Unknown activity when using Opera

Discussion in 'other software & services' started by dbknox, Oct 1, 2007.

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  1. dbknox

    dbknox Registered Member

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    I have an old computer ( Started with Win95 on it in 1996) and it wouldn't boot anymore, so I figured I would reload win 98se on it. It is now running perfectly. I downloaded Avast and tiny firewall, spybot and adaware. Then I installed Opera and went online. Everytime I open Opera and my homepage is finished loading ( Homepage is "Google") I still see some activity going on. When I close Opera it stops. Is there anyway to figure out what is happening? I am on dial-up, my firewall reports nothing. Tomorrow I am going to download Firefox and try it. I have never seen this with Opera before.
    I also did a "check for updates" and was told I have the latest Opera.
    Thanks in advance.
     
  2. Arup

    Arup Guest

    Check with CurrPorts to see whats open, usually its Google.
     
  3. tradetime

    tradetime Registered Member

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    Hi dbknox, what exactly do you mean by "some activity"? How do you see this activity. Is your homepage just www.google.com or some other google site.
    Reason I ask is that it may be the site, for example, if you go to this site...
    http://www.marketwatch.com/
    you will find much activity going on after the site loads as it keeps reloading various bits and pieces.
     
  4. dbknox

    dbknox Registered Member

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    I am on dial-up and I see the little symbol in the task bar lit up, when I open it to look at the "status" I see I am sending and recieving data approx. the same speed as a download. When I close Opera it quits. I will try another site to make sure it isn't only the "google" site that is doing this.( I can't remember, I sure I was on a different site and then went back to my home page, because www.google is usually a simple fast opening page) I use the same homepage on my "evryday" computor. Ie: www.google.com.

    Arup
    This computor is at my cottage ( not far away) I will download and check with currports later. Thanks for that.
     
  5. tradetime

    tradetime Registered Member

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    Sorry I see no problem with google. the page loads and that's it. Quiet as a mouse. Am using Opera 9.23
     
  6. dbknox

    dbknox Registered Member

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    I also am using Opera 9.23 . I tried internet explorer and then downloaded firefox and this does not occur with either of those browsers. I had Opera open while typing this ( on firefox) and the activity is going on. I just closed Opera and activity dropped. This is strange. ( I love Opera, but I guess it's firefox for this computer).
    Arup
    I tried this software, but have to admit I was lost, I will study it more and learn. I tried other web pages and they were the same ( activity in the background) the only time the activity quit was when I closed Opera.
    I will try reinstalling Opera some time in the future and see what happens.
     
  7. Arup

    Arup Guest

    If you are worried about security with Opera, you have nothing to be afraid of in Opera, its one of the safest and securest browsers around, check out Secunia and you will see my point.
     
  8. dbknox

    dbknox Registered Member

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    This was my thoughts until I saw all the activity going on, when I open the status window I see I am downloading bytes at a very high rate. When I try to go to another site it takes for ever to open the page, ( matter of fact I got tired of waiting) so Opera working like this is completely useless to me as is. I am going to try reseting the home page and see what that does.
    By the way thanks Arup and tradetime for your help if I ever get this resolved I will post back here.
     
  9. tradetime

    tradetime Registered Member

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    The thing that would concern me, at the risk of making you paranoid is that Opera is not malware, the importance being that if whilst using opera something is being downloaded, it is not by opera, if opera is involved then it is because something else is using opera, and you would really need to find out what that something is.

    As an after thought, you don't use the in built bittorrent client do you, or subscribe to a lot of css newsfeeds?

    Also as an experiment open quick preferences and ensure everything ther except popup blocker is disabled, then visit the site where opera is continually downloading and see what happens. Check in "Feeds" to ensure you are not subscribed to newsfeeds somehow.
     
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2007
  10. Ocky

    Ocky Registered Member

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    Please try to find solution in the Opera forums. I am running 9.23 and all's
    well. Little consolation for sure, but just to show that it is rather unusual and may be some or other app. conflicting with Opera. I don't know, but
    someone there may come up with the solution.
     
  11. dbknox

    dbknox Registered Member

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    Ran an install repair for Opera and all is well now don't know what it was!!
     
  12. djg05

    djg05 Registered Member

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    I have some similar issues with Opera. From time to time the system will slow and I find that it is Opera that is taking up resources. I have reverted from 9.23 to 9.21 and it is a lot better. Also just shutting down and reloading it will solve the problem (my settings on close are saved so it is connecting to the same sites).
     
  13. tradetime

    tradetime Registered Member

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    Glad you got it sorted :thumb:
     
  14. Arup

    Arup Guest

    If you are not using Java, turn it off in quick preferences, you will see a drastic reduction of resources used by Opera. You can always turn it on again when needed.
     
  15. djg05

    djg05 Registered Member

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    Thanks - good point. I generally have Java off but Javascript on and am never sure on the vulnerability of that.
     
  16. Arup

    Arup Guest

    No listed vulnerability yet but good idea to turn it off and use it when needed.
     
  17. djg05

    djg05 Registered Member

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    I have just moved those buttons on to the toolbar for easier access and it is easier to see when they are active or not.
     
  18. Arup

    Arup Guest

    Cool, how did you do that?
     
  19. Ocky

    Ocky Registered Member

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    Opera Browser Wiki

    Check out the toggle buttons.
     
  20. iceni60

    iceni60 ( ^o^)

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    you can start opera without the mail client and feed reader if you want, that might use fewer resources. on linux you do it like this -
    opera --nomail

    so maybe in windows you just add -nomail at the end of the start string, you can right-click the opera icon and change it in preferences i think, it's somewhere in the right-click icon option.
     
  21. Arup

    Arup Guest

    Thanks........
     
  22. dbknox

    dbknox Registered Member

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    I am sorry I wasn't clear when I say unknown activity. I mean my dial-up connection status is showing data downloading and uploading to the web, as if though I was downloading a file. I turn off all automatic updates in my programs ( and the OS ) and do them all manually so this got my attention when I saw the status window.
    I will be inspecting this a little more when I find time. When I repaired Opera and was about to start it up again, I remember seeing the "openoffice quicklauch" or whatever the name of it is in my taskbar and I closed it. This may have been the problem, when I get a chance to test it I will report back.
    ( So much work, so little time).
     
  23. djg05

    djg05 Registered Member

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    Right click in toolbar. Customise. Then buttons tab and down the bottom click on Preferences and drag whatever you want onto the tool bar. Close customise when finished and the buttons will work.
     
  24. dbknox

    dbknox Registered Member

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    Okay I went into open office "tools", "options", "Memory" and set the "quickstart" option on boot, then tried Opera, it worked fine, so I guess the "install,repair" was all that was needed for my problem.

    ( Meanwhile a few of us learned how to make buttons from the preferences, I just couldn't figue out why there wasn't any buttons to chose from, I never thought about dragging them to the tool bar. Thanks for that djg05.
     
  25. djg05

    djg05 Registered Member

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    Your're welcome - makes a change to be on the giving end :)
     
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