After last update, Opera isn't standard browser
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upgradevictim last edited by
I was using Presto 12.17. Indeed, now looking at my program folders, it seems I still am. I couldn't check the version from Opera itself because Help and all those other useful buttons at the top have disappeared.
I started Opera yesterday and was presented with a splash screen. I don't have the exact wording, but it said that an upgrade was available. I wanted to skip the upgrade, but there was no option I could find on the page to skip the upgrade. So I stopped Opera and restarted it. Same no-way-out splash page. So instead of proceeding with the upgrade, I just put an address in the address bar and started browsing, expecting to browse with old Opera as usual. I then found that everything had been upended, with the top bar showing Home, Bookmarks, Tools, Help and such gone. I could get bookmarks and few other things back in a confusing sidebar, but that was it. It looked like a new version of Opera, but based on what's in my program folders it's actually a completely different look of the old one.
So it seems there was an attempt at an upgrade which didn't succeed, but which somehow nonetheless completely upended the customised look and feel of my browser. That's wrong. I just want to browse, and not waste time digging in Program Files to see what Opera files I have. And I don't feel like wasting more time trying to get my custom settings back.
Finally, I had specifically opted out of automatic upgrades, so please don't insult my intelligence by waiving those TOS.
(And no, I am not running Viper or anything like it; I'm only runnng PrivateFirewall 7, which didn't block or catch anything since I have an exception for Opera.)
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leocg Moderator Volunteer last edited by
I was using Presto 12.17. Indeed, now looking at my program folders, it seems I still am. I couldn't check the version from Opera itself because Help and all those other useful buttons at the top have disappeared.
Just for curiosity, do you have a screenshot of this new Opera?
I started Opera yesterday and was presented with a splash screen. I don't have the exact wording, but it said that an upgrade was available.
How did it look like? You said that you've disabled autoupdate on Opera 12.17 so you shouldn't be seeing anything like that.
Btw, how did you disabled autoupdate?I then found that everything had been upended, with the top bar showing Home, Bookmarks, Tools, Help and such gone. I could get bookmarks and few other things back in a confusing sidebar, but that was it
Which sidebar? What's on it?
On your %appdata% directory do you see any "Opera Software" and or "Opers Stable" folder?
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A Former User last edited by
Check the properties of your Opera launcher. I guess it must probably be the opera.exe file. Right, Leo?
(And yet again - maybe there are more than one Opera on your system still? Try your system searcher for opera.exe files to find out. (You can also see what folders they are in - if several.)) -
blackbird71 last edited by...
Finally, I had specifically opted out of automatic upgrades, so please don't insult my intelligence by waiving those TOS. (And no, I am not running Viper or anything like it; I'm only runnng PrivateFirewall 7, which didn't block or catch anything since I have an exception for Opera.)@upgradevictim, there is currently no Opera-authorized update for Opera 12.17 that would indicate its presence in a genuine Presto Opera (12.xx or below) "update" screen. At present, Opera 12.17 installations are blissfully unaware that a higher version exists, and Opera's update servers are equally unaware that Opera 12.17 exists, for updating purposes. Whatever occurred was either the result of a malfunction (within your original Opera installation or your system) or something else on your system is invoking the "update" screen you encountered (a legitimate program or malware). The point remains that Opera has not and currently is not attempting to update Presto Opera installations into Blink Opera installations; neither the technology nor the software to do that presently exists. You are the one who invoked threats of legalities and such in your rather hostile posting; I was simply replying within that same paradigm in that part of my post.
@leocg and @joshl are trying to help decipher what caused that 'update' screen and what has happened since. Questions exist: how did you originally set the update blocking, what new software did the system actually install (if any), what did that activity (aborted or otherwise) do to the old Opera installation, etc.
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upgradevictim last edited by
I have only one version of Opera on my computer.
I don't have a screenshot of the splash screen "offering" the upgrade, but I was upset that I could not seem to find any button on it for "Install Later" or such.
In Program Files/Opera, none of the files have been modified for months.
In D&S/Owner/Opera (same as %appdata%), the following files were modified at the time of the aborted upgrade:
http://i59.tinypic.com/xvfxc.jpg
(Other files may have been modified at that time as well, but if they were modified again later, they aren't on that list.)
Here's what my Opera looks like now, when that side panel is showing:
http://i62.tinypic.com/288xidg.jpg
Bookmarks work completely differently than before: a panel fills the left-hand side of the screen and it must be clicked close after going to a bookmarked site. Very clumsy compared with the IE-Firefox-Old Opera slide-down menu.
I don't have a screenshot of pre-disaster Opera, but it looked pretty much like IE and Firefox, with the usual Tools-Bookmarks-Home etc navigation bar at the top. Nothing I click on the latest Opera seems to be able to bring those back.
