How does Opera 12 know which directory to use for user profile?

[Jane]

I am using Opera 12 on Win XP. I start Opera by launching this:

C:\program files\opera\opera.exe

How does opera.exe know which directory to use for the user profile files
(bookmarks, custom toolbars, etc)?

[Laurent Jumet]

In \Opera\Operadef6.ini you'll find this statement:
Multi User=0 ; If enabled Opera will use Windows profiles to store
individual user settings

From that choice, you'll get \opera\profile\operaprefs.ini and several
directories inside \profile\ with the ini statements.

--
Laurent Jumet
Point de Chat

[Robert Carnegie]

On Saturday, 28 February 2015 21:23:56 UTC, Jane wrote:
> On 17:47 28 Feb 2015, Guy wrote:

> > I think (because I've not used the installer) that there is a
> > installer option like "Multi User". If that option is selected
> > the Profile will be located in the USER's %APPDATA% directory.
> >
> > i.e.,
> > "C:\Documents and Settings\<USERNAME>\Application Data\Opera\Opera"
> >
> > If that option is not selected the Profile directory will be
> > in Opera's HOME directory.
> >
> > i.e.,
> > "C:\Program Files\Opera\profile"
> >
>
> I can find the directory for the profile. I have 2 or 3 Opera profiles
> each in different folders (all within one username).
>
> The profiles have a custom directory name which I gave it. I can't
> remember how I set this up originally.
>
> I don't know how Opera knows which profile folder to use. That's my
> question.
>
> I figure it can't be in operaprefs.ini because that would already know
> which profile folder to use. I didn't see anything obvious in the Opera
> Program Files folders but I guess it must be there somewhere. Any ideas?

If you've actually done what you think you did,
<http://www.opera.com/docs/switches/> may clarify.
You can invoke "Opera.exe" (versions 11 and 12)
with command-line switches including:

/settings "C:\UseThisOne\Opera6.ini"

(probably the file name also doesn't have
to be Opera6.ini)

-pd personal directory

(I don't know if that is "-pd "C:\Personal\Directory"
but I'd assume so. Also it might be "/pd" instead of
"-pd".)

"Opera.exe" /? or "Opera.exe" -? may display
what the switches are in the version you're using.

You're bearing in mind that Windows XP is no longer
having security flaws patched, and I think we're
not sure about Opera 12. And even a "safe" web site
can include imported adertisements, or other
third-party content, that is unsafe.

[Jane]

Thank you both Robert and Guy. I am running opera.exe in the Program
Files folder without any switches or paramaters.

To check this, I went to that folder in Windows Explorer and double
clicked the file called "opera.exe".

When my Opera 12 launches it uses the INI files and bookmarks and other
personal settings located in a custom folder which I created when I had
Opera 10 and is called:

C:\Documents and Settings\jane\Application Data\Opera\Opera10

How does it know to use that folder? Is there something in the Program
Files folder or in the registry?

[Jane]

> Do you employ one or both of these INI files:
> C:\Program Files\Opera\operaprefs_default.ini
> C:\Windows\System32\operaprefs_fixed.ini
>
> Which contain an entry:
> [User Prefs]
> Opera Directory
>

I don't have operaprefs_fixed.ini in my System32 folder.

My operaprefs_default.ini contains only this:---


=======START QUOTE========
Opera Preferences version 2.1
; Do not edit this file while Opera is running
; This file is stored in UTF-8 encoding

[User Prefs]
Language File={Resources}locale\en\en.lng
Language Files Directory={Resources}locale\en

[System]
Multi User=1 ; If enabled Opera will use Windows profiles to store
individual user settings

[Auto Update]
Country Code=GB
======END QUOTE=====