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    Disabling Auto Startup

    Opera for Windows
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    • A Former User
      A Former User @dowder46 last edited by A Former User

      @dowder46
      Interesting, so whatever it is is specifically targetting Opera.
      Curiouser and curiouser!
      Sorry if this has already been asked, but what do you have Opera set to start with in its settings?
      ๐Ÿ™‚

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      • dowder46
        dowder46 last edited by

        continue where I left off - and before you say anything, I just tried changing that, for the first time - no effect. I had high hopes, though!

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          A Former User 1 Reply Last reply
        • A Former User
          A Former User @dowder46 last edited by

          @dowder46
          You anticipated my next question, which was to see if changing it affects anything!
          I assume that whatever you have it set to that it does what it should do when you start Opera manually?
          ๐Ÿ™‚

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            dowder46 1 Reply Last reply
          • dowder46
            dowder46 @Guest last edited by

            @davehawley Interesting question. I hadn't though of that, so I tested it just now, closing and re-opening Opera without rebooting the computer. And the answer is yes, it opens, in that case, correctly. So it only does this weird thing when I reboot the computer.

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              A Former User 1 Reply Last reply
            • A Former User
              A Former User @dowder46 last edited by

              @dowder46
              Hmmm, OK.
              I assume that if Chrome is your default browser, that if you click on a link in an e-mail say, it's Chrome that opens and displays the site.
              Just as an experiment, temporarily make Opera your default browser, which you can do in the settings.
              Do links then open correctly in Opera instead of Chrome?
              Then put Chrome back to being the default browser and make sure it's now opening links again as before, and see if Opera's behaviour has changed at all.
              ๐Ÿ™‚

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              • dowder46
                dowder46 last edited by

                Made the change you suggested. Link opened in Opera. Made Chrome the default again. Rebooted computer. Same thing.

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                  A Former User 1 Reply Last reply
                • A Former User
                  A Former User @dowder46 last edited by

                  @dowder46
                  So apart from Opera running automatically in a very strange configuration when the computer starts up, everything seems to be working as it should do.
                  This may seem a bit drastic, but what I would next try is backing up the Opera profile folder somewhere (look in "About Opera" to see where it is) and then uninstalling Opera completely.
                  Then reinstall it from the standalone installer, but this time set the installation folder to a different place from the default offered.
                  See if the new installation runs by itself as well.
                  If whatever is running it is using an absolute path to launcher.exe or opera.exe this should stop it happening.
                  The new version should keep the same profile as long as you didn't delete it during the uninstall, but in case it did delete it you will still have your backup to fall back on.
                  ๐Ÿ™‚

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                  • dowder46
                    dowder46 @Guest last edited by

                    @davehawley Yikes. Thanks, Dave. I'll try that once I summon the nerve...

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                    • burnout426
                      burnout426 Volunteer last edited by

                      You could close down Opera, rename any opera.exe files you have and launcher.exe to something else. Then, restart your computer and see if you get any "application/file not found" dialogs on startup or something like that. If so, there's a small chance that it will reveal what program/thing is trying to launch Opera.

                      You could also delete the Opera program files folder, download the Opera installer, launch it, click "options" and set the install path to "C:\Program Files\Opera Moved" for example and install. Opera should use the same profile as before, but if the issue goes away, whatever was trying to load Opera was targeted the old Opera directory specifically.

                      What version of Windows? 64-bit or 32-bit? If Win8 or newer, do you sign into the computer with a Microsoft account or do you just use a local account and a normal username/password?

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                        A Former User 1 Reply Last reply
                      • A Former User
                        A Former User @burnout426 last edited by A Former User

                        @burnout426 said in Disabling Auto Startup:

                        You could also delete the Opera program files folder, download the Opera installer, launch it, click "options" and set the install path to "C:\Program Files\Opera Moved" for example and install. Opera should use the same profile as before, but if the issue goes away, whatever was trying to load Opera was targeted the old Opera directory specifically.

                        Which is virtually the same thing as I suggested!
                        We now know that Opera is being specifically targetted, not the default browser, so this should be a good way of seeing if the default path to the Opera executables is being specifically targetted by something.
                        ๐Ÿ˜ƒ

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                        • A Former User
                          A Former User last edited by

                          I have been experiencing the same issue with Opera opening automatically each time I start Windows. It starts each time with three blank Speed Dial tabs opened.

