Disabling Auto Startup

A Former User

Well whether @pandorave and @sandy-shores problems have the same cause or not, fundamentally no browser should ever start itself up automatically when the system boots up.
I can't imagine any reason why that would happen other than through the action of some malware.

A Former User

@davehawley @zalex108 @burnout426 @nvmjustagirl and anyone else I may have missed. This installation of Opera was "fresh out of the box" (downloaded.) I have never had Opera on this machine. So I used Revo Uninstaller to uninstall it, scanned registry and files for opera, ran virus and malware scans and reread all the posts for anything I may have missed. Did plenty of reboots in between to make sure my system was okay. All is fine without Opera.

I tried a clean download and install of Opera. Same problem. I copied the install program to a flash drive and installed it on a W10 (not upgraded from W7 or W8) laptop and it works fine.

I am running a desktop upgraded from W8 to W8.1 to W10. I have noticed that some programs will act funky at first but I can usually figure out the problem. The same programs run great on the W10 laptop.

I am probably due for a clean install of W10 - and only W10. Until I get that done I am going to put the one website I need Opera for on the Speed Dial tab and install the one extension that Opera has and FF no longer supports. But some good has come of this. I found out about Hekasoft Backup to replace MozBU that is no longer supported for FF.

Thanks for all your efforts. If I have the same problem down the line after the W10 install I'll check back to see if this thread is still here or I'll start a new one.

dowder46

dowder46 @Guest

I've tried everything recommended on this page. Nothing resolves the issue (I have the exact same issue). Has anyone figured this out?

A Former User @Guest

Maybe sumhow WScript.exe could be running @ startup..

To check what's being run at startup, open Task Manager and go to Startup tab.

Right-click the column header, and enable Command-line

This shows which script is being executed (by WScript.exe or CScript.exe)

If the script is legitimate, then no problem..

post pic if ya don't mind n e one seeing..

A Former User @Guest

Autoruns is far more comprehensive.
The details are in the third post of the thread, courtesy of blackbird71.
Download it and run it, then when it's finished scanning, hit Ctrl+F and search for "opera" and "launcher".
That should certainly tell you what's running the browser.

dowder46

dowder46

I've done both those things. And everything else suggested in this entire thread. Cannot find the culprit anywhere. And, since I share the problem with at least one other on this thread, not unique to me...

burnout426

burnout426 Volunteer

Create another user account and log into it. If it doesn't happen there, you at least know it's probably localized to your regular account. If it does happen there too, then it seems like a system-wide thing. As in, that could tell you whether it's something in HKEY_CURRENT_USER or HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE in the registry.

You could search the whole registry for opera.exe or launcher.exe and see if there are any explicit commands that are launching Opera at startup.

A Former User @dowder46

@dowder46
If you tried using Autoruns and what's running Opera didn't show up, I'm extremely surprised!

burnout426

burnout426 Volunteer

You could launch a command prompt (run the command prompt as admin, then as normal) and run:

control /name Microsoft.DefaultPrograms /page pageDefaultProgram

Then, select a program (say Firefox or anything but Opera), click "choose defaults for this program" and check everything you can. Then, check Opera to make sure it's not associated with anything. Then, if Opera still gets launched at startup, it most likely means that something is trying to launch Opera directly. If not, I'm guessing you'd see Firefox or something start launching on startup, which would mean that it's probably a file association action.

You could also launch process explorer, goto the opera.exe process and hover over it to see the command-line settings it was launched with. Or, you can right-click it, goto "properties" and then the "image" tab. The "Current Directory" value might give a clue as to where Opera was launched from. There's also an "Autostart Location" that might have something in it. There's also a "parent process" that if "non-existent" means that process is still open and you can hunt for it by id.

dowder46

dowder46 @Guest

@davehawley The only Opera related thing that shows up in Autoruns is (\Opera scheduled Autoupdate). I unchecked it and still have the problem. - Thank you for your input, though. I appreciate it.

