Opera, KernelEx and related matters

[ivanbuto]

Adding to the posts about Opera 11.5 and KernelEx.

I just installed Opera 11.51 on my Windows 98 SE machine (manually via unpacking the installer contents.)

Thus far, everything seems to work fine. The browser is very fast. However, there is a problem with:

- opening http/https links from programs outside Opera (Outlook, notepad, etc.)

- opening html files from Windows Explorer

I have attached a screenshot of the illegal operation errer when opening a link from a plain text e-mail. After clicking Close, Opera still stays open, and it opens a new tab with a Google search with a strange mess of characters.

A similar error occurs when launching a new instance of Opera while Opera is running.

I am considering switching back to the previous version of Opera (10.63), since the problem with links is rather annoying (I often open links from my e-mail messages).

[sheldonisaac]

Thanks for this, ivanbuto !

I've quoted only parts of your message, OK?

Adding to the posts about Opera 11.5 and KernelEx.

I just installed Opera 11.51 on my Windows 98 SE machine (manually via unpacking the installer contents.)

I haven't done such since I gave up on KernelEx because of problems like you report

Am using Opera 10.63 on plain 98SE

However, there is a problem with:

- opening http/https links from programs outside Opera (Outlook, notepad, etc.)

- opening html files from Windows Explorer

When last I used KernelEx, I had similar problems with links in Pegasus email messages and Xnews posts

I have attached a screenshot of the illegal operation errer when opening a link from a plain text e-mail. After clicking Close, Opera still stays open, and it opens a new tab with a Google search with a strange mess of characters.

A similar error occurs when launching a new instance of Opera while Opera is running.

I am considering switching back to the previous version of Opera (10.63), since the problem with links is rather annoying (I often open links from my e-mail messages).

Same here; I am using an older version of Pegasus email, ver 4.51, which runs under plain Win 98Se

I wish someone could help.

Many thanks,

Sheldon

[ScrewUpgrading]

I had some problems with Opera 11.5 as well, nothing major, but certain things that were annoying. For instance, the history bar wouldn't "drop down" and display a list of the websites that I'd typed in. Secondly, there was no toolbar button for going "home", in which case I had to retype Google.com every single time. I ended up just using the search bar that was right next to the address bar, but I didn't really like that, because I still couldn't get back to google's main page and check my email and stuff like that. It was weird.

Overall however, considering that I'm on dialup, I'll definitely be keeping my copy of 11.51 for future use (it was certinaly fast).

But for now, I'm actually quite pleased with plain old Opera 11.00. I think it works better than 10.63 and I haven't noticed any problems with it.

I don't know if that would help you though.

[Dave-H]

Just to add my observations to this, I can confirm the behaviour of Opera 11.5x that it crashes if you try to open more than one instance under 98SE. I'm using 11.51.

I also get the strange Google page reported by ivanbuto!

Interestingly, under XP (I have a dual boot machine) if you try to open a second instance of Opera, you get an error message relating to the Opera Mail client, that it cannot access data because something else already has it open, obviously the first instance of Opera.

If you dismiss the error message the second Opera opens OK though.

I did try disabling the Opera Mail client to see if this enabled a second instance of Opera to open under 98SE, but it still crashed.

Apart from this, Opera 11.51 seems to be working pretty well for me under 98SE.

[ivanbuto]

Just to add my observations to this, I can confirm the behaviour of Opera 11.5x that it crashes if you try to open more than one instance under 98SE. I'm using 11.51.

I also get the strange Google page reported by ivanbuto!

I just tested with versions 11.11, 11.01 and 11.00 - the problem with opening links from external programs or trying to launch a new instance of Opera are the same. I wonder if there is anyone who could figure out how to fix it.

[ivanbuto]

Also, does the Windows Media Player plugin work for anyone in Opera 11.x? On my machine, it works OK until Opera 9.64. With Opera 10.x, it only worked sporadically, now it doesn't seem to work at all. I have the plugin detected and enabled, but videos won't play (nothing happens).

[Dave-H]

Also, does the Windows Media Player plugin work for anyone in Opera 11.x? On my machine, it works OK until Opera 9.64. With Opera 10.x, it only worked sporadically, now it doesn't seem to work at all. I have the plugin detected and enabled, but videos won't play (nothing happens).

Just tried it on my system (Opera 11.51), and the plugin loads OK, and the media player plugin window appears, but no videos I've tried will actually play.

The error message if you right click on the player window is usually "network error".

This happens even on URLs which will play OK in WMP9 itself.

Try configuring Opera to open the video in the actual media player rather than using the plugin.

Edited September 6, 2011 by Dave-H

[Steven W]

ScrewUpgrading, you can customize the toolbar, in Opera, and add a home button, I did it myself. I can't tell you the exact steps as I'm not on that PC (at a friend's home) now. I do recall that the interface to do that is a little clunky, IMO. DaveH, thanks for confirming the issue running more than one instance. Also, I've been having the no-network issue with the WMP plugin in Firefox, thought I had messed up WMP's configuration somehow, guess not. Like you, I'm able to view the source of the page and open the video/audio in WMP directly. Interesting what you find out if pay attention and talk about it.