                          I can add, that when this first started, I ran a Google search to see if anyone else was experiencing a similar issue. I initially didn't find any recent messages, but the consensus of what I did read pointed toward possible malware. While scans showed nothing abnormal, to be sure I restored my C: drive from a backup from about 30 days prior. Once the restore was complete, Windows started without Opera opening automatically. However, once I opened Opera, I received a message that it was updated to the latest version and since that time it launches automatically each time I start Windows.

                          So, I believe whatever is causing the problem is related to the latest Opera update.

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                            A Former User 1 Reply Last reply
                          • leocg
                            leocg Moderator Volunteer last edited by

                            Have you tried to redefine default programs on Windows settings/control panel?

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                              dowder46 1 Reply Last reply
                            • A Former User
                              A Former User @Guest last edited by

                              @nsdash9 said in Disabling Auto Startup:

                              I have been experiencing the same issue with Opera opening automatically each time I start Windows. It starts each time with three blank Speed Dial tabs opened.

                              I can add, that when this first started, I ran a Google search to see if anyone else was experiencing a similar issue. I initially didn't find any recent messages, but the consensus of what I did read pointed toward possible malware. While scans showed nothing abnormal, to be sure I restored my C: drive from a backup from about 30 days prior. Once the restore was complete, Windows started without Opera opening automatically. However, once I opened Opera, I received a message that it was updated to the latest version and since that time it launches automatically each time I start Windows.

                              So, I believe whatever is causing the problem is related to the latest Opera update.

                              Yes, now you say that, it does start to look that way, but obviously not everyone is suffering the problem, so there must be other factors in play as well.
                              ๐Ÿ™‚

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                              • blackbird71
                                blackbird71 last edited by

                                If you have an auto-starting program that, for whatever reason, calls a protocol type for which Opera is defined as default, then Opera will be launched as well in order to satisfy that request. It may be that updating Opera alters that default protocol list in some way on your system, such that now Opera appears instead of whatever else was previously defined there.

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                                • A Former User
                                  A Former User @Guest last edited by A Former User

                                  If its not because of Windows 10 Fall Creators Update..

                                  and you checked these registry settings..

                                  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

                                  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

                                  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

                                  Then check these too.. even tho registry may be
                                  blank.. thats because on reboot the malware deletes itself.. so it will be blank..

                                  but go to Safemode and recheck registry again

                                  the tricky malware commands will be exposed..

                                  if the malware is running this way.. be worth a look..if not no harm done..

                                  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

                                  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

                                  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

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                                  • zalex108
                                    zalex108 last edited by

                                    You can try marking another Browser as the Default browser and check what happens.

                                    Maybe appears more info about the problem's responsible.

                                    "You cannot know the meaning of your life until you are connected to the power that created you". ยท Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

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                                      A Former User 1 Reply Last reply
                                    • A Former User
                                      A Former User @zalex108 last edited by A Former User

                                      @zalex108
                                      dowder46 already tried that a few days ago at my suggestion.
                                      The outcome was that Opera still ran automatically, so whatever's causing it is running Opera specifically, not the default browser on the system.
                                      ๐Ÿ™‚

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                                        zalex108 1 Reply Last reply
                                      • zalex108
                                        zalex108 @Guest last edited by

                                        @davehawley

                                        Oh!
                                        Thanks for clarifying!

                                        --

                                        Then...
                                        we may ask for an Autoruns screenshoot.

                                        "You cannot know the meaning of your life until you are connected to the power that created you". ยท Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

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                                        • zalex108
                                          zalex108 @Guest last edited by zalex108

                                          @pandorave said in Disabling Auto Startup:

                                          @zalex108 said in Disabling Auto Startup:

                                          Reset/Format

                                          Sorry, I don't understand ๐Ÿ˜ถ
                                          What are you suggesting to do?

                                          I mean that since you restored the drive and the file came from the image made, or the VPN install, you would need to check it at the very firs time on the next format/restore / VPN install.

                                          "You cannot know the meaning of your life until you are connected to the power that created you". ยท Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

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                                          • dowder46
                                            dowder46 @leocg last edited by

                                            @leocg yes

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                                              leocg 1 Reply Last reply
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