graceful handling if no browsers found

6. Technical Requirements

Platform

  • Primary: Windows 10/11 (x64)
  • Secondary: macOS, Linux (future phases)

Dependencies

  • PowerShell 5.1+ (built into Windows)
  • Robocopy (built into Windows)

Browser Profile Paths

  • See Section 4 for complete list

File Structure

Backup_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS/
├── manifest.json
├── Default/
│   ├── Bookmarks
│   ├── History
│   └── ...
├── Profile 1/
│   └── ...
└── robocopy_[profile].log

7. Constraints

Technical Constraints

  • Browser must be closed during backup/restore
  • Profile paths hardcoded for Windows (registry-based detection future)
  • Maximum backup size limited by destination drive space

User Constraints

  • Requires basic Windows knowledge (double-click, browse folders)
  • Administrator rights not required for user profiles
  • Minimum 100MB free space for operation

8. Risks and Mitigations

Risk Impact Mitigation
Browser running during backup Data corruption Check and block if running
Insufficient disk space Incomplete backup Pre-check available space
Corrupted backup folder Restore failure Manifest validation
Profile path changes Detection failure Multiple path detection
Sensitive data exposure Security risk Recommend encrypted backups

9. Success Metrics

Performance

  • Backup completes within 5 minutes for typical profile (500MB)
  • UI response time < 100ms for all interactions

Usability

  • First-time user completes backup in < 2 minutes
  • Zero-configuration required for browser detection

Quality

  • 100% data integrity after restore
  • No data loss incidents reported
  • Crash-free operation

10. Future Roadmap

v1.1.0 - Multi-Browser UI

  • Visual browser selector with icons
  • Automatic browser detection
  • Profile preview before backup

v1.2.0 - Compression & Scheduling

  • ZIP compression option
  • Scheduled automatic backups
  • Backup rotation (keep last N backups)

v2.0.0 - Cross-Platform

  • macOS support (Safari, Chrome, Firefox)
  • Linux support (Firefox, Chrome)
  • Cloud storage integration (Google Drive, Dropbox)

11. Approval

Role Name Date Signature
Project Owner theyonecodes 2026-03-19 _________
Technical Lead theyonecodes 2026-03-19 _________
QA Lead theyonecodes 2026-03-19 _________

Document Version: 1.0.0
Last Updated: 2026-03-19