Many advanced users try to move their Chrome profile to a different hard drive or a cloud folder (Dropbox/OneDrive). This breaks the location pointer. Chrome needs a symlink.
If you want to change the bookmark location permanently:
This is the definitive fix if your original disk is full or failing.
The symptom: You go to the Default folder, and there is no Bookmarks or Bookmarks.bak file. bookmark location chrome fix
The fix: Chrome has likely created a new, empty profile. Your old profile might be corrupted.
Chrome is smart enough to create a backup (Bookmarks.bak) before updating. If your main file is corrupted, Chrome fails to read the location.
How to do it:
Result: Chrome reads the backup file as the primary file. Your bookmarks should reappear.
By default, Chrome does not allow you to change the file location of the Bookmarks file via the GUI. However, advanced users can use a symbolic link (a shortcut that Windows/Mac thinks is a real folder).
Use case: You want to store your bookmarks file on Dropbox, OneDrive, or an external drive so it syncs between two different computers that aren't logged into Chrome. Many advanced users try to move their Chrome
The advanced fix (Windows):
If none of the above works and you desperately need your bookmarks: