After the recent discussions I'm curious as to whether I'm the only one on this forum who can not get Opera to work.

It's a simple but unusual problem for a browser. The damn thing will not connect to the Internet.

Guys, don't waste your time with suggestions. I've tried absolutely everything that can be tried, and the Opera gods still look down upon me in anger.

Just curious.

That really sucks Dennis, not being able to make Opera work.

Teeny little tip, did you check if you're Offline?

Thanks Icedrake, I appreciate your input, but this has been the situation for something like a year now, and I keep giving it an occasional try, but with no luck.

Even the Opera forum couldn't find a solution. (The last time I checked)

Other browsers work but Opera doesn't? That is reeeeeally weird. I'm no uber geek so I wouldn't even know where to begin with that.

Wonder what would happen if you reinstalled the operating system and started from scratch. Maybe you have already done that and still Opera doesn't work? That would be weird. Maybe it's not your computer at all maybe it's the ISP. That's stretching it but you have to start looking at the slightest possibilities now since you tried everything else.

You've probably checked that it's allowed through your firewall.

Is there a portable opera version around that you could try?

Yep, tried the portable one just recently Humpty.

Even tried launching it with AntiVirus and FireWall disabled, which was quite a safe thing to do because I couldn't get online.

I've really tried everything possible. I've reinstalled since it started happening, although not for this reason. I've obtained older versions of Opera, still no go.

And the most weird thing? When I first came here in 06, I tried Opera and it worked. That was the first and last time it did.

I really don't care now, but I'm curious to see if anyone else has encountered the same thing.

So far I seem to be the only one. I should get some sort of award, or maybe a booby prize.

Or you should have your PC exorcised.

You reinstalled what? Windows or Opera?

The only thing I can think of is to make sure Opera isn't using any Proxy in its network settings area, i.e.; allow it to have a direct connection to the Internet.

I don't remember what version it was but Opera all of a sudden stopped working with the ad proxy filtering software I was using, which ended up having me migrate to Firefox which turned out even better because AdBlock Plus is ten million times better than the old ad proxy filtering software I was using so I dumped that in favour of AdBlock Plus.

I reinstalled Windows sometime around the middle of last year.



I've got a direct connection to the Internet, and almost every application I have that has a "check for update" feature, launches my broadband connection with no problems. Opera is the only one that will not connect. Pretty cool for a Browser.

I've also tried every other browser that I've ever seen mentioned on here. And no problems.

I also tried Humpty's suggestions this morning. Flush DNS and LSP Fix. The latter finding no problems.

Give up chaps, I have. But I'm still curious to see if I'm the only one who has a unique, collectors item Browser; a Web Surfer that refuses to go into the water.

This is one strange predicament. I could only wonder what would be stopping it.

Whoa, you cleared 2000 posts Dennis. WOW

AJ

Hey AJ, you're right. And I only came here to ask what was safe to check in CCleaner.

Do I get a prize? Maybe an Opera that works.

I cant get it to work on my 64 bit comp either.....works fine on the 32 though...

That's just as weird.

Welcome to the club. A pretty exclusive club at that.

Hey can anybody join this new club ?
No! No! No! I want my chance at Opera also.
davey

I've had another go posting this anomaly on the Opera forums, and there's someone else posting exactly the same thing.

Hells teeth, after at least a year since I first posted this problem over there, you'd hope a solution might be available.

Dennis have you tried Opendns to see if Opera will connect.

You've been sitting there down under, with a fresh one out of the fridge, ruminating on this one Humpty.

Sad to say, I've tried that as well. But don't let me stop you grabbing another cold one and getting those grey cells working overtime.

This has to be something simple, or not.

What happens when you open the browser? Do you have it set to go to a home page or does it open a blank page (that's currently my configuration. I just type in the site I want after clicking "new tab"?

I would have suggested using Regseeker to search your registry using the term "Opera" and try to manually clean out all references, but I just took a look at my Zsoft Uninstaller installation log, and noticed that Opera installed a load of registry strings. Many are in areas of HKLM that have no reference to Opera and would be very hard to find. That's why I find to hard to believe that Revo can actually find all these registry strings that appear to be otherwise unrelated.

When you uninstalled Opera, before reinstalling did you make sure all references to it were deleted in your Documents and Settings folder?

When you run the program, do you see Opera.dll and Opera.exe files (using Sysinternals' Process Explorer)? Have you tried running Hijackthis when Opera is running (and when it's closed)?

Dennis said he had this problem with Opera even after reinstalling Windows. Those registry entires would have been wiped than.

As for Revo it doesn't find anywhere near the info that Zsoft records during an install. I have checked this on several programs that I have uninstalled with Revo. I check what Revo finds against what Zsoft recorded and there is a big difference. Even when I set Revo to the most aggressive settings it doesn't find nearly all the entries that Zsoft records.



Maybe try installing for a single user that way no folders/files are installed in that folder. You are given that option during install if you use the "Classic Installer". I don't know if that option is available with the Windows Installer version which I have never used.

Dennis which installer did you use? Try the other maybe it will make a difference.

Tried the different install, and have searched files, folders, and registry for any traces of Opera before installing.

Opera.exe appears in ProExp, but no Opear.dll, although it is in the Program Files folder.