A Former User @dowder46

@dowder46 said in Disabling Auto Startup:

@davehawley The only Opera related thing that shows up in Autoruns is (\Opera scheduled Autoupdate). I unchecked it and still have the problem. - Thank you for your input, though. I appreciate it.

davehawley about 3 hours ago @dowder46
@dowder46
If you tried using Autoruns and what's running Opera didn't show up, I'm extremely surprised!

dowder46
in your case The Auto Run thingy you ran just ruled out that opera is not automactic starting thru the start up processing.. *just say 'n..

A Former User @Guest

@dowder46
if ya did not run Autoruns as admin.. ya could run it one more time *perhaps..

A Former User @dowder46

@dowder46
When Opera runs at system start, how does it display?
Does it open just with the Speed Dial displayed?
Presumably it doesn't go to a site?

dowder46

dowder46 @Guest

@davehawley it opens with the last sites I had open, plus three more speed dial windows open... just as someone else on this thread described it was happening for them... I appreciate all your help and thoughts, but this is too much for a neophyte like myself to handle. I'm going to go with option 2... and just put up with it. Unless you all tell me I'm leaving myself open to mischief...

leocg

leocg Moderator Volunteer @dowder46

@dowder46 If you set Opera to open start page on start, how does it behave when you launch it?

burnout426

burnout426 Volunteer @dowder46

@dowder46 said in Disabling Auto Startup:

plus three more speed dial windows open

This suggests that Opera is launched 4 times with no arguments (no URL passed to it). The first time it starts up and for each of the next 3 times, a new tab is opened.

A Former User @Guest

go to settings and turn off run apps in the background.. restarted pc *may help..

or i may be confused with google chrome..
it may be called this now.. Background sync - Do not allow recently closed sites to finish sending and receiving data

also look in here.. *Opened Run (Windows key + R) and typed in: shell:startup remove opera if its in there restart pc..

also i found this thread explaining that this is not an issue but a new Feature of Windows 10
+Programs autostart after boot+ - https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/forum/insider_wintp-insider_desktop/programs-autostart-after-boot-in-windows-10/09dd8d3e-7b36-45d1-9181-6587dd5d53ab?page=2

burnout426

burnout426 Volunteer @Guest

@nvmjustagirl said in Disabling Auto Startup:

also i found this thread explaining that this is not an issue but a new Feature of Windows 10
+Programs autostart after boot+ - https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/forum/insider_wintp-insider_desktop/programs-autostart-after-boot-in-windows-10/09dd8d3e-7b36-45d1-9181-6587dd5d53ab?page=2

To avoid that, before shutting down or restarting the system, I'd close Opera and then check the task manager to check if all the opera processes are really closed. If some were still running, I'd kill them.

@nvmjustagirl said in Disabling Auto Startup:

go to settings and turn off run apps in the background.. restarted pc *may help..
or i may be confused with google chrome..
it may be called this now.. Background sync - Do not allow recently closed sites to finish sending and receiving data

I was wondering if that's Opera's name for Chromium's background app setting or if Background Sync is something for Opera Sync. Either way, disabling all extensions in Opera should rule this out. But, maybe one of Opera's apps in the sidebar keeps Opera running.

A Former User @burnout426

@burnout426 This may be a stretch *long shot since a win 10 update.. - The answer may be in Cortana settings .Open Cortana then go to the" pick up where I left off" and toggle that to off then save the settings. lol

also check this page out - Disable Apps Auto Reopening in Windows 10 - https://winaero.com/blog/disable-apps-auto-reopening-windows-10/

chome has this flag - chrome://flags and disable

Enable Push API background mode..

to sleepy to see if opera does..

dowder46

dowder46 @Guest

@nvmjustagirl I always turn everything off before shutting down. Added the step you suggested and checked the task manager. AND Turned off Apps running in the background. AND Turned off Cortana's Pick up wherre I left off. After all that, same result. Opera reopens in whatever way I left it, PLUS three additional speed dials.