Opera Mail: Labels not imported from Opera 12

sgunhouse

sgunhouse Moderator Volunteer

Strange ... Windows 7 shouldn't let you do that (put user data anywhere in C:\Program Files) ... unless this is a non-English version of Windows? The alternative is that you've disable User Access Control (aka UAC) and can therefore write anywhere without having to get Administrator access like it was in XP.

Opera Mail shouldn't really care (if you have disabled UAC), you could edit the Opera Mail copy of operaprefs.ini to tell it where the mail folder is. Though as Opera Mail does not recognize opera:config you'll have to use a text editor while the program is closed to do this.

Opera 26 now ... what was that commandline argument for telling it where Opera 12's profile is? Oh yeah, --presto-small-prefs-dir, as mentioned here.

Deleted User

Deleted User

I don't have UAC turned off. My account does have full access permissions to c:\Program Files\Opera. I have made some progress getting Opera Mail to recognize my profile. I copied operaprefs.ini, wand.dat and contacts.adr into an otherwise empty c:\Users\Steve\Appdata\Local\Opera Mail\Opera Mail and installed Opera Mail. Opera Mail has all my mail, all my labels, all my contacts and all my email accounts. I can send email. Almost everything works but: I can't receive email. When I try to get mail the first time, I am prompted for the master password. Then nothing. I don't see any sign that Opera Mail is even trying to get the mail. I can go back to Opera 12 and get the mail and I can go back to Opera Mail and read it. Any ideas?

burnout426

burnout426 Volunteer

I am using Windows 7 Pro SP1 32-bit. My operaprefs.ini is in c:\Program Files\Opera\profile. My mail is in c:\Program Files\Opera\M2.

Thanks for the clarification.

You already figured out most of it, but I'll be specific for good measure and answer your password issue.

For Win7 32-bit, when you launch the Opera 12.17 installer, you should click "options", set the "install path" to "C:\Program Files\Opera", set "install for" to "All Users", check "Use Opera as my default" and install. This will make the path for the roaming profile folder for the install be "C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Opera\Opera" and the path for the Local profile folder for the install be "C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Opera\Opera".

Then, for Opera Mail, you do the same thing except set the "install path" to "C:\Program Files\Opera Mail". This will make it so the profile folders are at "C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Opera Mail\Opera Mail" and "C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Opera Mail\Opera Mail". When Opera Mail runs and you choose the "import settings" wizard (not the "import from opera" wizard), it'll copy wand.dat, contacts.adr and parts from "operaprefs.ini" (to generate a new one) from "C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Opera\Opera" and put them in "C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Opera Mail\Opera Mail". Then, it will copy "C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Opera\Opera\Mail" to "C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Opera Mail\Opera Mail" so that it's at "C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Opera Mail\Opera Mail\mail".

Of course, you can do the copying yourself. But, if you copy, after copying, edit Opera Mail's operaprefs.ini before you launch Opera Mail and remove all lines that have paths in them so that Opera Mail uses the default locations for those settings instead of specific paths for the old 12.17 install.

Then, things will just work where you can then download Opera 26+, launch the installer, click "options", set the "install path " to "C:\Program Files\Opera" and upgrade.

There is a catch though. Opera Mail doesn't officially support a Master Password. So, before you install Opera Mail to import from Opera 12.17, in Opera 12.17, you need to go into "Alt + P -> advanced -> Security" and uncheck "use master password to protect my passwords" (to decrypt wand.dat), close out of preferences and shut down Opera. Then, delete opcert6.dat that's in the same directory as wand.dat to clear the master password.

If you don't want to decrypt wand.dat via the setting in preferences, delete the "Use Paranoid Mailpassword" line in operaprefs.ini. It's under [Security]. Then, start Opera 12.17 and shut it down.

To set/change a masster password in Opera Mail, you need to create a special keyboard shortcut or menu item to reach that dialog. In short though, forget about using a master password.

I can send email. Almost everything works but: I can't receive email. When I try to get mail the first time, I am prompted for the master password. Then nothing.

Close down Opera Mail, delete wand.dat and opcert6.dat (if it's there). Then, start Opera Mail and reenter your username and passwords on the "Servers" tab in each account's settings.

