Opera Browser Assistant?
-
rlwieneke last edited by
Virus Total says both files are clean and both have valid Opera Software 2020 digital signatures. That having been said, I sometime may not start my browser up for as much as three or four hours after I turn my pc on. I don't want some background opera web browser process eating CPU and RAM when I'm not using the browser. So I denied the action with Zone Alarm.
-
rlwieneke last edited by
It's Feb 26th 2020 and I just now got hit with this. I denied the action in Zone Alarm. I tested both Assistant_67.0.3575.31_Setup.exe and assistant_installer.exe on Virus Total and they both tested clean with valid Opera Software 2020 digital signatures. That having been said, I sometimes may not start my browser up for as much as three or four hours after I turn my pc on. I don't want some background opera web browser process eating CPU and RAM when I'm not using the browser.
-
rlwieneke last edited by
Somehow I failed to mention the third file: browser_assistant.exe when checked on Virus Total tested positive for MALWARE by Yomi Hunter.
-
rlwieneke last edited by
Silly me, somehow I overlooked mentioning the third file: browser_assistant.exe when checked on Virus Total tested positive for MALWARE by Yomi Hunter.
-
A Former User last edited by
@rlwieneke I just noticed today, 2/26/20, that I have "Opera Browser Assistant" as a new startup entry (when looking at startup programs in CCleaner, which I regularly do). This is absolutely a new thing, as I am very vigilant when it comes to startup apps/tasks, etc. Also, in scheduled tasks I have always had "Opera scheduled autoupdate" listed as a startup task, but now I noticed there is also an "Opera scheduled assistant autoupdate" task.
Now I am a little less certain of all the entries in that tab of CCleaner's "startup" area. I do think I've always had 2 Opera autoupdate-type tasks scheduled at startup, but I'm not sure if it said "assistant" before. Either way, something new is going on here. Doubt it's coincidence this thread was necro'd by 2 of us on the exact same day almost a year later.
-
A Former User last edited by
Oh, and I have never installed Opera as part of another app installation. I choose the apps I want to install, and I almost never use anything that is bundled with another program (except something like RivaTuner with MSI Afterburner). Opera was installed standalone, and I'm 100% certain of this.
-
A Former User last edited by
I am becoming increasingly irritated with the Opera browser. I have already removed it from all my Windows 7 machines. I was browsing Windows 10 settings today and see "Opera Browsing Assistant" in the list of startup apps and enabled. Surely it is up to the USER if they want it enabled or not. I suppose I should be checking elsewhere to see its purpose, if indeed it has any purpose. It is only by chance that I saw it, it does not appear in my system tray and have not read in the blogs about it either. If it is mentioned its probably hidden in a corner so that people don't see it. I have mentioned the browser many times before, why can't Opera concentrate on the basics of a browser and NOT inflict things like the "Opera Browsing Assistant"upon us ?. I am beginning to think that Opera doesn't deserve a place on any of my machines.
-
A Former User last edited by
I am becoming more irritated. Switching it to Off only makes it go back ON again after going back to the list of startup apps. Failing a satisfactory response Opera will be gone from all my computers within the next 48 hours , I realise no one cares, but I think its worth mentioning !
-
-
A Former User last edited by
@leocg said in Opera Browser Assistant?:
@mike88 Browser Assistant is installed when a third party software installs Opera.
Opera was NOT installed through third party software on my system. Others have stated this above. I'm not sure why this keeps getting repeated.
Could installing the new version of MS Edge (chromium-based) have messed with anything? Because Opera has been on my system for a long time now (installed directly from the Opera website/installer - NOT through 3rd party software!)
-
A Former User last edited by A Former User
One thing I noticed, though, is that although I have the Opera browser assistant string in my startup programs (as seen through CCleaner), I do NOT see any evidence of any "assistant" actually running. One person mentioned they had it running with an icon showing up in their systray. I don't have that. I also scoured over Process Hacker (which I use nonstop throughout the day) for any evidence of a new program or anything called "opera browser assistant" and I cannot find any, which is a little odd. I've checked my services, I've checked every running process I can see in Process hacker, and I don't see any evidence of any new program running. But it IS in my startup options. Weird.
I DO see the program in my Opera directory, though. I don't know what it's supposed to do, but if it's running and exiting extremely quickly then I guess that's why I don't see it. Can a moderator explain EXACTLY what this "browser_assistant.exe" program does? I looked at the .json files in n++ and couldn't really make anything out, except that it's doing something to the registry.
-
A Former User last edited by
@leocg I have been using Opera for a while now, but I have been using Avira (free AV) even longer (ever since I built this PC 4 years ago). I just received a notification to update to a new version of Avira, which I declined for the moment until I see what they've done..., and during my first few moments researching this new version I see that it says "As part of the security package, you'll also benefit from the all-new Avira protected Opera browser with built-in security and privacy tools." Now I NEVER used the Avira browser add-on, as it is well known to be terrible, if not malicious, so I hope this new version of Avira Free AV doesn't force a new version of Opera on me and replace/merge the old one (which I've had for a long time and customized to my liking). I'm now wondering if Avira had downloaded part of it's big new update to my system and this assistant somehow came with it, as it has just appeared in the last day or so in the startup programs.
-
ruetzelberg last edited by
Hi folks,
here my facts about this issue:- I use Opera since decades. And always installed from Opera Homepage, resp. their FTP-Site. Never "Bundles"!
- It runs on 2 PCs Windows7 and 2 PCs Windows10.
- The issue ocurred on all 4 along with the "sheduled" autoupdate from Version 66.0.3515.103 -> 66.0.3515.115.
- The tray icon only emerges on Windows10.
I would really appreciate to know what this process is for....
So long
-
A Former User last edited by
For some reason my initial post was greyed out for this topic as if the moderator wanted it to be deleted or it did not meet the rules etc of the forum, if this is so I apologise. I did not receive any replys to my email address which is odd. I had downloaded Opera via the link on the Opera blog page right hand side, Windows 64 bit, no third party involvement. I have since done a disk revert and I will now try and download it from the ftp site. If the assistant reappears afterwards thats the end of Opera for me.
-
-
A Former User last edited by
I downloaded from the ftp site, same Opera Assistant is shown in startup but it was not present in the previous installation version that I had of Opera.I believe about six thousand people have read these posts but no one from Opera has had the decency to reply. Perhaps they are all drinking coffee and looking forward to the weekend. As for me failing a fully detailed explanation of Opera Assistant it will be goodbye to Opera from me, whilst I trial run another browser.
-
-
-
A Former User last edited by leocg
As I have stated the previous version did not have the assistant.Then from the ftp site I downloaded Opera 67.0.3575.31 setupx64.exe and then I checked in startup and the assistant was there. But It Gets Worse , I then thought I'm going to remove this latest version of Opera which I did through the normal Windows 10 "Add & Remove" menu, guess what, Opera went so did the Assistant (as expected) but it also took away my battery check utility from startup as well ! Since that experience I reverted my drive to an earlier version of Opera, uninstalled that and I have no assistant and my battery check utility is still present in startup. So judge for yourself , everything points to Opera and it may be a long long time before i return to the program if I ever do so.
-
