"unable to read the preferences file," "your profile could not be opened correctly." message

DUZULEK

DUZULEK

Hi.

I'm having this problem with Opera for the first time in over a decade.
Something started happening when I simply opened the browser...
A series of profile loading errors: "unable to read the preferences file," "your profile could not be opened correctly."
Strange things, this is the first time this has happened to me.
I have a profile with synchronization in Opera. I can log in after starting and clicking on error messages. Also, Opera doesn't load my profile.
After all this happened, I completely uninstalled Opera, deleting all user data.
I downloaded the latest official version and reinstalled it. To my surprise, the problem persists :(((

I've attached screenshots and recorded a video of what's happening
both before and after reinstalling Opera.

Here link to mp4 file video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JFMrWUbgIHPzySdmqnUk9_YLFvYRILmz/view?usp=sharing

I'll say it again: I completely uninstalled Opera, including my user data, restarted it, and then reinstalled it.

I'm logging in without any errors, but Opera won't restore anything that was synced... bookmarks... passwords :(((

I'm afraid of losing my bookmarks.

How do I restore my bookmarks after logging in as an Opera user?

Please help, I don't know what to do anymore.
Thank you.

johnymacclen

johnymacclen

That error usually means the Preferences file in your profile has become corrupted, which is why a reinstall on its own did not help if the old profile folder was left behind.

First, check that Sync is actually bringing your bookmarks back: open Settings, go to Synchronisation, and make sure you are signed in to the same account you used before and that Bookmarks is switched on. Give it a few minutes, as a large set of bookmarks does not always appear straight away.

If nothing appears, the hard part is that deleting all user data also deleted the local copy, so only what had already been synced can come back. If you still have the old profile folder anywhere, for example in a backup, look for the Bookmarks file inside it and keep a copy before you try anything else.

One other thing worth checking: if you were signed in to a different account, even by a small spelling difference, Sync would restore a different, empty set of data. It is worth double-checking the account name shown in Synchronisation before trying another reinstall.

tauqirashraf

tauqirashraf Banned @DUZULEK

@DUZULEK Sorry you're dealing with this. Since you've already completely uninstalled and reinstalled Opera, I would first check whether Sync is actually restoring your data or whether the browser is having trouble accessing its local profile.

If you can still access your Opera account, check whether your bookmarks are available through Opera Sync on another device where you're signed in. Also, avoid resetting Sync or deleting any more profile data until you've confirmed that your bookmarks are backed up. If you previously exported your bookmarks as an HTML file, you can import them again through the bookmarks manager.

One thing worth checking is whether you're signed in to the same Opera account you used before. If you are, but your bookmarks and passwords still aren't appearing, it may be a Sync issue rather than something that another reinstall will fix.

Hopefully, your bookmarks are still associated with your account or available in a backup. Have you checked whether your bookmarks appear on another synced device?

burnout426

burnout426 Volunteer

Restart Windows if you haven't.

Then, in Windows Explorer (File Explorer), goto "View -> Show" and turn on "file extensions" and "hidden items".

Then, in both "C:\Users\yourusername\AppData\Roaming" and "C:\Users\yourusername\AppData\Local", rename the "Opera Software" folder to "Opera Software old".

Then, start Opera and see how things go.

If you still have the issue, in both of those folders, right-click on the new "Opera Software" folders, goto "properties" and click the read only box so that it's clear (all white) and click apply. Then, switch to the "Security" tab, make sure your username is in the user list and make sure it has full permissions (all permissions set to "allow" except for "special permissions"). Click apply if you had to change anything and then OK out.

Then, try things again.

If still no go, make sure the permissions are correct for the "Roaming" and "Local" folders too.

If still no go, make a test standalone installation to a folder named "Opera Test" on your desktop to see if it has the issue too or not. If it does, it might be something outside of Opera causing it. If you think that's the case, investigate what security software you have installed on your system like any VPNs, firewalls, anti-virus software and CCleaner. You might have to temporarily uninstall (not just disable) them to truly test if they're interfering with Opera.

You can also uninstall Opera again and after it's uninstalled, delete the actual install folder that remains. It'd be the "Opera" folder in "C:\Users\yourusername\AppData\Local\Programs" or "C:\Program Files" depending on whether you have Opera installed just for the current user or all users. Then, delete everything in "C:\Users\yourusername\AppData\Local\temp" before trying to reinstall Opera.

If you get everything working again and it starts happening as soon as you renable Opera Sync again, it could be due to syncing settings. Try avoiding that. You might even have to goto https://www.sync.opera.com/ and choose to reset your passphrase to wipe out all your sync data on the server and then start over with a fresh user data folder again.