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Troubleshooting Opera

This document contains quick and easy references to try when troubleshooting your copy of Opera. Please refer to it when you have doubts or questions as the performance of your copy of Opera.

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Content listing

These subjects are covered in troubleshooting:

Transplanting yourself to Opera
This section has been made to accomodate the newcomers to Opera. Please use it.

  • How do I start browsing?
  • How can I switch between windows?
  • Where can I find information on the Internet?

Connection issues
Connecting to the Internet is advisable if you wish to use Opera at its fullest.

  • I can't connect to the Internet!
  • Opera won't start up my Dial-Up Networking!

Registration problems
If you experience problems registering your copy of Opera, go here.

  • My registration code doesn't work!
  • How do I change my registration details?
  • How do I upgrade to Opera 4.0?

Using Opera
For questions regarding Opera usage, pleare refer to this section of the document.

  • How do I get Java in Opera 4.0?
  • How do I avoid images flickering?
  • What should I do when asked to enable cookies?
  • I need to install some plug-ins, where should I go?
  • Why did my Opera suddenly become so slow?

Configuring Opera
If you have configured Opera to do something and it doesn't, you should look here.

  • I cannot use e-mail!
  • I cannot use news groups!
  • How do I configure my proxy servers?
  • What are the best settings for my cache?

Web page display problems
When a Web page or site doesn't look the same in Opera as in other browsers, please see this section.

  • I get the "Script execution error" message!
  • How come sites don't show up properly?
  • Why does this site say I need to upgrade my browser?
  • Why won't Opera remember my passwords?

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Transplanting yourself to Opera

Being new to Opera can present a few challenges, but luckily, they are easy to overcome as soon as you get into the Opera train of thought.

How do I start browsing? Opera opens but all I see is a window on the left and nowhere to write in the URL!

The Opera browser is a program that uses Multiple Document Interface, or "MDI" for short, which enables it to carry numerous windows within one program, freeing up the screen space, system resources, and enabling easier user control.

If Opera starts up without an open window, you should click either the "New window" button on the button bar, or use "File/New" to open one.

You may also use the keyboard shortcut CTRL + N to open a new window.

How can I switch between windows? I have to take them out of maximized mode in order to even see them!

The answer is simple; Opera has a window bar, so you can switch between windows within the Opera workspace by using your mouse. Go to "View/Window bar" and select whether you want it to display at the top of the Opera workspace, left of it, right of it, or at the bottom of it.

Another very easy way of switching between windows in Opera is to use either the standard MDI keyboard shortcut CTRL + Tab to move to the next window and CTRL + SHIFT + Tab to move to the previous window, or Opera's very own keyboard shortcuts, 1 and 2.

Where can I find information on the Internet? My other browsers have a "Search" button for the Internet.

Other browsers may have a "Search" button that opens up a window in the browser from which you may search the Internet. Opera has this on its server: just type in http://www.opera.com/search.html in a URL line in an open Opera window, and you can perform your search on any of the search engines listed there.

Tip! When searching for information on the Web, oftentime it's difficult to know which links are the best from the results you get, but it is not possible to find out before you click it. Opera has a nifty feature in that if you hold the keys CTRL + SHIFT and use the mouse to click on a link, the link will open in a window behind the one you click from.

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Connection issues

Connecting Opera to the Internet is easy and should present no problems, but check the below if you do encounter connection issues.

I can't connect to the Internet! I have opened Opera and typed in a URL, but still I cannot connect to the Internet! What's wrong?

If you are unfamiliar with connecting to the Internet using Dial-Up Networking you should reference materials given to you by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or contact your ISP directly.

There are a few things you should check:

  • First of all, make sure that your connection to the Internet is working. If you are using Opera on a system that uses a modem to dial up you Internet Service Provider, make sure that your dialer is up and running.

    If you are using any 32-bit Windows system, such as Windows 98 or Windows 2000, it is recommended that you use the built-in dialer on the system, "Dial-Up Networking", which is accessed through the "My Computer" icon on the Desktop.

