Rogue Opera 29 Auto Update
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blackbird71 last edited byMy "take" on this is that I own the computer, I've paid for most of the software on it, and I pay for the bandwidth for downloads. System configuration control is my own business, in part because that's how I assure necessary stability for my software so that it all plays nicely with each other and with the users. Whether I load free or paid software on the system, I will NOT give up control over updating that software... updates will occur only if I want them to, at times of my own choosing which fit my system scheduling needs. In some cases, I use 'extreme' measures to block auto-updating in certain stubborn programs (such as renaming updater files, blocking things in task scheduler, or even blocking update sites in outgoing firewall rules. Far more preferable is software that gives me a built-in option to block or only notify me about updates. But ANY software that over-rides my owner control of updating on my own system will only ever do that once, after which it will be thrown off the system. Full stop.
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suntana last edited by
Exactly.
As far as I'm concerned, in this case Opera 29 behaved like a virus, like malware. I didn't want it in there and despite me having had measures in place so that it wouldn't make it's way into my computer ... it still lowlifely wormed its way in. As a certain President would say --- unacceptable.
Later this evening I will probably try reinstalling Opera 27 yet again and this time completely delete the opera-autoupdate file instead of just renaming it.
I've been keeping an eye on Vivaldi. If Opera 30 and above insist on the same intrusive behavior, I'll have to give Vivaldi a more detailed tryout. At this instant I don't know whether Vivaldi has or doesn't have that same rogue auto update behavior, but at least it'd be something to check out.
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suntana last edited by
Okay, I'm curious.
So I went ahead and yet again downgraded to Opera 27 and performed the whole shebang enchilada to TRY and prevent Opera from upgrading itself back up to Opera 29.
Now ... I see in the Task Manager an opera_autoupdate process using up around the range of 10,380K. Of course it varies from time to time, but it is pretty consistent around that range.
Does that bottom line mean / indicate that an Opera Auto Update is IN PROGRESS? Or could that mean that the Auto Update function is READY for if I hadn't taken the measures to try and stop it? I mean, after all, I did supposedly DELETE the Opera Auto Update scheduled task in the Startup area with CCleaner.
IS the unwanted Opera Auto Update eating up into my already barely there Dial Up excuse for speed? Is it doing this constantly as I browse ... until it finishes downloading the entire Opera 29 update?
Would it stop if I clicked on "End Process" in the Task Manager?
Would it then subsequently all rogue-like create another opera_autoupdate process in the Task Manager and resume chapping my hide and making me see red? -
suntana last edited by
Well, my question was answered this morning. Opera 29 DID have the audacity to infiltrate, take hostage, hold my computer under seige. Yep! My Opera 27 auto updated to Opera 29 this morning. Grrrrrrrrrrrr! @#$% MAN! What is it going to take for the Devs to understand that this is NOT desired? It is a problem. Opera 29 is just about now achieving Rootkit / Ransomeware status. Sheesh!
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suntana last edited by
Up to right before Opera 29 ... renaming the opera_autoupdate file to opera_autoupdate_Disabled ... and disabling or deleting the Opera autoupdate scheduled task in the Startup area with CCleaner used to do the trick. Heck, there recently I even went a step further and outright deleted the opera_autoupdate file instead of just renaming it. I thought I had seen Rafael Luik mention that. But, that didn't work either. And that's what I had gotten from this forum.
With the arrival of Opera 29, obviously that no longer remotely does the trick. I don't frequent these forums. I only sporadically check things out here. So if something new has come up that DOES work and hogties and keeps Opera 29 from taking over my computer, I am not aware of it. Toss me a link.
See, the thing is, these workarounds are getting ridiculous. We should not have to be going deep into the software jungle to execute complicated Special Forces missions simply to disable a freakin' Auto Update function ... something any and all Apps should already make easily available at the click of a button or by checking a box.
Right now as things are, it is the equivalent of one buying be it a car, a stereo, a computer or whatever and when some problem comes up, the only fix that one is given is for one to personally open up the product and go cut and splice wires ... or to reroute hoses or perform stuff that isn't normal for the consumer to be doing.
