How to Fix Crashes for Opera

Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team

1. Introduction

In This Guide

You'll Learn How To:

  • Resolve basic problems with the Opera web browser.

Before We Begin:

  • Be at your computer.
Opera Browser

2. OS Choice

To continue, we need to know what Operating System your computer is using.

There are 2 main Operating Systems for personal computers currently available, Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS.

Microsoft WindowsApple macOSMicrosoft Windows runs on computers produced by multiple companies, such as Lenovo, Asus, Dell, Toshiba, Hewlett Packard, Acer, and Sony.Apple is the only company that makes macOS computers.

Microsoft Windows.
Apple macOS.

3. Force Quit (Windows)

Sometimes Opera can get stuck as it launches. Forcing it to close and restarting it usually fixes this problem.

  1. On your keyboard, press the Control, Alt, and Delete keys at the same time.
PC Desktop Keyboard with Ctrl-Alt-Del highlighted.
  1. Select Task Manager.
GINA with Task Manager highlighted.
  1. Select any entries named Opera Internet Browser or opera.exe, then select End task.
Task Manager with Opera and End task highlighted.

4. Test Site

  1. Open your browser, and visit the website you had problems with at the start.
Opera.
  1. Make sure the page loads properly, and try following a few of the links from the page.

5. Restart Your PC

Before your restart or shut down your PC, make sure to save all necessary work to prevent data loss.

  • Using the Mouse
  • Select the Start menu.
Windows 10 Start button

  • By default it is in the lower left corner of your screen.
  • Select Power, then select Restart.
Start menu with Power and Restart highlighted.
  • Using the Keyboard
  • Press the Windows and X keys at the same time. This minimizes any open windows you may have.
Keyboard with Windows and X keys highlighted.
  • Press the Alt and F4 keys at the same time. This tells Windows to close the desktop.
Keyboard with Alt and F4 keys highlighted.
  • Select Restart, then OK.
Shut Down dialog with Restart and OK highlighted.

6. Test Site

  1. Open your browser, and visit the website you had problems with at the start.
Opera.
  1. Make sure the page loads properly, and try following a few of the links from the page.

7. Clear Browser History (Windows)

  1. Open Opera.
Opera.
  1. Select the Opera menu in the top left corner, then select History Clear Browsing Data.
Opera menu with History and Clear browsing data highlighted.
  1. For Time range, select All time. Make sure all 3 checkboxes are checked, then select Clear data.
Opera History with time range check boxes and clear data highlighted.

8. Quit and Restart (Windows)

By default, Opera will run in the background to provide faster access. If it runs out of memory, though, this can end up causing a problem. Quitting and restarting Opera can often resolve these problems.

  1. Select the Opera menu in the top-left corner, then select Exit.
Opera with menu and Exit highlighted.

9. Test Site

  1. Open your browser, and visit the website you had problems with at the start.
Opera.
  1. Make sure the page loads properly, and try following a few of the links from the page.

10. Disable Extensions (Windows)

Extensions provide extra features to Opera. Sometimes, these Extensions are not coded well, break after an update, or they change the way Opera works in a malicious way to show you advertisements.

Disabling or removing unneeded or unwanted Extensions can help resolve these problems.

It is recommended to disable all Extensions. Then enable your wanted extensions one by one, testing each time to find the extension that's causing problems.

  1. Open Opera.
Opera.
  1. Select the Opera menu, then Extensions > Extensions.
Opera Menu with Extensions Extensions highlighted.
  1. Select Disable for each extension.
Opera Extensions with Disable highlighted.

11. Test Site

  1. Open your browser, and visit the website you had problems with at the start.
Opera.
  1. Make sure the page loads properly, and try following a few of the links from the page.

12. Enable Extensions One by One (Windows)

One of the Extensions being used in Opera is causing problems.

You can use Opera with extensions disabled, it will function perfectly fine.

If you wish, return to Extensions and enable each extension one by one, testing after each, to determine which one is causing you problems.

