Moving Opera from XP Profile folder
Jane
I have got Opera installed on XP Pro which is set up for multiple users.
So I have got a a set of Opera common files in:
C:\Program Files
and my Opera personal files are in:
C:\%PROFILE%\Application Data\Opera\OPERA7\profile.
I want to move the profile folder to another drive.
However I see many references in several INI files to my profile on the
C: drive. Is there a clever way to change all these? Maybe Opera will
reset most of them if I issue the correct (magic) command? :-)
ANyone?
Ted S.
news:Xns97B11D8...@127.0.0.1:
It depends on what you need the .ini information to look like. If you
simply need it information in the .inis to look like F:\%PROFILE%\..., you
*might* be able to get away with opening all the .inis in a good text
editor (I use one called ConTEXT, but others will recommend other
programs) that allows you to change all instances of text in all open
files.
Warning: This is untested! I make no claims that it won't make your
problem even worse.
--
Ted <fedya at bestweb dot net>
Oh Marge, anyone can miss Canada, all tucked away down there....
--Homer Simpson
Gandalf
Hi Jane.
I did mine a long time ago but, IIRC, you only need to *copy* your
profile folder to the new location. Don't *move* it, as you'll need the
original profile folder, along with opera6.ini, to remain so Opera can
find it.
After you've copied your profile to the new location, you can safely
delete all files and subfolders of the original profile folder *except*
for opera6.ini.
Open the original opera6.ini in a text editor [notepad is fine] and
do a global replace on [in your case] C:\%PROFILE%\Application
Data\Opera\OPERA7\profile and change it to the new location.
e.g. I would replace:
C:\%PROFILE%\Application Data\Opera\OPERA7\profile
with
D:\Opera\Gandalf\profile
[yeah, I know...'profile' is redundant] ;-)
That's all there is to it.
You'll end up with the unmodified, original opera6.ini in the new
location, but it will be ignored by Opera, and can serve as a backup if
you mess something up. [Which I've never done a few hundred times]
AFIAK, the only other references to your C: drive in any other ini
will be solely for program operation, not your customized profile.
I've never changed any other references, and this works flawlessly.
hth,
-G
Gandalf
> Gandalf <gan...@rivendel.bog> wrote in
> news:5nK3g.86629$Ju2....@fe07.news.easynews.com:
>>> C:\Program Files
>>>
>>> and my Opera personal files are in:
>>>
>>> C:\%PROFILE%\Application Data\Opera\OPERA7\profile.
>
>
> 1) XP still stuffs apps/programs in root C: instead of where you install
> them such as F:\program files\program file.
Yes, XP's default installation for apps is %root%:\Program_Files,
although that is easily changed.
> 2) Opera throws a link back to root C:\ regardless of where it is
> installed.
Opera places its core ini in
%root%:\%Documents_and_Settings%\%Profile%\Application_Data\Opera\OperaVersion\profile
regardless of where the program is installed.
I've never found a way to change that, and it consider it quite annoying
*and* stupid.
> This is a personal grouse with me and MS over the years. I like things to
> go where I put them for I put them there for a reason as addlepated as it
> might be.
>
> Gene
Ditto.
-G
Gandalf
> In opera.general, (J. Eugene Bartley) wrote in
> <Xns97B176F844C...@193.69.116.7>::
>>>>
>>>> and my Opera personal files are in:
>>>>
>>>> C:\%PROFILE%\Application Data\Opera\OPERA7\profile.
>>
>> 1) XP still stuffs apps/programs in root C: instead of where you install
>> them such as F:\program files\program file.
>
> decide where things are installed: most default to C:\program files\, but
> most at least give you an option to change it. I've never had one that
> disobeyed my wishes.
Unfortunately, I'm seeing more and more apps that simply give no option
to the user during install.
I guess the programmers consider everyone idiots now.
I installed Quicktime [urg] on a client's machine this afternoon.
You *must* install iTunes first as part of the package, although you're
given the option for location, but when the Quicktime portion installs,
it reverts to the XP default 'program files' regardless.
What do you expect from an OS that denies access to so many things while
logged on as admin.
-sigh-
-G
Matthew Winn
> In opera.general, (J. Eugene Bartley) wrote in
> <Xns97B176F844C...@193.69.116.7>::
> >them such as F:\program files\program file.
>
> If it does, your installation is broken. It's down to the install pack to
> decide where things are installed: most default to C:\program files\, but
> most at least give you an option to change it. I've never had one that
> disobeyed my wishes.
I've used some products that install into C:\whatever but then allow
you to move the directory to wherever you choose because there are no
absolute paths in the files. Why they can't just ask for a destination
I don't know. I've never yet found a product that offers me a choice
of installation location and then ignores it.
> >2) Opera throws a link back to root C:\ regardless of where it is
> >installed.
>
> That's a different issue; profile-based data goes in your personal profile-
> it's irrelevant where the app is installed. I believe you can override
> where 'doze puts the profiles, but I've never bothered.
You can, but I've had less than 100% success with that. Some products
(including parts of Windows itself) ignore the change and revert to
using the standard pathnames.
--
Matthew Winn
[If replying by email remove the "r" from "urk"]
Jane
Thank you for the info. I am uneasy about OPERA6.INI staying in the
old "profile location" on C.
Is there something in the main Opera installation in C:\Program Files
which points to OPERA6.INI in that profile location?
For me, it would be so nice to have all the personal files for Opera
(in other words all the files found in the Profile) on another drive
than the system drive.
Any ideas?
Rijk van Geijtenbeek
> J. Eugene Bartley wrote:
>> Gandalf <gan...@rivendel.bog> wrote in
>> news:5nK3g.86629$Ju2....@fe07.news.easynews.com:
>>>> C:\Program Files and my Opera personal files are in:
>>>>
>>>> C:\%PROFILE%\Application Data\Opera\OPERA7\profile.
>> Do I surmise the following correctly:
>> 1) XP still stuffs apps/programs in root C: instead of where you
>> install them such as F:\program files\program file.
>
> Yes, XP's default installation for apps is %root%:\Program_Files,
> although that is easily changed.
>
>> 2) Opera throws a link back to root C:\ regardless of where it is
>> installed.
>
> Opera places its core ini in
> %root%:\%Documents_and_Settings%\%Profile%\Application_Data\Opera\OperaVersion\profile
> regardless of where the program is installed.
>
> I've never found a way to change that, and it consider it quite annoying
> *and* stupid.
It is a perfectly logical and normal location for storing user data - the
only sane way to make Opera usable when using multiple accounts in
Windows. Just like on Mac and Linux, Opera for Windows follows the
operating system guidelines for the user data location. For those
installing in a fresh directory, they get an option in the installer to
use a single profile directly under the main Opera directory.
--
Rijk
Opera Software ASA
QA etc
Rijk van Geijtenbeek
..
> Is there something in the main Opera installation in C:\Program Files
> which points to OPERA6.INI in that profile location?
No. OperaDef6.ini in the main directory contains the 'Multi user'
parameter that determines whether Opera looks in the "Documents and
settings\etc\etc\" location, or in the profile subdirectory under the main
directory.
> For me, it would be so nice to have all the personal files for Opera
> (in other words all the files found in the Profile) on another drive
> than the system drive.
>
> Any ideas?
Use the /settings parameter on the command line, like this:
C:\Program files\Opera\opera.exe /settings F:\operaprofile\opera6.ini
See: http://my.opera.com/Rijk/blog/show.dml/6978
Note: this works in Opera 8, but is partially broken in Opera 9 beta.