Or, close down Opera Mail, copy both wand.dat and opcert6.dat from Opera 12.17 and edit Opera Mail's operaprefs.ini so that Use Paranoid Mailpassword=1 is set under [Security] (add the section if it isn't there). Then, you can *try* to see if using a master password works.

Or, do the decrypting of wand.dat as mentioned earlier and recopy wand.dat and make sure Opera Mail's operaprefs.ini doesn't have "Use Paranoid Mailpassword" in it.

My operaprefs.ini is in c:\Program Files\Opera\profile

Ah, the old single-user install. Multi User is set to 0 in "C:\Program Files\Opera\operaprefs_default.ini", which causes the the local and roaming profile files/folders to all be in "C:\Program Files\Opera\profile" and mixed together. As you've found, you just need to copy the contacts.adr and the mail folder there to the proper place. You really don't have to copy wand.dat if you just want to retype your username and passwords and you don't really need to copy operaprefs.ini as that just contains the global mail settings for the UI mostly, which are easy and fast to change back to how you want. However, if you wanted to to move/copy all the files in "C:\Program Files\Opera\profile" to the Opera Mail profile (not needed, just saying), you'd have to split them up into the Local and Roaming profile folders for the install of Opera Mail. Studying a regular multi user install of Opera 12.17 (installed to "C:\Program Files\Opera Test" for example) will show you which files and folders go in the roaming folder for the install and which ones go in the local folder for the install. But, you don't need to do all of that in this case as you only need to really copy contacts.adr and the mail folder.

Note that you want to use a mutli user install even if you're the only one using hte computer.

Strange ... Windows 7 shouldn't let you do that (put user data anywhere in C:\Program Files)

I forget if it does when you're an admin, but in cases where the user doesn't have write access to "C:\Program Files\Opera\profile", in this case, Windows will virtualize the reading/writing to "C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\VirtualStore" I think where the modified files are stored there and the non-modified copies are stored in "C:\Program Files\Opera\profile".

After you're all done importing into Opera Mail, you might want to set edit "C:\Program Files\Opera\operaprefs_default.ini and set Multi User=1. Then, you'll want to move the "profile" folder's files and folders to the proper places in the Roaming and Local profile folders for the install so that when you upgrade to Opera 26+, your settings and install are upgraded properly. You only need to do this though if upgrading your single-user install to Opera 26 doesn't import your settings properly. Or, if you want to install Opera 26 fresh and get rid of Opera 12.17, rename/delete "C:\Program Files\Opera" (uninstall Opera 12.17 first via program and features if you want) and then install 26+ "C:\Program Files\Opera".

Opera 26+ will have local and roaming profile folders that are in an "opera software" folder instead of an "opera" folder.

Deleted User

Deleted User

Thanks burnout426, for a very comprehensive answer. Your answer covers several different topics, such as "Why won't Opera 26 recognize my old Opera single user installation?" and "How to I convert my old Opera single-user install to use the newer profile configuration?" and "Why can't I use a Master Password in Opera Mail?".

I got Opera Mail to start receiving my mail by copying opcert6.dat along with wand.dat as you suggested, but now my profile is even more atypical than before, since I left the mail at C:\Program Files\Opera\M2 and I have kept the master password. Later, I will attempt to used the Opera 12.7 installer to move my profile data to AppData, which will take a while since my M2 directory is 7GB and 62,000 files.

burnout426

burnout426 Volunteer

since I left the mail at C:\Program Files\Opera\M2

So, in your Opera Mail's operaprefs.ini, under [Mail], you have:

 Mail Root Directory=C:\Program Files\Opera\M2

?

As in, the "M2" folder is your "mail" folder?

*If so*, you can close down Opera Mail, edit operaprefs.ini, remove the Mail Root Directory line, rename the M2 folder to "mail" and move it into "C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Opera Mail\Opera Mail" so that it replaces the existing "mail" folder there that's not being used.

Only do that though if you know for sure that's your exact situation. Or, back up the existing "mail" folder just in case. Backup the "M2" folder too first just in case if you want.

Deleted User

Deleted User

I wonder if I could join this discussion since I have a somewhat similar problem. My situation is:
My whole Opera 12.<something> (12.11 probably) was accidentally removed from my laptop, including all emails, bookmarks etc. Luckily I have an updated backup on a separate disk. I tried installing the new Opera 30, just to realize that it didnt contain the mail program. I then installed Opera mail and after some struggle got all old emails into that but without any labels. I also didnt manage to import any bookmarks into the new browser. Then I found the technical discussion above.

