New Windows XP user - Questions
-
blackbird71 last edited by@jdlomonaco In various browser and security forums and involving various chromium-based browsers (like Opera), I've seen reports of browser interference primarily related to Avast, Eset, Trend Micro, Total 360, and Bitdefender AV programs. Those reports vary in consistency across reporting users (that is, not all users seem to have identical issues and many users have no issues at all). Consequently, in many cases the problems appear to involve specific AV settings or features.
If you have a reputable website that appears 'safe' but consistently causes slow loading, you might try disabling the AV temporarily and testing the load speed for just that site after restarting the browser, and repeat that a few times to get a sense of whether the AV is affecting load speed. If it is, you may try tweaking the various AV settings or exception-settings to see if things improve. As a last resort, if nothing improves an AV-related problem, you may have to switch AVs.
Another cause of slow loading is old hardware and insufficient RAM in the computer, particularly with respect to modern multi-process browsers that demand more RAM and present more processor load. RAM can be a particular problem if the browser demands more memory than is available, whereupon it will cause Windows to use the swap/paging file on the hard drive - a much slower operation than directly using chip RAM.
Version 36 is indeed the last XP-compatible Opera version. Simply rename Opera's auto update exe file to something else (eg: add an X to the file name) to prevent any future updating. If you should ever want to restore update capability, simply rename it back to the original name.
-
A Former User last edited by
@blackbird71 Thanks for the reply. I have found out more about my problems.
Performance: when loading web pages It appears that loading is only slow for new web pages. Speed Dial animation stays active for minutes before something happens. However when started from a bookmark folder start up happens almost immediately. I haven't tried disabling Avast shields yet but I find it hard to believe that this is the cause. any ideas?Version: I looked to rename the auto update .exe but found none and the fact that the settings don't have an update option I am going to assume that this was removed from this XP/Vista version of Opra. True?
-
-
A Former User last edited by
@leocg That's where I looked ....\Program Files\Opra\36...... Not there.
-
sgunhouse Moderator Volunteer last edited by
If you wish you can check ftp://ftp.opera.com/pub/opera-winxpvista/ for updates ... but as you can see, the last update was in August of 2016.
-
-
A Former User last edited by
The latest version of Opera 36 is 36.0.2130.80. Check the version of the opera.exe or launcher.exe file to confirm that you have the latest version.
I still have the auto update file in my 36.0.2130.80 folder, it's called opera_autoupdate.exe.
I don't think Opera have ever actually officially said that Opera 36 is now abandoned, They did originally say that they would keep it security patched for XP/Vista users, but no cut-off point was ever given for this.
-
A Former User last edited by
davehawley: OK so I missed the .exe file (forest for the trees) until I sorted by file type. So I changed the name and update should be avoided henceforth. I am still having the performance issue even when I shut down the Avast shield controls. Any ideas?
-
A Former User last edited by
@jdlomonaco
Opera 36 works fine on my system (I use Trend Micro Internet Security) but my machine is a powerful one. How much RAM does your system have, and what processor? It could indeed be just a problem with the hardware not being up to running a quite demanding program very quickly.
I wouldn't worry about the auto updating, there is no danger of it updating to an incompatible version as the checking routine will detect that you are running XP. If you disable it there is a possibility that you might miss a future update for Opera 36, although I do think that it's unlikely that there will ever be another one now!
-
A Former User last edited by
Thanks for the reply. Yep it might be better to leave it alone in case there is a crash fix. I didn't think of that.
The PC is a very old one with 1.5 G of RAM and a 1.7 Ghz Pentium processor. I keep it around to test some software that I wrote.
-
A Former User last edited by
@jdlomonaco
I'm pretty sure that's the cause of the poor performance.
I imagine that Google Chrome wouldn't be any different.
While I can understand Opera being slow on your system, it certainly shouldn't be actually crashing.
-
A Former User last edited by
Thanks for the reply. I had forgotten just how old that PC was until you asked about it. I had problems with Chrome and Fire Fox crashing. Opera isn't crashing. Its just so very slow that I get impatient waiting for "Speed Dial". On the other hand, I found that accessing a web page once they are Bookmarked is slow but OK.
-
A Former User last edited by
@jdlomonaco
Ah OK, when you said in your OP that Opera "sometimes requires a reboot to work at all" I assumed you meant it had crashed.
-
zalex108 last edited by@jdlomonaco said in New Windows XP user - Questions:
Thanks for the reply. Yep it might be better to leave it alone in case there is a crash fix. I didn't think of that.
The PC is a very old one with 1.5 G of RAM and a 1.7 Ghz Pentium processor. I keep it around to test some software that I wrote.