In Security somewhere I'd checked Do Not Check for Updates; I don't like browsers "calling home" without my permission, and I'd NEVER had an update offered before. I always checked manually from time to time.
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upgradevictim last edited by
I did not see your 2:51 post before making my post.
As you can see from the link, my Opera %appdata% file shows several files created or modified at the time of the attempted upgrade.
Do I understand your note correctly: that the creation and modification of these files is NOT the result of any activity by Opera's servers?
This is a very important point.
I was not aware of any malware which could install by mocking itself as an Opera upgrade.
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linuxmint7 last edited by
Go to 'Help / About Opera' to see exactly what version you have currently install, though it is definitely a Presto version going by your screen shots.
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A Former User last edited by
Are you the administrator of your system? Are there any kids around, perhaps? :rolleyes:
Just in case... -
upgradevictim last edited by
Opera 13?
This is how my Opera now logs, same as before:
Opera/9.80 (Windows NT 5.1) Presto/2.12.388 Version/12.17
Opera.exe and opera.dll both show version 12.17.1863.0.
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linuxmint7 last edited by
Do you know what version of Opera you were on before this 'suspicious' update activity occurred ?.
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upgradevictim last edited by
can't go to Help > Opera because it doesn't show.
No one has physical access to my machine. I am the sole user.
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upgradevictim last edited by
As I said, the version number of Opera has not changed. I have website logs showing the same version before and after the event, and there has been no change to any of the files in Program Files/Opera (at least according to Windows timestamps). The only change seems to be in the Opera %appdata% files.
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blackbird71 last edited by
@upgradevictim, I'm trying to reconstruct a picture of what first occurred, especially the update splash screen. Per your second post, you stated that you were presented with a splash screen upon starting Opera; you then stopped Opera and restarted it and again got the splash screen; next you: "instead of proceeding with the upgrade, I just put an address in the address bar and started browsing, expecting to browse with old Opera as usual. I then found that everything had been upended, with the top bar showing Home, Bookmarks, Tools, Help and such gone."
Perhaps it's just the way it's worded, but it conveys an impression that up to and including the moment of entering the address in the address bar, the format/appearance of the Opera screen appeared "normal" in terms of what you expected for bars, buttons, and screen-frame; and that it changed only right at the point of starting to browse.
Was the update "splash screen" first displayed within the Opera page viewing area or overlaid on top of the Opera screen like a Windows message pop-up, etc? At the moment when you first entered browsing data into the address box, did the Opera appearance seem like what you normally expected? If so, at what point did it suddenly (?) change to what you currently have?
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A Former User last edited by
...or try accessing
opera://help.Linux, that's been probably the files, do you think?
(Just reported a weird behaviour with this user's (in particular) postcount - do you, guys, see the "1" too there?) -
linuxmint7 last edited by
As I said, the version number of Opera has not changed.
Yeah sorry, saw that but slipped my mind when I was replying.
This definitely does not sound like activity from Opera or its update process, as there was nothing to update, as you say, you already had the latest version.
Are you sure there is nothing running amok on your computer, or maybe some software that offers the ability to update software for you automatically ?.
Any anti virus software installed, other than PrivateFirewall 7 ?.
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blackbird71 last edited by
...
I was not aware of any malware which could install by mocking itself as an Opera upgrade.While malware still must obey the laws of physics and the protocols of software, never underestimate the cleverness or creativity of hackers... nor the permutations of possible outcomes if a hack "goes bad" in midstream.
I realize memory is not always reliable, but it is important to try to recall exactly (as much as possible) what occurred at the beginning of the whole episode, particularly before memory shifts and/or gets colored by later thoughts and questions. Details of the initial experience of the update splash screen may shed light on where it might have actually come from, which in turn may give light on what it might have later done (and how).
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upgradevictim last edited by
No AV other that PF 7.
The splash screen was in a frame; there were no navigation buttons available, but there was an address bar. There was no way to move from it. I restarted the browser, thinking the splash screen would disappear, but it didn't, so I browsed to a website using the address bar, and discovered the appearance of the browser had changed completely.
I am quite willing to send the %appdata% files to someone at Opera who can tell me whether they are in right order, or not.
And yes, I note my post count isn't increasing for some reason. (I'm posting with Firefox, not Opera).
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linuxmint7 last edited by
No AV other that PF 7.
Have you thought about maybe doing a scan for malware or other such dodgy software that maybe lurking on your system that you may not know about ?. Maybe PrivateFirewall 7 may not be enough ?, and it's always good to have a second or even third opinion.
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upgradevictim last edited by
The upgrade splash was a full screen, probably lightish blue with some graphics in the center. As I have said, I was furious because it gave me no option to postpone or reject the upgrade.
Yes, there are hackers about here who are motivated and talented. But I would certainly not want to be alarmist about this unless I was absolutely sure that those files on my machine did not come from Opera.