What I want to do is:

Get my emails into Opera mail with labels
Switch from the Opera 30 browser to Chrome and transfer all bookmarks

To solve 2, I was planning to install an old Opera version (12.11), then copy the bookmarks.adr from my backup disk, then export it as HTML, import it into Chrome and then uninstall the Opera 12.11 again. Ok, or is it an easier way?
To solve 1, I get confused with the long discussion above. Could I simply uninstall and reinstall Opera Mail and then copy the whole mail folder from my backupdisk to the proper location on the C disk, which I believe is something like:
C:\Users<user>\AppData\Local\Opera\Opera x64\mail
or do I need something from the Roaming directory as well? I'm not sure why the labels were lost, but perhaps was it because I messed things up with installing Opera 30 before the Opera Mail?

I run Win 7 on a 64 bits pc. Many thanks for any help.

Deleted User

Deleted User

As far as I can tell, everything that burnout426 said is correct. After installing Opera Mail, I edited the operaprefs.ini in roaming to point to my existing email folder. One problem I have had is that I have had some folders set to view "last 3 months" with no way to change them using Opera Mail. I used the old Opera to set them to "forever". I don't remember what I did about the bookmarks. I think I exported them like you are planning to do.

burnout426

burnout426 Volunteer

^^

Launch the Opera Mail installer, click "options", set "install path" to "C:\Program Files (x86)\Opera Mail", set "install for" to "all users" and install. When Opera Mail starts, close it.

Then, replace "C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Opera Mail\Opera Mail\mail" with your backed-up mail folder.

Then, replace contacts.adr, wand.dat and operaprefs.ini in "C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Opera Mail\Opera Mail" with the ones from your backup. Edit operaprefs.ini and remove any lines that have paths in them so that Opera uses the default paths for those settings. If you don't copy over operaprefs.ini, no biggy. You'll just need to set a few global mail options again when you start up Opera Mail. If you don't have a backed-up contacts.adr that went with the backed-up mail folder, make sure to export your contacts from the old Opera and import them into Opera Mail when things are all set up in Opera Mail. If you were using a master password in the old Opera, skip copying over wand.dat and just reenter your usernames and passwords for each account in Opera Mail. Or, in the old Opera, goto "Alt + p -> advanced -> security", uncheck "use master password to protect my passwords", close out the dialog to apply the setting and close Opera. Then you can copy over wand.dat. Skip copying over wand.dat though if it's not the one that was for the mail folder you backed up.

When you start Opera Mail, all should be good. See http://www.reddit.com/r/operabrowser/wiki/m2tips/default_programs and http://www.reddit.com/r/operabrowser/wiki/m2tips/add_opera_config though.

Then, you can remove any old Opera mail install folders from "C:\Program Files" and "C:\Program Files (x86)". You can then delete or rename (or move to a safe place for a backup) all the folders in "C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Opera Mail" and "C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Opera Mail" except for the "Opera Mail" ones. You can also then get rid of (or rename / move) the Opera 12.x and the new Opera profile folders in "C:\Users\user\AppData\Local" and "C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming". They'll be named "Opera" and "Opera Software" respectively. You can also get rid of their program files folders.

You can then clear any Opera installs besides Opera Mail from Program and Features in the control panel.

You can ignore some of the steps above. Some of them are just to clean up old installs and profiles.

Deleted User

Deleted User

Perfect. Many thanks for your help! That solved the problem. All emails, labels, contacts etc are back.

kejdrzej

kejdrzej

I am not sure if it is the right thread, but it was the first one I found looking for mail import troubleshooting.

I was trying to install OperaMail on Win 7 64bit with 64bit version of Opera 12.17 installed. There was no option of importing everything from Opera, during OperaMail installation.

I planned to do it manually, but the idea came to me to rename C:\Users\janus\AppData\Local\Opera\Opera x64
to: C:\Users\janus\AppData\Local\Opera\Opera (just removed " x64") and the proper option appeared during startup of OperaMail

Unfortunately I had to set all the passwords once again (due to masterpassword in Opera?) and set IMAP folders for sent, trash and spam once again. Seems to be nothing, but it took terribly long (30 minutes!) of OperaMail working at 100%.

Hope it may be helpful for someone.