  1. Open Opera.
Opera.
  1. Select the Opera menu, then Extensions > Extensions.
Opera Menu with Extensions Extensions highlighted.
  1. Select Enable to turn on a single extension.
Extension with enable highlighted.
  1. Test Opera, and make sure it responds and works the way you expect it to.
  2. Repeat these steps to enable your extensions one by one. If Opera fails, return to Extensions and Disable that extension.Leaving an extension disabled is fine. It will be unable to reinstall and cause more problems, as well as be inactive.

13. Uninstall Check

Our next step is to uninstall Opera.

In most cases, your bookmarks and saved passwords will be saved through uninstalling and reinstalling, but they can be lost during this process if you haven't signed into an account with Opera in the past.

Any history, frequently used pages, cookies, and Extensions will be lost.

Any bookmarks, passwords, and extension settings will be lost if you have not signed into your account with Opera, and won't be available again till after you sign back into your account with Opera after reinstalling.

14. Uninstall (Windows)

  1. Select the Start menu.
Windows 10 Start Menu
  1. Select Settings.
Windows 10 Settings
  1. Select Apps.
Windows Settings with Apps highlighted
  1. Select Apps & features on the left. On the right, scroll down, select Opera, then select Uninstall.
Apps and features settings with Apps and features Opera and Uninstall button highlighted.
  1. Select Uninstall.
Uninstall dialog with Uninstall highlighted
  1. The uninstaller will ask permission to run, select Yes.
UAC prompt with Yes highlighted
  1. Select Uninstall.
Opera installer with Uninstall highlighted
  1. You'll be asked why you're uninstalling Opera. Select All is fine. I'm only reinstalling or updating to a newer version, then select Uninstall.
Uninstall reason with third option and Uninstall button highlighted
  1. You'll be advised you can't browse using Opera if Opera is uninstalled. Select Yes.
  2. You can use another browser to browse, or even reinstall Opera.
Uninstall confirmation prompt with Yes highlighted.

15. Restart Your PC

Before your restart or shut down your PC, make sure to save all necessary work to prevent data loss.

  • Using the Mouse
  • Select the Start menu.
Windows 10 Start button

  • By default it is in the lower left corner of your screen.
  • Select Power, then select Restart.
Start menu with Power and Restart highlighted.
  • Using the Keyboard
  • Press the Windows and X keys at the same time. This minimizes any open windows you may have.
Keyboard with Windows and X keys highlighted.
  • Press the Alt and F4 keys at the same time. This tells Windows to close the desktop.
Keyboard with Alt and F4 keys highlighted.
  • Select Restart, then OK.
Shut Down dialog with Restart and OK highlighted.

16. Install (Windows)

We will use the built-in Microsoft Edge browser on your computer to download and install Opera.

  1. Open Microsoft Edge.
Microsoft Edge
  1. In the address bar at the top, type https://www.opera.com, then press Enter on your keyboard.
Edge browser with address filled in and highlighted.
  1. Select Download Opera.
Opera page with Download Opera highlighted
  1. Select Run to download and start the Opera Installer.
Run Opera Installer
  1. Once the installer opens, select Install.
Opera installer with Install highlighted

17. Test Site

  1. Open your browser, and visit the website you had problems with at the start.
Opera.
  1. Make sure the page loads properly, and try following a few of the links from the page.

18. What's next?

19. Force Quit (macOS)

Sometimes Opera can get stuck as it launches. Forcing it to quit and restarting it usually fixes this problem.

  1. Select the Apple menu, then Force Quit.
Apple menu with Force Quit highlighted
  1. Highlight Opera in the list, then select Force Quit.
Force Quit with Opera and Force Quit button highlighted.
  1. You'll be prompted if you're sure, select Force Quit.
Force Quit confirmation with Force Quit highlighted

20. Test Site

  1. Open your browser, and visit the website you had problems with at the start.
Opera.
  1. Make sure the page loads properly, and try following a few of the links from the page.

21. Restart

  1. From the menu bar across the top of the screen, select the Apple menu (1), then select Restart... (2).
Apple menu with Restart option selected. Screenshot.

Any unsaved work will be lost.

22. Test Site

  1. Open your browser, and visit the website you had problems with at the start.
Opera.
  1. Make sure the page loads properly, and try following a few of the links from the page.