    If you are using Opera on a Local Area Network (LAN) or Wide Area Network (WAN), make sure you have set up your networking connection in accordance with what your System Administrator has perscribed. Opera should run on any network, as long at it uses the TCP/IP-protocol.

  • Go to the "File" menu on the menu bar and make sure that "Offline browse mode" isn't checked. If this is checked, Opera will not connect to the Web, but will instead be able to read the contents of your cache folder/history, so you'll have to disable this feature if it has become enabled.

  • Check all kinds of physical prerequisites; Is your modem correctly connected with the computer and/or the telephone? Is it turned on? Does your phone work? Is your Internet Service Provider momentarily down? Is the Web site you try to reach momentarily down? Are you calling during the "rush-hour" of Internet traffic? There are a lot of these kinds of problems that are encountered in everyday life, so please make sure that you weed out as many as possible of them.

If you have tried all of these measures and Opera still doesn't connect to the Internet, please visit our Web site at http://www.opera.com/support.html and seek aid for your problem there. (Use another browser if connecting with Opera is not possible.)

Opera won't start up my Dial-Up Networking! I open it up and it just sits there, while my other browser(s) open the dialer. What should I do?

Opera does not automatically start up your dialer when the program starts as it has not been designed to do this. What you should do is open a window in Opera and open a Web site in it. Opera will then send a request for a Windows Socket to Windows, which then initiates the dialer for you, but note that this will only work provided you have set up your Dial-Up Networking in accordance with your Internet Service Provider's instructions.

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Registration problems

If you have problems with registering your copy of Opera, you should read the following section.

My registration code doesn't work! I have used the registration code I received from you when I purchased a license for my Opera, but it doesn't work!

If you have purchased a registration code for Opera and find that it does not work, then this may be because of two reasons:

  1. You have entered the registration code incorrectly. Please follow these instructions to enter the registration code into Opera correctly.
  2. The registration code you are trying to use on Opera 4.0 is a registration code that only works on the 3.x series of Opera. In this case, you will have to upgrade your Opera registration in order to continue using Opera.

I noticed that the registration details I have entered are incorrect. How do I change my registration details?

In order to change the details you entered when registering your copy of Opera with the registration code you received from Opera Software after you purchased a license, please go to "Help/Register Opera..." and confirm that you wish to change the registration information. You will then be presented with the registration dialog, in which you can change the details.

My copy of Opera says that I have to upgrade my license in order to continue using it. Exactly how do I upgrade to Opera 4.0?

If you are a registered user of Opera 3.x, you may upgrade to Opera 4.0 at 50% the purchase price. Please view the upgrading instructions in order to find out how.

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Using Opera

If you have any questions relating to the usage of Opera 4.0, you may do well to check out the below sections.

Other browsers have automatic Java. How do I get Java in Opera 4.0?

Opera 4.0 has a more rigid and efficient way of handling Java than previous versions of the browser. Please view the Java installation instructions in order to get Java working with your Opera.

When I surf a Web site all the images and other things keep flickering! Is there something I can do to fix this?

This flickering comes from animatied images and is avoided by going to "File/Preferences", and selecting "Avoid flicker" in the "Windows category". The reason for the flickering is that Opera allows you to disable the double buffering that is needed to avoid flickering because it can be a potential system resource drainer, whilst other browsers will automatically double buffer Web sites in order to avoid it.

When I use Opera on some sites, I get a message that I'll need to turn on cookies. What should I do about this?

Cookies are small text files that provide some sort of information about you and your settings on a Web site, and are often required by the servers the site might be on. In Opera, cookie handling is handled in the "Privacy" category under "File/Preferences". What you should do when a Web site says you'll need to enable cookies is go here and select either "Automatically accept all cookies", or "Display received cookies" which will give you the ultimate say over which cookies to accept or not.

Note! Even with cookies enabled, some Web sites will say that you'll need to enable your cookies. More often than not, these Web sites are looking for either Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator and simply serve this message when the browser connecting to the Web site is not one of them.

Unfortunately, since Opera is per definition not one of these browsers, the only way to overcome these obstacles is to get in touch with the site's Web master and ask them that they please take note of Opera as an Internet browser that supports cookies just as well as Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator.

