Opera doesn't start - it could be because of that

If the Opera browser suddenly stops working, it can be very annoying. Find out here what you can do in this case.

Opera doesn't start - so fix the problem

With these instructions you can try to get Opera ready again:

1. Open the Opera installation directory. To do this, you can right-click on the Opera shortcut and select the "Open file path" option.
2. Search for the file "operaprefs_default.ini" here and open it with the editor.
3. Here press the key combination [Ctrl] + [F] and search for the entry "Multi User".
4. If the entry is "= 0", change it to "= 1". However, if it says "= 1", you should change it to "= 0" accordingly.
5. Save the file and try to start the browser now.
6. If this doesn't work either, you have to put up harder guns:

Opera does not open: reinstall browser

1. First download and install the free "Revo Uninstaller".
2. Start the tool and look for "Opera" in the list.
3. Double-click the entry and select the "Moderate" option.
4. Then follow the wizard and delete all folders and entries in the browser until the uninstallation is complete
5. You can then download the latest version of Opera from our download portal.
6. Install it on your PC. The error should now be fixed so that you can start the browser.

Opera already runs in the background

1. If Opera still cannot be started, the program could already be running in the background. This can happen, for example, if Opera was not properly closed the last time.
2. Therefore press the [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [Del] keys, then select "More Details" and in the "Processes" section select "Opera". This is probably under "background processes".
3. Right-click on the opera process and select "End Process".
4. Now you can start Opera as usual.

Opera.exe as malware

If the Opera browser does not start, it can also be malware. Then you apparently did not install the original browser. You can easily determine whether your browser is the original from the storage location and the file size:

• If the file opera.exe is located in a subdirectory of C: \ and has a size of approximately 941936 bytes, it is the original and everything is fine.
• If you find the file in a subdirectory of "C: \ Users \ USERNAME" and is, for example, 13179660 bytes in size, it is most likely a plagiarism. This can have an impact on other applications, their properties change and keyboard entries are intercepted.
• You should then remove the wrong Opera and then reinstall Opera.

Emergency plan: use Opera alternative Chrome

If nothing works anymore, you can also switch to one of the many browser alternatives. In our video we introduce you to Google Chrome. You can export your Opera bookmarks and paste them into Chrome.

In the next practical tip you will find the best tips to speed up Opera browsers. This guide is based on Opera 28 and Revo Uninstaller 1.95 on Windows 7.