The issue you're experiencing certainly sounds unusual, and could potentially be connected to several factors. I'll provide some suggestions and steps as a starting point for troubleshooting.
1. **Abrupt Synchronization:** If you've enabled bookmark syncing on Chrome and Edge, there's a possibility they could have suddenly synced with one of your logged-in accounts on a different device. This synchronization could be a result of having set up Norton's Ultimate Utilities or any installation/update process. You can isolate the issue by checking your Google Account or Microsoft account from different devices to see if the bookmarks are showing up there too.
2. **Possible Infection:** While Norton's Ultimate Utilities is generally safe, there could be incidents where a malicious file might have sneaked through. Increase in bookmarks can sometimes be a sign of adware or malware infection. Be sure to use your Norton Utilities to conduct a full, thorough scan of your computer.
3. **Software Glitch:** It may be possible that the Norton's Utilities had a minor conflict causing a glitch in your browsers. To test this, you can temporarily disable Norton's Ultimate Utilities and observe if the problem persists.
4. **Corrupted Profiles:** There might be a corruption within your user profile in Chrome and Edge. Creating a new user profile and checking if the issue happens in the new profile could help you identify the issue.
5. **Favorites Folder:** The bookmarks in Edge and Chrome don't necessarily have to correlate with the 'Favorites' folder under Users. They have distinct bookmark systems despite all being web browsers. Edge and Chrome might share bookmarks (if synchronization options are on), but it's usually not linked with the Favorites in your File Explorer.
If none of the above suggestions helps, it's highly recommended to reach out to Norton's customer support regarding the issue as well as the browser's customer support (Google for Chrome, Microsoft for Edge).
> *Make sure to backup any important bookmarks or data before making any changes to your browsers.*
Remember to approach these steps methodically and one at a time. It's usually less confusing this way and reduces the risks of making unwanted changes.