Whatever page I choose to launch into, this is all I ever get, and I hope this loads as it's very slow for me, and I can't get ImageSpeech at all.



And I've had one reply on the Opera Forum, which is in fact different to any of the usual suggestions I got a year ago:


I had a search through the registry, and I found one Online Armor entry, which I deleted, and I also found a couple of Norton entries which I couldn't delete.

I'll have to have a closer look at them before I have a go in safe mode, although I think it's a "pie in the sky" suggestion, you never know.

I have thought of doing a HJT scan, and asking one of the guys if any leftover Firewall stuff would show up, but those guys have enough to do without me wasting their time. I'll do one and have a look myself.

I might just install RegSeeker, which apparently finds more stuff than RegEdit.

This is getting pretty interesting now, and I'm quite keen again on getting this to work.

That's interesting Anthony. Definitely food for thought.

Give a try to "Firefox". You'll never go back to "Opera". Regards stvh1

That's interesting, because whenever I start Opera, both Opera.exe AND Opera.dll run and appear in Process Explorer. When you open Process Explorer, select Find-Find Handle or Dll, and type "Opera" in the find box. See if Opera.dll is running when the Opera browser is running.
You might also check the properties and advanced properties and see what security boxes are checked. Maybe it's a question of administrative rights to the exe file. Have you tried logging in as Administrator and running Opera?

I already use Firefox, but your input is still appreciated. This Opera thing is just a longstanding mystery. And we hate mysteries.


I'm the sole user of this pc with full Administrative rights.

The Opera.dll shows up when I choose the right option.



And I've used RegSeeker to clean out every leftover trace that I can find of past firewalls, Norton and Online Armor.

And guess what? It makes no difference. Opera is actually running fine, it's just that tiny little thing that it's missing..... the Internet.

Are we all out of ideas? I'm sure I am.

Well I recently switched to Opera as my main browser and love it. Blows the pants off Firefox speed wise and does everything my install of Firefox does without the need for 17 extensions. Firefox is excellent though and I still and always will have it installed and use it.

Just out of curiosity, did you include the stuff Revo removes with the programs own uninstaller first?

Well no because I don't see that part. Lets face it though the built in installers don't remove much if any of the registry stuff.

What I did was look at the Zsoft install log. Than look at the stuff Revo found during the scanner part of it's uninstall process set at the most advanced setting. There were many many reg entries in the Zsoft install log not identified in the Revo scan. I seriously doubt that is because the programs built in installer removed them all. Also after I uninstalled using Revo and let in clean everything it found I cleaned up with Zsoft and it still removed stuff so obviously Revo didn't get it all.

You can easily duplicate this and see for your self. I wouldn't expect Revo to get it all anyways. It doesn't track the install and create a log like Zsoft does.

Programs uninstallers aren't always that good. Even the best leave stuff, I was simply curious in case Revo had a logging system that I'd missed.

It's a shame we can't get the best of both and use them in tandem.

Is there an uninstaller that will joyfully rip my registry to shreds? I just wanna watch.

Dennis have you tried going into "Set Program Access and Defaults" - Custom and check to see if Opera is listed in there with a check next to "Enable Access to this Program" or even try setting it as the default browser to see if it makes a difference.

Never thought about that before. Heh, nobody ever thinks about that. It's such a crawlspace app.

Problem solved 5 minutes ago by the undisputed Queen of the links.

I'm browsing with Opera. Yep, Opera.

Read here:

Good for you, Dennis! Glad you got that mess resolved.

And a big feisty hug for Hazelnut. I like Hazelnut because she's so big and strong and I'm puny.

I installed Opera 9.5 beta 2 portable today on my USB drive and it is working great. It's not listed on the main page for Opera Portable he lists it in his forum. I set it up in 5 min. Just transferred all my settings over from my desktop version and I was done. Even installed the Ospell JS Spell Checker and it works perfect just as it does on my desktop version.

http://my.opera.com/opera-usb/forums/findpost.pl?id=2534993

I noticed that Opera doesn't come with its own Spelling Nazi. Now I have to triple-read my posts before I submit them.

Opera has User Java Script. There is a script for spell checking and it's the best spell checker I have used. It works great. You can also use Aspell with Opera. If you have Aspell installed Opera detects it automatically.

Ospell http://opera.gt500.org/ospell/

Aspell http://www.opera.com/support/tutorials/opera/spellcheck/

Anthony, you must have read my mind, I need a spell checker. I've pulled so many peoples legs over spelling errors, I've got to keep on top of mine.

I just installed Aspell and don't see any Spelling Nazi correcting my misspelling. Maybe if I try. goobledyfooble. Hmmmm, nothing.

It's in the right click menu. "Check Spelling".

You need to install Aspell to the default location and then a dictionary to the default location and Opera will automatically detect it and it will show up in the right click menu.

Oh.

Oh well, too late, I already uninstalled it. I can still rite gud enuf fr pepol 2 undrstnd me.

You give up too easily. I have both Aspell and Ospell installed and working perfectly. Couldn't be without a spell checker

Yeah but my brain is running out room for stuff to remember. It was that or forget how to eat.

You wouldn't happen to be a blond female with big hooters would you

No. To look at me you would throw up those words. Projectile. Damn I'm ugly.