23. Clear Browser History (macOS)

  1. Open Opera.
Opera.
  1. Select the Opera menu, then select Clear Browsing Data.
Opera menu with Clear Browsing Data highlighted
  1. For Time Range, select All time. Make sure all three checkboxes are checked, then select Clear data.
Clear browsing data with time range each check box and Clear data button highlighted

24. Quit and Restart (macOS)

By default, Opera will run in the background to provide faster access. If it runs out of memory, though, this can end up causing a problem. Quitting and restarting Opera can often resolve these problems.

  1. Select Opera on your Dock.
Opera.
  1. Select the Opera menu, then Quit Opera.
Opera menu and Quit Opera highlighted

25. Test Site

  1. Open your browser, and visit the website you had problems with at the start.
Opera.
  1. Make sure the page loads properly, and try following a few of the links from the page.

26. Disable Extensions (macOS)

Extensions provide extra features to Opera. Sometimes, these Extensions are not coded well, break after an update, or they change the way Opera works in a malicious way to show you advertisements.

Disabling or removing unneeded or unwanted Extensions can help resolve these problems.

Some pop-ups are created from extensions and add-ons installed on your browser. We will be going over steps to disable the extension.

  1. Open Opera.
Opera.
  1. From the menu on top, select View > Show Extensions.
Opera View menu with Show Extensions highlighted.
  1. Select Disable for any extensions you see listed here.
Opera Extensions with Disable highlighted

27. Test Site

  1. Open your browser, and visit the website you had problems with at the start.
Opera.
  1. Make sure the page loads properly, and try following a few of the links from the page.

28. Enable Extensions One By One (macOS)

One of the Extensions being used in Opera is causing problems.

You can use Opera with extensions disabled, it will function perfectly fine.

If you wish, return to Extensions and enable each extension one by one, testing after each, to determine which one is causing you problems, then remove just that extension.

  1. Open Opera.
Opera.
  1. From the menu on top, select View > Show Extensions.
Opera View menu with Show Extensions highlighted.
  1. Select Enable to turn on a single extension.
Opera extensions with Enable highlighted.
  1. Test Opera, and make sure it responds and works the way you expect it to.
  2. Repeat these steps to enable your extensions one by one. If Opera fails, return to Extensions and Disable that extension.Leaving an extension disabled is fine. It will be unable to reinstall and cause more problems, as well as be inactive.

29. Uninstall Check

Our next step is to uninstall Opera.

In most cases, your bookmarks and saved passwords will be saved through uninstalling and reinstalling, but they can be lost during this process if you haven't signed into an account with Opera in the past.

Any history, frequently used pages, cookies, and Extensions will be lost.

Any bookmarks, passwords, and extension settings will be lost if you have not signed into your account with Opera, and won't be available again till after you sign back into your account with Opera after reinstalling.

30. Uninstall (macOS)

  1. Select Finder in your Dock.
Finder.
  1. Select Go > Applications.
Finder Go menu with Applications highlighted.
  1. Drag Opera to the Trash icon on your Dock.
Applications and Dock with Opera and Trash highlighted, arrow showing dragging Opera to the Trash

31. Restart

  1. From the menu bar across the top of the screen, select the Apple menu (1), then select Restart... (2).
Apple menu with Restart option selected. Screenshot.

Any unsaved work will be lost.

32. Install (macOS)

We will use the built-in Safari browser on your Mac to download and install Opera.

  1. Open Safari from your Dock.
Apple Safari.
  1. In the address bar at the top, type https://www.opera.com, then press return. Click on Download Now.
Safari window with opera.com typed and Download now highlighted. Screenshot
  1. Click Downloads, then select Opera Installer.
Downloads with Opera Installer highlighted. Screenshot
  1. Click on Open.
Download confirmation with Open highlighted. Screenshot

  1. Click on Install.
Opera install window with Install highlighted. Screenshot

33. Test Site

  1. Open your browser, and visit the website you had problems with at the start.
Opera.
  1. Make sure the page loads properly, and try following a few of the links from the page.

34. What's next?