Profile settings

pekkar

pekkar

Hello

I installed Opera on a new computer. I copied the profile folder from my old PC. The profile is not in the standard folder, but I modified the startup icon and added the "--user-data-dir =" parameter.

However, when Opera opens automatically e.g. from a link in an Excel spreadsheet, it uses the default profile. How do I set my own Profile to be the only one?

Pekka

leocg

leocg Moderator Volunteer @pekkar

@pekkar You may need to change Windows Registry to include the switch.

burnout426

burnout426 Volunteer

You need to using regedit to edit the commands in the following keys to add --user-data-dir= to their commands:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet\OperaStable\shell\open\command

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\OperaStable\shell\open\command

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\OperaStable\shell\open\command

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\OperaStable\shell\open\command

Then, if Opera is set as the default browser, things should just work. To test, open a command prompt and try:

start "test" "http://www.example.com/"

and:

start "test" "https://www.example.com/".

You should have to manually change the following keys. But, if you do, make sure to export them first to back them up.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\http\shell\open\command

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\https\shell\open\command

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\http\shell\open\command

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\https\shell\open\command

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\http

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\https

If that doesn't work, in windows, you might have to set another browser as the default browser and then set Opera back as the default.

Note though that an update of Opera or a reinstallation of Opera might revert your changes to the commands in Opera's keys.

Another option is to make a standalone installation of Opera and make just make it the default browser.

Download the Opera installer, launch it, click "options", set "install path" to to the folder you want (the "profile" (the user data directory) folder will then be inside it), set "install for" to "standalone installation", uncheck "import data from default browser", adjust any other options, and install.

Then, use http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/register-firefox-portable-with-default-programs-in-vista/ to set launcher.exe as the default browser on the system. Note that for the "Set apps by default" list in the Windows Default Apps/Programs settings, the one you want will say "Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition". You can change what it says by editing ApplicationName in "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet\FirefoxPortable\Capabilities" in the registry if you want.

For your regular profile files, just use them to overwrite the ones in the "profile" folder in the standalone installation to essentially convert your regular profile to a standalone one.

Besides the standalone installation option, another option is to try a browser launcher like https://www.reddit.com/r/operabrowser/wiki/opera/browser_launcher. You put it next to Opera's launcher.exe and then use the same "Mozilla Firefox Portable" tool to register the browser launcher as the default browser. Then, you edit the browser launcher's config file to add the --user-data-dir switch you want. Then, no matter how you load Opera (the browser launcher), Opera will load with the right user directory.

As you can see, it's possible to make things work. But, you'll have to decide if it's worth the effort

pekkar

pekkar @burnout426

@burnout426 Thanks for the quick answers. I'll try those tips - or I'll try to get used to the current situation

Pekka