I want to experience rich media on the Internet, but for that I would need to install some plug-ins. How do I install plug-ins to work with Opera?

Opera's plug-ins Application Programming Interface (API), is almost identical to Netcape's, which means that Opera should be able to handle most plug-ins that are made for Netscape. For installation instructions on a number of popular plug-ins, please view the document entitled Plug-ins in Opera in this Help.

I had a crash and when Opera came back up, I ticked all the boxes in the problem solving dialog. Now my Opera seems very slow, why is that?

If you experience that your Opera becomes slow when using it, this is probably due to a feature called "Synchronous DNS". DNS stands for Domain Name System. It's the mechanism that turns your IP name into an IP number. Like opera.nta.no corresponds to 193.156.19.29. By default, Opera will fetch information from the Internet asynchronously, because the browser can have several active windows open and receiving information at the same time, giving increased performance, unlike other browsers that do not have a Multiple Document Interface (MDI), but a Single Document Interface (SDI).

If this feature is used, Opera will wait for information to be transferred from the server it connects to before rendering or allowing other types of use of the browser, which is why it should not be used if not needed. If you do not want this, please go to "File/Preferences" and in the "Connections" category, disable "Synchronous DNS" under "Performance".

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Configuring Opera

Given the extent of Opera 4.0's features, most users will probably come across sections of Internet usage that will require them to manually have to configure the browser in some way or another. Below are some of the most probable scenarios detailled.

How do I configue Opera's internal e-mail client? As it stands today, I cannot use e-mail in Opera!

Configuring Opera's internal e-mail client is not difficult, but you will have to have the proper information at hand when doing so. What you should make sure you have, is:

  • Your e-mail address
    This is the most important thing to have. If you do not add this to the Opera e-mailer account properties, you cannot send e-mail.
  • User name
    This user name is used along with your password to define you as yourself when logging onto the mail server.
  • Password
    The password is used in cojunction with your user name to define you as yourself when logging onto the mail server.
  • SMTP server name
    The name of the server for outgoing e-mail, e.g. www.outgoing.com. Note that this may be the same name as the POP server name.
  • POP server name
    The name of the server for incoming e-mail, e.g. www.incoming.com. Note that this may be the same name as the SMTP server name.

All of these details should have been given to you by your Internet Service Provider, and if you have not received these details, you need to contact them.

With the information in hand, please follow the instructions on setting up an e-mail account, and you should not have any problems.

How do I configure Opera's internal news reader? I have tried, but still, I cannot use news groups!

In order to use the built-in news reader in Opera 4.0, you will have to configure both the news reader settings in "File/Preferences", "News" and the e-mail settings in "File/Preferences", "E-mail". The former part goes directly on the settings of the news reader, and is explained in detail on the news reader page, while the latter is a necessity if you wish to post new articles or replies on existing ones, through Opera. Please view these instructions for configuring the e-mail client of your choice to work with the Opera news reader.

I can use Opera on my local drives, but when I try to access a remote host, Opera won't go anywhere... How do I configure my proxy servers?

Configuring your proxy servers is not difficult. All you have to do is make sure that you have the proxy server name and proxy port number, e.g. myserver.proxy.com and 8080 and press the "Proxy servers..." button in "File/Preferences", "Connections".

Please follow the proxy server configuration instructions for instruction on how to use this data.

I have noted the settings in the cache menu seem not to match the specs of my computer. What are the best settings for my Opera cache?

Choosing cache settings is not something that can be done by following a set of guidelines from our end, which is why Opera's cache settings may seem restrictive on newer computers. The number of open applications, your free hard drive space and general amount of RAM makes this guesswork, but for a tentative table of possible settings, please see cache settings explained in the document detailling the Preference Menus.

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Web page display problem

Generally, Opera is on par with Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator in most respects where open Web standards are concerned, even surpassing their implemenations on several levels, but there are times when a Web site just doesn't look or feel or operate the same way in Opera as it does in the above mentioned browsers. The most common of these instances are covered here.

When I go to one of my favorite Web sites, I keep getting the "Script execution error" message! What does this mean?

