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I am not an advanced user, but unless Opera is getting revenue from the Messengers that it carries, or adding Signal is somehow otherwise infeasible, look into it. Would go with the free VPN service--in theme. (I know, WhatsApp is encrypted, but not as well. I don't use it.)
I have two Win Pro 10/64 computers. 67.0.3575.31 exhibits the same problems as described by AnthG--no go. I completely uninstalled it together with my data. On the other Win Pro 10/64 works fine. I will attempt to reinstall once again but without any data retained and report back, but I am doubtful. It installed and seemed okay--UNTIL I tried to Sync it--then it reverted to not responding behavior like before. On the other computer it is sync'ed, so I don't get it. Opera, you have a problem. Seems to work briefly while attempting to sync, then bombs out before syncing, while attempting to do so. I will once again uninstall, including the data, and refer back here to see if Opera has fixed this, only using it without any synchronization. Yes, I am using another browser to report this, the Chromium version of Edge, FWIW.
The 103.0.4928.16 auto install lost all my personalization! Now I have to uninstall it, install 101.0.4880.58 and then manually download and install the new one and hope for the best, or just stay on 101.0.4880.58, if I want my bookmarks, extensions, etc. Ugh. Is there was way to turn off the automatic installations? So that I can monitor whether people are losing their personalization with each new version, as seems to be the case too often, before manually downloading and installing, if seemingly safe?
In this thread: Is 102.0.4880.70 safe to install in terms of losing user data? it has been explained that the file structure of Opera is the culprit, and 103.0.4928.16 doesn't fix that. Elsewhere it has been suggested that Profile Migration is the problem, or lack thereof, or corrupted migration. One poster suggested installing Chrome to see how it is done properly, the format of the file structure, and possibly editing the Opera supporting file structure to fix that. See the cited thread. Anyone? Help!
@denizen976 These suggestions sound a lot like what someone would tell someone else about how to do useful sophisticated search. I suppose that the question becomes does interposing the AI between oneself and the database--if using the AI tool, whatever it has access to, as some AI's are limited to particular databases, and maybe others have unlimited access to the internet; if using mere search with no AI in the middle, then presumably one has access to whatever is "on the internet." Obviously, you are finding that interposing the AI between you and "the data," is useful, once you get the hang of it, more useful than mere search, even if it is done in a sophisticated manner, obviously not dumb search. I have not done enough experimentation to prove to myself, the answer to this.
I posted here earlier asking about V, which I mistakenly thought was another AI, but it is not. It is a social media link. See this thread: "Another AI was added to sidebar: V" where my inquiry about it was moved. And V is explained--what it is.
So I am back on 101.0.4843.58 (not 4880) and everything is back, BUT I have a pending install, I see, not of my choice, an auto install, probably to 103....16. Will it have my personalization in it? God knows. I am inclined to manually download and install it, rather than allow the auto install to happen. Maybe it is six of one, and half a dozen of the other. Who knows? Guess I will try it my way. Why did the first auto install lose me all my personalization? Probably all my files are corrupted, as now one else is weighing in on this, so I presume that no one else is losing their personalization.
@sgunhouse This worked after I scrolled lower on the page and found the Windows 64-bit link, which DID indicate the correct version 70.0.3728.106 and in fact did install that version. I am now back up with Opera. Thank you SGunhouse (and LeoCG). Henceforth I will be aware that one should scroll lower, and find the 64-bit (in my case) version. I do wish that Opera would fix its Update & Recovery function within the browser, which never works for me (although I may work for others and has occasionally worked on another computer).
Lanshara and Denizen976, thank you so much. Quite interesting to learn of your experiences with these. Wow! Very disappointing about BARD. At this point, perhaps a la Denizen976 Aria is the way to go.
Well, that worked. I am now on 103.0.4928.16 with all my personalization back, having manually downloaded and installed it, but no idea if that had anything to do with it. Uninstalling 103, and going back to 101.0.4853.58 did, not doubt. Looking over the profile files' structure, they appear the same, so I can't tell what was fixed by uninstalling and going back to the old reliable version then going forward. Ugh. What a pain Opera is becoming. If it were not for a particular extension which works on Opera, but not on other browsers, like Firefox and Edge--although I have not tried Chrome, I would have given up by now.