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blackbird71 last edited by
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See, the thing is, these workarounds are getting ridiculous. We should not have to be going deep into the software jungle to execute complicated Special Forces missions simply to disable a freakin' Auto Update function ... something any and all Apps should already make easily available at the click of a button or by checking a box. ...+1. What is failing to get through with enough force into development departments is that there are users who, for a variety of sound reasons, absolutely need to be able to block updates of whatever software. Virtually all software I've encountered still respects that - the exception being many of the Chromish products. Certainly there are sound and solid reasons a developer wants his software updated ASAP... but there are equally sound and solid reasons that the owner/operator of a system may not want updates on his system occurring outside his immediate control. Since the computer and how he uses it are HIS, I believe his hand holds more justification trump cards.
Continuing to force auto-updating is to force your product users facing such situations to employ other software instead, since little actual choice may be involved on their part (@suntana being on dial-up as but one case in point). This is unlike the situation with typical "features" where one is merely dealing with points of preference. The inclusion of an internal, user-accessible setting to allow a user to prevent auto-updating is an essential point of sound software design, and Opera ought to incorporate it.
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suntana last edited by
I don't know, blackbird. I could be wrong, but I'm guessing the reason for this rogue auto updating behavior is because of some flawed belief that they're looking out for the users' best interest in the computer security area. To that I say that it is still our call as to what version of ANY app we prefer to use at any given time. Heck, in my backup computer, which has Windows 98SE, I actually use Opera 9.64. OMG! LOL Well, I actually WOULD have a newer version, but Opera 9.64 is the latest version that works with Windows 98 as I found out by attempting to try newer versions.
Anyway, once Opera 29 finally finished its unauthorized upgrade, there was a noticeable difference in my browsing speed now that it wasn't there in the background dragging down things by downloading itself for 1 or 2 days, diluting the barely available speed that I have with my Dial Up to begin with.
I guess I'll go check out some of the older threads to see if I can find the supposed newer, more solid Mercenary Hitman Opera Autoupdate Terminator solution that is supposed to be out there. Otherwise I'll have to go through this again when Opera 30 comes out.
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59er last edited by
Since 29 does not work on my XP box, I blocked opera. exe 29.0.1795.47, Opera auto-update, and Opera Installer 29.0.1795.47 at the program settings of my firewall (OA Free). For Firewall settings I blocked oaui.exe and opera.exe 29.0.
(Non-firewall step) For good measure I renamed the installation_status.xml file in the Windows Opera program file. Not sure which did the trick but holding steady with Opera 28.
My previously renamed auto update files re-spawned in the Opera 28 file as before, but with the above steps this time 29 did not load. -
suntana last edited by
I can't do any of that Firewall stuff, 59er. I only have the Windows XP Firewall. And that one only has 1 instance of Opera there in the exceptions. If I delete that, Opera won't work.
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blackbird71 last edited by
I don't know, blackbird. I could be wrong, but I'm guessing the reason for this rogue auto updating behavior is because of some flawed belief that they're looking out for the users' best interest in the computer security area. ...
I agree... that's why I said earlier there certainly are sound and solid reasons why developers would want their products updated by most users as soon as possible, once they release a newer version. And I have no problem with a product that arrives with a default setting to auto-update itself. PROVIDED that there is a readily accessible and effective setting in that same software for a user to block further updating should he deem that necessary on his system. My own guess is that chromium inherently is designed for auto updating, and expending developmental effort at Opera for adding a feature to the UI to block it is simply not very high on their list of things needing done - if it's on the list at all. However, this is one issue I believe which needs continuing user feedback to elevate its significance until an easy and effective user update-block setting is incorporated.
