Transferring from Microsoft Edge on Windows

How to compile, transfer, and run a program on your micro:bit with Microsoft Edge.

While you’re writing and testing your programs, you’ll mostly be running them in the simulator, but once you’ve finished your program you can compile it and run it on your micro:bit.

Transfer using a WebUSB connection

With Microsoft Edge (version 79 and newer), you can transfer your program to the micro:bit with a single click. If your browser supports WebUSB, you can use the one-click download feature to send your programs to the micro:bit. See the WebUSB page to learn how to pair your micro:bit with a computer and transfer your programs with a single click.

Downloading your program as file

The basic steps are:

1. Connect your micro:bit to your computer with a USB cable (use an A-Male to Micro USB cable)
2. Click Download to download the .hex file
3. Click the Save As button in the bottom bar and save the .hex file into the MICROBIT drive

Step 1: Connect your micro:bit to your computer

First, connect the micro:bit:

1. Connect the small end of the USB cable to the micro USB port on your micro:bit.

2. Connect the other end of the USB cable to a USB port on your computer.

Your computer should recognise your micro:bit as a new drive. On computers running Windows, MICROBIT appears as a drive under Devices and drives. On a Mac it appears as a new drive under Devices.

Step 2: Download your program

1. Open your project on https://makecode.microbit.org/
2. Click Download
3. When prompted, choose to save the compiled file onto your computer. The prompt will be different depending on which browser you are using, or whether you are using a Windows computer or a Mac

A message will appear at the bottom of the browser asking what you want to do with the file.

4. Click Save As

5. Save the .hex file into the MICROBIT drive

Step 3: Transfer the file to your micro:bit

• The LED on the back of your micro:bit flashes during the transfer (which should only take a few seconds).
• Once transferred, the code will run automatically on your micro:bit. To rerun your program, press the reset button on the back of your micro:bit. The reset button automatically runs the newest file on the micro:bit.

By copying the script onto the MICROBIT drive, you have programmed it into the flash memory on the micro:bit, which means even after you unplug the micro:bit, your program will still run if the micro:bit is powered by battery.