Apparently the newest version of Opera disallows the important (to me) extensions which I relied on it for, so I will now be stuck in the last version, henceforth. Perhaps this is due to revenue generation issues, like all Opera's attempts to get us to accept ads and cookies, as when seeking a new version, your have to first click not to install ads/cookies, then when installing the newer version, again you have to deselect, four times, the same thing. Ugh. I was willing to go through all that repeatedly, but now in Opera One, who knows? Maybe one cannot eschew the ads and cookies anyway. All my extensions are gone, yes, after logging in for sync again, which was not automatic. Geez, I was a loyal, if non-revenue generating user for years, as Opera was the one browser which worked with my PW manager, and I suppose that it still is in version 101.....58, but not in Opera One, 102.....16. Alas. That important, to me, extension, is no longer supported, I guess.
All data includes extensions. Go back to 101....58 after uninstalling 102....16 "Opera One," or attempt the "manual data transfer," described above. I will wait for a version without problems. Opera's QC is poor. Fair warning.
@denizen976 Do you mind explaining what you mean by iterations? Re-submittal of the same or a similar inquiry--does resubmittal result in a different attempt at an answer? If so, I was not aware that one can do that. Sorry for being an AI newb.
@leocg None of the extensions which I had in 101....58 and for years loaded, particularly the PW manager one which made Opera unique to me among browsers, made me willing to jump its hurdles for ad/cookie free operation. Now I am stuck in an old version, unless this was not their intention. Who knows?
I have installed 104.0.4944.33 on my second Windows 10/64 computer, and it went without loss of personalization. FWIW.
Denizen976 Thank you so much for explaning your use of the term iterations in reference to these AI tools. I am under no illusion about any magic coming out of AI. It is a black box statistical algorithm, which uses the data to make predictions, according to how programmed, making use of massive amounts of data; yes totally programmed by human beings, even the recursive elements, thus nothing artificial about it. Intelligent? Well, I did pose a number of queries, which I was having difficulty answering to both Bard and to Bing and both failed miserably, and I was able to get my answers using simple Google search on my own, which did take multiple "iterations."
But I would like to give it another shot, and I will take your coaching suggestions into account, as maybe my initial failures were my own fault, simply not knowing how to optimize my process in using it.
Thanks again.
Recently various versions have resulted in loss of user data due to migration errors, etc. Is this a good version? Various solutions to this problem have been offered, in my case uninstalling the offending version, then reverting to 101.0.4880.58 regained me my extensions--my own complaint, although others lost other stuff, some lost everything personalized. Then upgrading past the offending version, seemed to work, skipping any versions which were known to have caused problems. Can we get a consensus about 102.0.4880.70 here?
@burnout426 I routinely manually clear all cookies upon shutdown every night wherever Windows tries to hide them--I am aware of three such folders, so not an issue. I was just being way paranoid about Opera's desire to set cookies. My bad.
@denizen976 Absolutely, I'm interested, as what you suggest makes it seem that I gave up accepting the chat's first answer, rather than noodling it for a better answer, your iterative process. On the other hand, my own ultimately successful searching with multiple queries did lead to a correct answer.
What does one get putting the AI chat thing in the middle?
Also, if you have found any of the instructive material to be superior in how to best use AI, a few such links would be much appreciated.
Thanks for your help.
@burnout426 In fact, there is a Default.old, and within that a Default folder. This is the case on both computers, which at this point, seem to be working okay, that is, both instances of Opera 102....78 have my extensions, etc. As to whether the file structure is optimal, no idea, but unlikely, given bournout426's description. There is no "cache" folder, but only a Code Cache and a DawnCache folder, in fact, numerous instances of those in various folders and sub-folders. The whole thing is quite confusing. Perhaps I am lucky that it is working at all. Maybe I will have to install Chrome to see how it is supposed to be, and try to edit the whole file structure, as indicated by burnout426. Ugh. Luckily I have 101.0.4880.58 to go back to, as need be. Okay, I have the instructions, thank you burnout426.
I inquired about if anyone had lost personalization, installing this version. Nothing back. I installed it myself on two Windows 10/64 computers without issue, with respect to (wrt) migration corruption or loss of personalization. On one computer, after the install, reloading Opera at first there did seem to be a loss, and Opera was not working properly, but I closed it and reopened it, and it was fine. My guess is that that computer has issues, and the hiccup wasn't Opera's fault. FWIW, both of these computers are way old, and the one with the initial hiccup is quite slow. Bottom line, this version of Opera installed without loss of personalization or any migration corruption, for me on two Windows computers. I did download manually, FWIW. Only one instance of Opera showed an auto update indication, and I didn't use it (There is a little dot on the O, and over Update & Recovery it says restart to install the latest version, or some such)--I avoided that by clicking on the manually downloaded executable, instead. Those auto update indications are hit and miss in my installations, rarely working properly. I don't trust them.