Opera setting itself as default browser?

[leocg]

leocg Moderator Volunteer @balloonhandler last edited by

@balloonhandler How are you updating Opera?

[balloonhandler]

balloonhandler @leocg last edited by

@leocg It updates itself because there's no setting to turn that off.

[leocg]

leocg Moderator Volunteer @balloonhandler last edited by

@balloonhandler Strange, Opera doesn't set itself as default browser here on updates.

Just in case, run the installer and disable the option to set Opera as default browser, maybe it helps.

[burnout426]

burnout426 Volunteer last edited by

In installer_prefs.json in the install folder, do you see anything like "setdefaultbrowser":true?

[balloonhandler]

balloonhandler @burnout426 last edited by balloonhandler

@burnout426 Nope, no such entry in the latest installer_prefs.json file.
(I do see this, which is clearly not respected by the program: "autoupdate":false)

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction though. In the installation_status.json I found a very suspicious flag. It certainly looks like Opera is setting itself as the default browser every time it updates without my permission.

{"data":""C:\Users\********\AppData\Local\Programs\Opera\Launcher.exe" --makedefaultbrowser",
"name":"ReinstallCommand",
"type":"REG_SZ"},

Thanks for the help.

Posting this using Brave.

[burnout426]

burnout426 Volunteer @balloonhandler last edited by

@balloonhandler said in Opera setting itself as default browser?:

{"data":""C:\Users********\AppData\Local\Programs\Opera\Launcher.exe" --makedefaultbrowser",
"name":"ReinstallCommand",
"type":"REG_SZ"},

That's just the entry at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet\OperaStable\InstallInfo" or "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet\OperaStable\InstallInfo" in the registry and is normal. That shouldn't affect things. But, you can play with things to test if it does.

[burnout426]

burnout426 Volunteer @balloonhandler last edited by

@balloonhandler said in Opera setting itself as default browser?:

@burnout426 Nope, no such entry in the latest installer_prefs.json file.

Okay. Not sure if the absence of the entry means "true". You can do what Leo said and see if unchecking the option in the installer adds anything to installer_prefs.json.

[burnout426]

burnout426 Volunteer @burnout426 last edited by

@burnout426 said in Opera setting itself as default browser?:

You can do what Leo said and see if unchecking the option in the installer adds anything to installer_prefs.json.

It doesn't seem to add anything in my testing.

[balloonhandler]

balloonhandler @burnout426 last edited by

@burnout426 Thank you for your time, your suggestions, and your willingness to help.

But ultimately I just have to ask why bother? Why go through a bunch of trial and error in this arcane s*** to try to get Opera back to some level of "acceptable"? There are other browsers that are already acceptable.

I've uninstalled Opera from my work machine and have moved on.

Best of luck to all.

[burnout426]

burnout426 Volunteer @balloonhandler last edited by

@balloonhandler Ok, sounds good. Have a good one.

[blackfog1]

blackfog1 last edited by leocg

Exactly same behavior happening with me as of Feb 2024.
I explicitly unchecked the option to not make Opera my default browser. I'd really like to have it for occasional use. But Opera keeps becoming the default browser somehow.

It happened a week ago and I uninstalled and re-installed. For a few days after installing, Chrome was the default browser and everything worked fine. I just realized that my web links suddenly started opening in Opera. Default browser in Windows settings has changed somehow. I did not click anything in Opera or in Windows to make it the default. Spooky!

So uninstalling it for the third time and may be for good now.