Look at this:
https://forums.opera.com/topic/23295/opera-memory-consumption-windows
Maybe helps.
"You cannot know the meaning of your life until you are connected to the power that created you". · Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
-
A Former User last edited by
zalex108: Thanks for the reply. I skimmed through the links but plan on taking a good look at them later today. This may just be what I need.
-
A Former User last edited by
zalex108: I tried the tweaks suggested to make my old XP machine run the browser faster (that I thought would help)
and they did. Its not a speed daemon but it runs much more acceptably. Thanks. -
zalex108 last edited by
@jdlomonaco
Good!
Try to keep your system defragmented and look for Speed up registry tweaks too.
"You cannot know the meaning of your life until you are connected to the power that created you". · Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
-
A Former User last edited by
@davehawley i should ask here, and not take a whole question"does Windows 7 have more trouble with the latest Opera?"--which is what I just got.Frankly,i hate windows so much,I am not PLANNING to get a new pc computer,
I will get a good 'puter grease monkey, and have my old pc upgraded--people do this all the time.--i have seen it work. --very well. --Because my engineer friends who worked for big pc companies, tell me the new pcs are getting WORSE than the old ones.;
I can't ruin the last few yrs of my life,(Im 70) struggling with even WORSE PCS than i already have!!I won't do it!!! I have HAD IT. I am a patient long suffering human,but I got few good years left. I'm not wasting it, struggling with rinky-dink pcs. its not WORTH IT.You younger people think its fun,but I have SOURED ON THE COMPUTER AS a lifestyle.. its is a TOOL, not a God!! now I only do a few things on mine; watch movies.do email, a little art, and buy stuff. --that is it.--I went back to non-computer hobbies, and i like it.--espec. not befriending people all over the web. Facebook can go jump. I advise this to all seniors. Get yer face outta the screen, and go live.
-
zalex108 last edited by
@clarachan1355 said in New Windows XP user - Questions:
Get yer face outta the screen, and go live.
XD
"You cannot know the meaning of your life until you are connected to the power that created you". · Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
-
blackbird71 last edited by
@clarachan1355 said in New Windows XP user - Questions:
...
I will get a good 'puter grease monkey, and have my old pc upgraded--people do this all the time.--i have seen it work. --very well. --Because my engineer friends who worked for big pc companies, tell me the new pcs are getting WORSE than the old ones.; I can't ruin the last few yrs of my life,(Im 70) struggling with even WORSE PCS than i already have!!I won't do it!!! I have HAD IT.
...There are some problematic factors to keep in mind when considering investment into upgrading an old PC.
While a number of things can be upgraded on a truly old computer, depending on age, there are built-in physical limitations that prevent old hardware from being made fully compatible with newer computer standards, at least with any favorable degree of cost-effectiveness. Truly old hardware, while perhaps originally more robust, was designed and built to now-old standards and protocols. These act to limit compatibility and capacity when newer standards and protocols must be utilized to get full computer functionality with modern software and websites. Think in terms of a refurbished car designed to run on leaded gasoline and 10W40 motor oil, but now facing a supply marketplace dominated by unleaded gasoline and 5W30 (or even 0w20 synthetic) motor oil... it can be done, but at what cost and trouble?
Moreover, with age, some hardware physically deteriorates (fans, hard drives, and power supply or motherboard capacitors being common examples), and these can create weaker performance that causes increasing intermittency and/or startup failures. Many of the computer's hardware parts require software 'driver' programs written by their makers to properly connect the hardware with the operating system installed on the computer. For a lot of older hardware, the hardware makers no longer write updated drivers compatible with requirements of newer operating system software, forcing the user to stick with an old and obsolete operating system. But that, in turn, increasingly blocks a user from using newer application program versions written around newer operating systems, as well as exposing the user to increasing numbers of now-unpatched security exploits out on the Internet.
In my own experience, some computers can indeed run for 10-20 years or even longer, particularly if well-maintained and with occasional replacement of fans and drives, as well as a new power supply or two. At this moment, I'm sitting next to a fully-functioning Micron Win98FE system dating from 1998 that I still use occasionally to run DOS and very old Windows programs. But that's not to say such old computers will support installation of a modern operating system, and it's not to say the systems would be safe if taken online with their original operating system and compatible software. It's certainly not to say that putting much rebuild money into such an old system could be justified except by a business necessity of running certain ancient business-related programs.
My advice would be to take a very long, hard look at the cost-return trade-off before putting much into a physical upgrade of an old computer. It might be simpler or more cost effective to get a simple, information-appliance type of small and cheap computer for the usage you have.