Generally speaking, the fact that you get this warning message means that the Web site contains poorly written scripts, either of JavaScript or JScript types, that cannot be executed by Opera. It might be a passing problem in the Web site's source, such as scripting enabled banner ads, or it might be a recurring problem with one or several scripts that offer functionality on the Web site.

Opera's scripting module is based on the open Web standardization of JavaScript and JScript, called ECMAScript, which neither of the mentioned scripting standards comply fully with. The quick fix would be to go to "File/Preferences", "Plug-ins" and remove the checkmark in the box before "Enable scripting language error messages", but if the problem is widespread on the Web site, you might want to contact the Web master of the site in question, notifying them of the problem at hand.

Tip! By default, Opera identifies itself as Netscape, which means the browser will not attempt to execute scripts of the "JScript" type, only "JavaScript". If you wish to attempt using JScripts in Opera, please go to "File/Preferences", "Connections" and set Opera to identify as "MSIE 5.0".

Read more about this in the connection preferences explanation.

I use several browsers, and other browsers display a Web site in the same manner. How come sites don't show up properly in Opera?

There are never any easy answers to these kinds of display problems, unfortunately, but there's at least a few things you could check if you come across sites that differ greatly from other browsers and Opera, in no particular order:

  • Some Web sites are badly written, to the extent of crippling a browser. The first thing you should do when you come to a site that looks as if it might have source code problems is try to validate the Web page at the W3C's HTML validation service, which will give you a rudimentary report, based on the standard of the type of document the Web page claims to be, and how close to the standard the document actually is. If the Web page comes through all right, there really should not be any problems with it in Opera.

  • The Web page may make use of technologies that Opera does not support in its current iteration. Examples of these kinds of technologies are: Document Object Model (DOM), Mathematical Markup Language (MathML) and eXtensible Stylesheet Language (XSL). These technologies are not commonplace on the Web today, and may or may not be a full recommendation from the W3C, which is why they have yet to be implemented in Opera.

    It might not always be obvious from the offset if using these technologies is what's causing the Web page to render incorrectly in Opera, so sending an e-mail to the Web master of the site might be necessary for clarification.

  • Also, the Web page might make use of Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer specific HTML tags or technologies, such as, the <BLINK> tag in Netscape and <BGSOUND> tag in Internet Explorer. Technologies that are Internet Explorer specific, such as ActiveX and VBScript, or Netscape's layout tag <LAYER> with its supporting set of attributes, are not open Web standards, and rarely used, which is why Opera does not have support for them.

I am using Opera 4.0, so why does this site say I need to upgrade my browser to "a version 4.0 or better"?

If you received the message that you'll need a specific browser, for instance "a 4.0, or above, browser", for viewing a site, the reason for this is that the server looks for either Internet Explorer or Netscape Communicator, and doesn't allow you access, seeing as you are not using one of them.

In circa 90% of the times we are notified of users receiving this kind of message, it turns out that the maintainers of the site itself are not aware of the existance of other browsers than Internet Explorer or Netscape, and simply place all other browsers in the category of not being capable of running their Web site due to the technologies the site uses.

Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do on our end since Opera is per definition not one of the above mentioned browsers, except try to get our message across to as many people as possible, but you should try e-mailing the Web master of the site.

I use a number of Web based services and my other browser(s) offer me the option of saving my passwords so I don't have to type them in all the time. Why doesn't Opera remember my passwords?

The reason is actually that it is actually a security risk to save your passwords unencrypted on a local drive, as this means first of all that everyone using your computer are able to find your passwords and make use of them, but also that you may be more prone to hacker attacks looking for sensitive information such as your social security number, your credit card number or e-mail password, and generally all other kinds of information you may have elected for your browser to store for you.

Opera will not permit this kind of password saving on these grounds.

Disclaimer: We cannot guarantee that the instructions in these documents will work on every computer and every platform. Please inform us if you have problems with Opera, but please, first check our online support section, as this section is updated on a regular basis with information about the Opera Browser.

Copyright © 2000 Opera Software AS. All rights reserved.