Edited September 6, 2011 by Steven W

[CharlesF]

Just to add my observations to this, I can confirm the behaviour of Opera 11.5x that it crashes if you try to open more than one instance under 98SE. I'm using 11.51.

I also get the strange Google page reported by ivanbuto!

I just tested with versions 11.11, 11.01 and 11.00 - the problem with opening links from external programs or trying to launch a new instance of Opera are the same.

I wonder if there is anyone who could figure out how to fix it.

Hello ivanbuto,

read here #43 from loblo, and #44

Currently, the only way I can open an external shorcut in Opera is:

- "Open" (you can use "Ctrl+O", or a dedicated button you will find in Shift+F12 -> last tab)

- Drag & drop in an opened window of Opera

- Right-click -> "Send to" to an Opera shortcut only if Opera is closed.

I cannot open a second instance of Opera (from the same exe),

BUT if I recall a saved session (or if I drag & drop an opened tab on the desktop, etc.),

it opens in a new window easily

Edited September 7, 2011 by CharlesF

[CharlesF]

the history bar wouldn't "drop down" and display a list of the websites that I'd typed in.

Type: opera:config#UserPrefs|ShowDropdownButtonInAddressfield

tick the box and save .

there was no toolbar button for going "home", in which case I had to retype Google.com every single time.

You don't need to put Google as Home for that.

If it is your default search engine (Ctrl+>F12 -> Search -> Google -> Edit),

just type in the address field what you are looking for, and 'Enter'.

Otherwise, type "g " in front of your search.

All native buttons are in Shift+F12 -> last tab.

You can also add a Google thumbnail in the Speed Dial.

Apart from that, it seems that I have a glitch with Opera 11.51:

opera:config is not properly displayed and doesn't do an automatic search for what you type.

EDIT: my bad. Some files were missing in the folder.

BTW, why not make a new thread with all these posts about "Opera & Win 9x/Me"?

Edited September 7, 2011 by CharlesF

[schwups]

Also, does the Windows Media Player plugin work for anyone in Opera 11.x? On my machine, it works OK until Opera 9.64. With Opera 10.x, it only worked sporadically, now it doesn't seem to work at all. I have the plugin detected and enabled, but videos won't play (nothing happens).

I successfully tested on two machines the Windows Media Player plugin with different versions of Opera (10.1/10.63/11.1/11.50 and 11.51)here: http://www.vdat.com/techsupport/windowstest.asp

But on the right a part of the loudness controller is missing. Where did you check?

And on one machine all the tests fail. On this one the WMP is upgraded with mdgx unofficial 98MP10.

OS: Win ME

[Dave-H]

I successfully tested on two machines the Windows Media Player plugin with different versions of Opera (10.1/10.63/11.1/11.50 and 11.51)here: http://www.vdat.com/techsupport/windowstest.asp

But on the right a part of the loudness controller is missing. Where did you check?

And on one machine all the tests fail. On this one the WMP is upgraded with mdgx unofficial 98MP10.

OS: Win ME

That URL was one of the ones I tested too.

Doesn't work on my system.

The plugin window loads, with the right hand side cut off as you say, but after the plugin displays "connecting", "opening", and "ready" the video won't actually play.

I also get no right click menu so I can't see what the error actually is.

The URL opens fine using IE6 and directly in WMP9.

P.S.

As CharlesF rightly says, this is may well not actually be a KernelEx problem, so could be off topic for this thread.

This has already happened once before with the thread starting to be full of "Opera under Windows 98/ME" problems, which are not necessarily KernelEx related.

Edited September 7, 2011 by Dave-H

[dw2108]

Opera 11.x alpha, beta and finals all have big problems on ANY OS for many users, not just 9x/ME, and 12 alpha is really giving many fits. So don't give up on 98 + KEX because of Opera and a few other browsers which are acting up.

Dave

PS: Ditto other apps rushed to final too quickly.

[Prozactive]

I have held off using Opera 11.xx as I fundamentally dislike using any app that requires KernelEx to work as it generally seems to cause a whole host of buggy quirky behavior. And, Opera 10.63 (which does not require KernelEx) has worked almost flawlessly with all websites until this week, when Facebook apparently made major JavaScript changes to their site which are incompatible with Opera 10.63 for some reason. I may have to cave and try Opera 11.51 to resolve these showstopping Facebook problems, as much as I hate doing so, especially when they're solely caused by Facebook's arrogant disregard of browser-independent web standardization. I'm increasingly getting angry, sick, and tired of Facebook.

EDIT: And interestingly, Facebook still loads okay using Firefox 2, albeit with some formatting problems, which is *MUCH* older than Opera 10.63.

Edited October 15, 2011 by Prozactive

[Dave-H]

As a longtime Opera fan, I want to always use the latest versions and keep them working on the Windows 98 side of my machine, and I'm using 11.51 with KernelEx with no problems apart from a few minor cosmetic ones.

All functionality is fine and it's very fast indeed.