The Opera Help site

Those are instructions for Opera 9.51 as the page address shows.

Tip: To go to a software help page, you do it from inside the program by pressing F1 or using the menu.

Can a master password be set in Opera 38.0.2220.41, and if so, how?

No, you can't.

The Opera Help site (http://help.opera.com/Windows/9.51/en/security.html) says that I can set a master password by going to Settings, Advanced, choosing Security and then Set Master Password.

Just a few problems with those instructions. There is no Advanced. Security is in Basic (and Basic is all there is). And there is no Set Master Password.

Is there a problem with my Opera installation? Or is the Help page incorrect? I want to set a master password, I don't want a debate about security or advice on what other people think I need.

Can a master password be set in Opera 38.0.2220.41, and if so, how?

settings I consider confidential because I don't want someone to see my Autofill settings

OK, for auto-fill i may agree because it may contain info like personal address, credit card numbers and so on.

Everything that's stored in encrypted form requires decryption before it can be used. It's one kind of system impact to do that for passwords at individual site log-ins, and another to do it constantly for each frequently-accessed browser file involving open tabs, bookmarks, and history which involve frequent read/writes.

On the fly encryption and decryption is nowadays no speed or resource problem. You can do this with huge drives and thousands of GB data reading and writing without loss of speed in comparison with non encrypted files.

@ blackbird71 (2)

Moreover, the added complexity adds a lot more potential failure points when bad things happen to good files and processes.

Storing each Opera-OS-account in another folder does not add much complexity. The only challenge is to store each OS-account passwords, settings, bookmarks, open tabs and history in his own folder, as it is done now in only one folder. If this is the problem I wonder how you managed to get Opera to work at all.

@ leocg (1)

Sorry, i don't use any [encrypted pen-drive] so i can't recommend any. However i think it shouldn't depend on someone else's account to work.

But it depends. It is impossible to mount a drive letter without admin rights on Windows by design. Unless you previously installed the appropriate TrueCrypt/VeraCrypt driver, which would require admin rights at that point. Your proposal is well-intentioned leocg, but unfortunately impracticable.

@ leocg (2)

Why such info [settings, open tabs, bookmarks, history, ...] should be considered sensitive?

• settings I consider confidential because I don't want someone to see my Autofill settings, or a malicious person to modify my settings. Especially the SSL Zertificates.
• open tabs, bookmarks and the history I consider confidential because I don't want my employer, my parents, my children, my wife, my friends or someone else see all the kind of sites I visited and at what time over the last years. They may draw the wrong conclusions about me from that.

So why not apply your password method to this information as well and additionally create one container for each OS-account we use Opera on?

...
This is a really great feature! Much better then implementing a master password for each software! Why do you not apply this method to all other sensitive information stored in Opera? Such as settings, open tabs, bookmarks, history, ...

Everything that's stored in encrypted form requires decryption before it can be used. It's one kind of system impact to do that for passwords at individual site log-ins, and another to do it constantly for each frequently-accessed browser file involving open tabs, bookmarks, and history which involve frequent read/writes. Moreover, the added complexity adds a lot more potential failure points when bad things happen to good files and processes.

Can you tell me one that does not need admit rights to be executed?

Sorry, i don't use any so i can't recommend any. However i think it shouldn't depend on someone else's account to work.

Why do you not apply this method to all other sensitive information stored in Opera? Such as settings, open tabs, bookmarks, history, ..

Why such info should be considered sensitive?

If any data in a pen-drive is so important that it should not be accessed by others, then it should be encrypted. And there are many ways to do it.

Right! Can you tell me one that does not need admit rights to be executed? TrueCrypt and VeraCrypt need admin rights on the OS-account. But some accounts where I use my pen-drive do not give me admin rights. How do you think can your suggestion be managed there in an easy and secure way?

Let me correct a wrong information: your password couldn't be used because the file for stored passwords would not work in a different computer other than the one it was created.

This is a really great feature! Much better then implementing a master password for each software! Why do you not apply this method to all other sensitive information stored in Opera? Such as settings, open tabs, bookmarks, history, ... And then create one container for each OS-account we use this edition of Opera on. Opera could then always use the right container for the OS-account we use it at the moment.

Isn't this an argument to reintroduce a master password setting possibility as Opera had years before?

Why implement a master password or any other security measure for every single software on your computer when you can only crate an user and a password to access the computer/OS and protect all (or almost all) the info in the computer?

I am using Opera mainly as a portable browser within the PortableApps platform and I worry someone finding it and using it in a malicious way.

If any data in a pen-drive is so important that it should not be accessed by others, then it should be encrypted. And there are many ways to do it.

However, everyone will be able to use your Opera and see your browsing history, use your saved passwords and so on.

Isn't this an argument to reintroduce a master password setting possibility as Opera had years before?
I'm using Opera as my standard browser since 2004, nowadays I am using Opera mainly as a portable browser within the PortableApps platform and I worry someone finding it and using it in a malicious way. What can be done easily, as you confirmed. With a master password protection I would feel definitely safer!
I found one extension with this feature, but it still has some security gaps.
Please consider my arguments for introducing a master password setting in the default Opera release.
Thank you.

Does this mean that if I use Opera at my USB drive - as a portable browser - and someone finds this drive he can not see all my websites unlocked by cookies

It means that no one will be able to see your passwords without knowingknowing the OS password.
However, everyone will be able to use your Opera and see your browsing history, use your saved passwords and so on.

Opera uses the OS credentials to encrypt saved passwords, this is what i was trying to say.

Does this mean that if I use Opera at my USB drive - as a portable browser - and someone finds this drive he can not see all my websites unlocked by cookies if he does not use the same OS-account as I used when I logged into that web pages?

I know what "SO" mean but my object was OPERA and I tried to make sense your answer

Opera uses the OS credentials to encrypt saved passwords, this is what i was trying to say.

My OS account? You mean Windows or Opera account?

OS means Operating System, so the answer is Windows.

Opera fills stores passwords and does not require any action before

But people will not be able to see your password without your Windows password.

Whoever opens Opera, in the same windows session, has access to all accounts

Well, if someone manage to get access to your computer and also to your user, then your security and privacy is already compromised.