You might want to delete everything in "C:\Windows\temp" and "C:\Users\yourusername\AppData\Local\temp" to see if the Opera installer launches right away the next time you use one.

Did you use the simple net installer (that's not very big in file size that fetches the install files from Opera's servers when you try to install) or the offline installer (that's a big file that already includes all the install files)?

the option is in the "On Startup" section called..
"Run when my computer starts"

The option is also in the installer. When a user launches the installer, they can click "options" to adjust the install options and uncheck "Run when my computer starts" if it's checked.

1. why does opera auto-start with windows like some malware ?
2. why is there no option to disable this in settings ?
3. why are there no answers to the first two questions on google ?

after some actual detective work:
the option is in the "On Startup" section called..
"Run when my computer starts"

it really should not be enabled by default..

I dont really use Opera, I sometime use it to test a new web page im working on..
but I found this a deterring factor since the competition (chrome, edge, firefox) installs in seconds...
so whats up with that ?
is chrome intentionally delaying it ?
weird..

Yeah, that’s definitely odd. I’ve noticed Opera feels a bit heavier during install too, especially compared to how quick Chrome or Firefox sets up. Could be something with background components or how it handles updates. Not sure if Chrome’s doing anything intentionally, but it’s things like this that make testing across browsers more annoying than it should be!