I have two friends who are both on limited income and both use dial-up service at home, much as you do. They have old laptop systems, and don't update any software until they can take the systems to a friend's home or commercial hotspot where wifi is available to do their software updating. If auto-updating can't be readily blocked, there's no way they want to tie up their phone line for the very long periods required by such a forced auto-update. So I've advised both of them to not install New Opera for that specific reason. In my own case, I have software that, when running, absolutely can't be interrupted or crashed by software auto-updating whenever it jolly well feels like it... which is particularly a very real situation if two separate programs decide to update themselves at the same time (which I've had happen). It's simply not a reasonable design principle to make software that autonomously consumes system resources, network connections, and perhaps the primary attention of the OS. The computer owner/operator is supposed be in charge of what his system does and when, if he so elects... and the settings should be immediately accessible within the software on his system.
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bill-g last edited by
I know this is just another try to block autoupdate but it's easy and might work.
Create a zero-byte text file named "opera_autoupdate.exe", confirm the change extension varning and make the file write protected. Then replace the original "opera_autoupdate.exe" with this write-protected zero-byte file.
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bill-g last edited by
"operaautoupdate.exe" should be "opera(underscore)autoupdate.exe" in the previous message. underscore made the text slanted (italic) for some reason.
"opera_autoupdate.exe" "opera_autoupdate.exe" "opera_autoupdate.exe" <-- very weird
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jackscolon last edited by
Yeah, I'm "the only one disturbed by this." These fa99ots don't give a damn what you think, they don't care about their user's personal preferences, they only care about copying chrome.
FEEL MY HATE.
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tadolson last edited by
I've wanted to have an option to block or allow automatic updates because I'va had updates go bad in Firefox and was forced to download an installer to downgrade to fix the issue.I update Firefox by downloading an installer for each new version instead of just updating.
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uedaniel last edited by
My problem with auto-update feature started with my firewall.
As implemented, updates create a new folder with a version number, so I've to authorize manually every time it changes. Without folder exceptions, my current firewall / antivirus will detect executable changes and require new authorization anyway, that and the fact I try to avoid possibly unwanted changes / errors, leads me to both block and disable the auto-update.
Also, I don't know how Windows deals with it, specially WinSxS wich has a tendency to grow and grow...
Unfortunately, the option to disable it is hidden as a command line parameter. Would be nicer to leave such a control explicit on the advanced configurations.
In my opinion, a program that updates all the time is premature, either bloating or degrading or needs a more clearly defined target - Or all of those, wich is bad because Opera is great. The fact the makers wan't to push updates (by hiding the opt-out) concerns me.
Just to add my two bits.
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blackbird71 last edited by
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Unfortunately, the option to disable it is hidden as a command line parameter. Would be nicer to leave such a control explicit on the advanced configurations. ...More than 'unfortunate', it's a disaster waiting to happen. Because the first time you invoke the browser apart from the shortcut (eg: click a link in an eMail), Opera will open directly without consulting the command niceties you added to some shortcut somehere, and any pending auto-update will suddenly be thrust upon you. There simply isn't any "clean" workaround short of an update-blocking control built right into the browser itself. Everything else suffers from some techno-"gotcha" bypass path that can suddenly appear and bite you in a painful part of your anatomy - usually at the worst possible time or in the worst possible way. FULL accessible controls for a piece of software should reside in the software itself, not require remedial tampering with all manner of file names or system/security settings. It's called "sound software design".
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59er last edited by
There's a flag, opera://flags, thats in Opera 30 that I didn't notice in 28: 'Ping autoupdate server' Pings the autoupdate server on first shutdown. Default: enabled.
From the description might this be a way to disable auto update? I did a light search of the Developer browser blog, but didn't find much other than it was new for 30. I've disabled it to see what happens.
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blackbird71 last edited by
The problem, like with so many work-arounds, is that even if it were to work to block subsequent updates, there are no guarantees that some other mechanism couldn't over-ride it to force an update or that it might even be reset by something else. What is needed is a clear, simple user auto-updating option in the browser controls to allow, notify-and-block, or block-without-notifying. You know... like every other piece of software on the planet except certain Chrome-derivative web browsers.
