[Solved] Sticky speed dial bookmarks

[RobHill]

RobHill last edited by leocg

Every time I click on a link in an email pera opens a new window rather than using the open window - like it used to do - and to make matters wors it keeps reverting to an older speed dial set of bookmarks. How do I make my current set of bookmarks my start page?

[sgunhouse]

sgunhouse Moderator Volunteer @RobHill last edited by

@robhill Perhaps you have two versions of Opera installed, and the link opens the old version? Next time that happens go to Help > About Opera and see whether it is the current version.

[RobHill]

RobHill @sgunhouse last edited by

@sgunhouse Hi. They both open version 77.0.4054.254 - though the old bookmarks version displays a pop up saying a new version i ready to be installed, but when you try to do that id moans that it doesn't have administrator privileges = offers try again but same result

[sgunhouse]

sgunhouse Moderator Volunteer @RobHill last edited by

@robhill Administrator privileges? Then that one is an "all users" install in your Program Files folder while the other is probably a single-user install in your user folder.

[RobHill]

RobHill last edited by

Hi

Only seem to have one program file installed – but get 4 files when searching for “Opera browser” in c:\windows\WinSxS

2 are X86 - one browser and one regbrowser

2 are amd64 - ditto

Does that give any clues?
Can’t see anything in C:\Users|public or C:\users\rob that may help

Regards

Rob

[RobHill]

RobHill last edited by

While writing the last message a pop up asked if I want to install a new version of Opera.

Said Yes

Got message back - "Opera failed to install. Failed to obtain administrator-level execution privileges - Try again"

Thinking about it this has happened before. Could this be the problem? Current version is 77.4054.254 which it installed on 19/07/21 according to the files history in program files x86/opera folder

[leocg]

leocg Moderator Volunteer @RobHill last edited by

@robhill Try running Opera as administrator, then go to menu > Update and recovery to check for updates.

You can also try running the installer as administrator.

[RobHill]

RobHill @leocg last edited by

@leocg Hi. I checked my account on my laptop and it says - as I expected - I am set up as an administrator.

Or do I need to do something else to run Opera as an administrator?

Cheers

[leocg]

leocg Moderator Volunteer @RobHill last edited by

@robhill Right click on the shortcut/executable > Run as administrator.

[RobHill]

RobHill @leocg last edited by

@leocg Done that. Makes no difference. My preferred set of bookmarks on speed dial means when loading from scratch, delete two, move one, and add another. This works in background until I close Opera. But with that live, if I click on a link in an email it opens a new session and brings back the older version of bookmarks - even when running as administrator as proved earlier. Small difference - now no pop up saying new version available

[leocg]

leocg Moderator Volunteer @RobHill last edited by leocg

@robhill Uninstall Opera keeping your data and install it again. Remember to uninstall all Opera instances listed.

After that, download and install Opera again.

[RobHill]

RobHill @leocg last edited by

@leocg Thanks. How? How do I keep the data - and which data will it keep - my preferred bookmarks or the older set?

[sgunhouse]

sgunhouse Moderator Volunteer @RobHill last edited by

@robhill Which bookmarks are the 64-bit version?

[burnout426]

burnout426 Volunteer @RobHill last edited by

@robhill said in Sticky speed dial bookmarks:

Only seem to have one program file installed – but get 4 files when searching for “Opera browser” in c:\windows\WinSxS
2 are X86 - one browser and one regbrowser
2 are amd64 - ditto

Those have nothing to do with Opera. When you search for opera browser, it'll find things that have opera and or browser in them. In this case, the results you get are a just a match for browser and have nothing to do with a web browser.

[leocg]

leocg Moderator Volunteer @RobHill last edited by

@robhill Just don't select the option to delete user data during the uninstall.

[burnout426]

burnout426 Volunteer last edited by

Opera profiles for the rob user account are in the "C:\Users\rob\AppData\Roaming\Opera Software" folder. The corresponding cache folders for those profiles are in "C:\Users\rob\AppData\Local\Opera Software".

Opera installed for just the rob account should have its program files in the "C:\Users\rob\AppData\Local\Programs\Opera" folder.

Opera installed for all users should be at "C:\Program Files\Opera" for 64-bit Opera and "C:\Program Files (x86)\Opera" for 32-bit Opera. Whether you run "C:\Program Files\Opera\launcher.exe" with the rob user or "C:\Users\rob\AppData\Local\Programs\Opera\launcher.exe" with the rob user or "C:\Program Files (x86)\Opera\launcher.exe" with the rob user, the profile that the Opera should use should be at "C:\Users\rob\AppData\Roaming\Opera Software\Opera Stable".

