Backup
Zip the entire: C:\Program Files\Opera Folder
OR
Backup these individual files:
Opera.ini
buttons.ini (button settings)
cookies4.dat (cookies)
opera6.adr (bookmarks)
contacts.adr (addresses)
*.adr (if you have renamed your bookmark file.)
styles directory (if you have customized any of the style sheets
there. (mail, news, history, etc. layout settings)
button.dat (location of buttons.ini files)
opera.win (your saved windows file, along with window size settings)
download.dat (downloaded files history - last 14 days)
global.dat (history)
vlink4.dat (visited links)
cache4 (folder) (cache)
OUsr600.dat (registration, if registered)
opera.dir (addresses typed into "f2")
Forget the Back Button
Use "reload every..." (right click/reload every...) on forum windows so you don't have to constantly reload the page. It sounds complicated, but is not. Once you become accustomed to it, this method is very powerful. Forget about that back button. (Mouse gestures for back and forward are also quite nice, and what I use.)
Cool Search Page
Just load THIS HTML PAGE into Opera
Click View | Hotlist | Add Panel.
You can add any page to the hotlist that way...
I also use this page in Netscape and Mozilla, by adding it to my Tabs
After you download the page, be sure to scan for virus, altho it is clean, still a good practice. I zipped the file to avoid any corruption...
Empty Cache on Exit
It is possible to set Opera to empty cache on exit. To do that, go to:
Preferences | Cache | Disk cache
Place a tick in the box "Empty on exit"
To select manually what you want to delete, close Opera and go to your Opera directory. In the "cache4" folder you can select what files you would like to remove.
Printer Settings - From Edward:
If you are printing a web page in Opera and find that the printer will not print the footers at the bottom (URL on left side, timestamp on right), go to File/Print Options, and gradually INCREASE the Right Margin setting. I had to change it to 2.80 (in centimeters (cm)), in order for my Epson Stylus Color 640 to print the footers.
Disable the Splash Screen
To disable the "Welcome to Opera" splash screen you will need to edit the "Opera.ini" file, which is located in your Opera folder:
[USER PREFS]
SHOW SPLASH SCREEN=0
Link Windows
If you encounter a page with a lot of links on it, like a forum where you post frequently: load the Opera forum and try this: ctrl-m,l (or right click, create linked window). Click on one messsage, it opens in the linked window. Respond. Click on another message, it too opens in the linked window, etc. Those two windows are linked until you close one of them. Very nice feature.
Before upgrading opera
1. empty the cache.
2. use winzip to zip up the whole opera directory.
3. install the new version.
4. if there is a problem (you dont like the new version, a bug you cannot tolerate, etc.), delete the Opera directory, and unzip the old version. Double click on the shortcut, and you are back up and running again.
EDIT: 06/15/03
Opera Keyboard Shortcuts
CTRL+B Brings up all keyboard shortcuts
F4 Toggles the Hotlist on and off
F5 Reloads page
With version 7, you will find a list of the default keyboard shortcuts in the input.ini file. The keyboard/toolbars/menus can all be customized through the gui (some) and the .ini files (most).
input.ini
toolbar.ini
menu.ini
fastfoward.ini
mouse.ini
search.ini
Mouse Gestures
Back:
Press right button, click left button
Press right button, move mouse left
Forward:
Press left button, click right button
Press right button, move mouse right
Go to parent directory
Up, then left
Create new, empty browser window
Double-click in workspace
Go to pre-set home page
Double-click in empty window
Bookmarks
Using multiple browsers, you should make a new folder for all any bookmarks you make in Opera. Then you can save that folder/subfolders as an Opera bookmark file, which can be converted back to Netscape's format. Then Bookmarks in both browsers remain reasonably synchronized. Of course you can always opt to use a third party Bookmark Manager.
Browsing
With Opera, remember that CTRL-SHIFT-CLICK (open link in background) is your friend. That is what really makes it faster with real-world use, along with user mode, keyboard shortcuts and the ability to turn off plugins, animation, and background sounds... Especially with a slower DUN connection, loading pages in the background will be advantageous.
I have opened as many as 40 windows at one time, using Opera. There was no ill effect experienced. This is not a practice you would want to carry out in your alternate or even your default browser.
Newsgroups
news.opera.no
UserAgent: Opera/7.11 (Windows 98; U) [en]