In each Opera (the one with regular bookmarks and the one with old), goto the URL opera://about. On that page, look for the "install" and "profile" paths. That will tell you where things are at. Compare them with each to see if you really have 2 Operas installed and really have 2 different profiles.

Anyway, in Windows, you want to goto Programs/Apps & Features and uninstall any Opera you see there. When you uninstall an Opera, you'll be asked if you want to also delete your data. Don't choose to so your Opera profile(s) are kept. Then, in Windows Explorer, you want to look for the "C:\Program Files\Opera" and "C:\Program Files (x86)\Opera" folders and delete those Opera folders if they're there. Then, you want to look in "C:\Users\rob\AppData\Local\Programs" for any Opera installations and delete those Opera folders. Then, you want to make sure you delete any Opera shortcuts form the rob desktop and start menu and unpin any Opera shortcuts from the taskbar.

Then, in another browser, goto https://www.opera.com/download and download the 64-bit offline installer. Then, launch the installer, click "options", set "install path" to "C:\Program Files\Opera", set "install for" to "All users", check "Make Opera the default browser", and install.

Then, you should have just one Opera installed properly. But, just to make sure it's the default browser, in Windows goto Default Programs/Apps and set it as the default browser.

Then, if Opera doesn't load the correct speed dials when you start Opera, you probably have more than one profile folder in "C:\Users\rob\AppData\Roaming\Opera Software" where the wrong one is the default. For example, you might have "Opera Stable" and "Something else". In this case, you want to rename the "Opera Stable folder to "Opera Stable old" and rename "Something else" to "Opera Stable". Then, things should just work.

Now, if after all that, if clicking a link in your email program/app still launches a new Opera Window when Opera is already open and still shows a different set of dial on the start page, something must be wrong with the email program. More details on what you're using would help.

[RobHill]

RobHill @leocg last edited by

@leocg Thanks. Will do

[RobHill]

RobHill @burnout426 last edited by

@burnout426 Thanks for these detailed instructions. Have printed them off and will do later. Hopefully web life will then return to normal.

[RobHill]

RobHill @burnout426 last edited by leocg

@burnout426 Hi - me again

Going through the first half of you instructions has the following results.

Opera profiles for the rob user account are in the "C:\Users\rob\AppData\Roaming\Opera Software\Opera Stable" folder.

The corresponding cache folders for those profiles are in "C:\Users\rob\AppData\Local\Opera Software\Opera Stable".

Opera installed for just the rob account should have its program files in the "C:\Users\rob\AppData\Local\Programs\Opera" folder. - Nothing there

Opera installed for all users should be at "C:\Program Files\Opera" for 64-bit Opera - Nothing there

and "C:\Program Files (x86)\Opera" for 32-bit Opera. - Yes .

Whether you run "C:\Program Files\Opera\launcher.exe" with the rob user or "C:\Users\rob\AppData\Local\Programs\Opera\launcher.exe" with the rob user or - Can not as nothing there

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Opera\launcher.exe" with the rob user, the profile that the Opera should use should be at "C:\Users\rob\AppData\Roaming\Opera Software\Opera Stable". - Yes

In each Opera (the one with regular bookmarks and the one with old), goto the URL opera://about. On that page, look for the "install" and "profile" paths. That will tell you where things are at. Compare them with each to see if you really have 2 Operas installed and really have 2 different profiles.

There is only one - but something is sticky. Using my adjusted bookmarks version - i.e. open Opera and delete, move and add the bookmarks I want (Which I have to do every time I open a new session at the start of the day) - I get the expected results as those that work above.

Using a link in an email it opens another session of Opera, with the older bookmarks/shortcuts - and gives exactly the same results

One installation - 32bit - for All Users - version 77.0.4054.254 - though just checked that literally just a second ago and it did an update to .256 - 100% complete - go figure!

What is/was consistent is that there were a few files with todays date in the profile folders, but then after that 7th May or earlier - was that the first update that didn't work - which has appeared to happen a few times now - and has left something not quite completed.

I think it may still be an idea to uninstall the 32 bit version and then download and install the 64 bit version - the about page is reporting my system as Windows 10 - 64 bit

Do you agree?

Cheers

Rob

[RobHill]

RobHill @burnout426 last edited by

@burnout426 Me again!!

After all the last response - I have done opera://about three times. Each tine it tries to update to .277 - seems to import okay but then fails to update - fails to get administrator execution privileges - even though I am the administrator on this machine.

Do about again and it's still showing .256

Looking more like uninstall and bring in the 64 bit version