Interface dialogs

This chapter gives help about some of Opera's dialogs.

Setting your home page

This dialog lets you set your home page. The home page is...

A home page is typically set to a portal or a search engine.

If you want to use the page you are currently viewing as your homepage, click . To use a different page, enter its address, then click .

This dialog is accessible from the Navigation menu.

Go to page

This dialog lets you enter a Web page address in situations when you don't have access to the address field, like when you are in full screen mode, or have disabled the address field.

It works just like the address field; you can type in Web page addresses with auto-completion, and you can access previously typed in addresses by clicking the dropdown.

This dialog is accessible from the Navigation menu.

Saving your windows to a file

In Opera, you can have multiple windows open at the same time. Sometimes it is useful to save all your open windows to a file, so that you can get them back later.

You can also choose to show the windows you save here every time you start Opera. For example, you can start three windows: one with your favorite portal, and one with your favorite newspaper and one with your favorite band.

This dialog is accessible from the Window menu.

Periodically reloading a page

You can make Opera reload a Web page every 5 minutes, or whatever other time span you prefer. This is useful for getting the latest news from a news site, monitoring stock rates or checking other information that is updated often.

Some Web pages set an expiration time for themselves. You can choose to reload the page only if it has expired.

This dialog is accessible from the Navigation menu.

Print options

Before printing a Web page on paper, you can decide how the page should be printed.

You can decide whether to print the background image on the page (if it has any).

You can print a header and footer on every page, that is...

You can scale the printed page. To print it twice the normal size, select "200%". To print half size, select "50%". And so forth.

You can set the margins on the printed sheet. To use the whole sheet, set these values to zero.

This dialog is accessible from the File menu.

Print preview

Normally, you will want to print a page like it appears on your screen.

However, if the Web page is built up of frames, and you are familiar with frames, you can decide whether to...

  1. Print all the frames, one frame per printed sheet
  2. Print only the active frame

This dialog is accessible from the File menu.

The startup dialog

When you start Opera, a welcome dialog appears with two essential choices on how you want to use Opera...

  1. To have all Opera windows inside a single Opera application (Multiple Document Interface)
  2. To have a separate application window for each Opera window (Single Document Interface)

Click on the image that corresponds to your preference. This setting can not be changed while running Opera.

In addition, you can choose what windows to show when starting Opera...

  1. Continue browsing where you exited Opera last time
  2. Show a particular set of windows you have saved earlier
  3. Show your favorite start page
  4. Start without any windows

If you want Opera to start in the same way every time, you can choose not to show this dialog on normal startup.

If Opera exits involuntarily because of a problem, the startup dialog will always appear the next time you start Opera, to help you deal with the problem. If the problem persists, try starting with no windows.

Sometimes, the problem can be caused by communication with the network. If you are technically familiar with network communication, you may change some of the network preferences to help you get back to normal browsing again.

Security dialogs

This chapter describes dialogs that appear in situations where computer security is involved.

Entering your e-mail password

When you want to check your e-mail, you have to enter the e-mail account password supplied to you by your Internet Service Provider or System Administrator.

You can save the password so you don't have to enter it every time, but this means that anyone with access to your computer can check your e-mail. The password is encrypted before storing to disk.

Downloading files from the Internet

If you choose to open the file, it will be downloaded into your Download directory, then executed when transfer is complete.

If you choose to save the file, you get to specify where to download it. You have to manually execute it when transfer is complete.

It is recommended to always scan an insecure file with an updated virus protection program before running the file.

You can choose to be asked every time you download a file of this type, or you can let your current choice apply for all time.

Note: You will always be asked about executable files.

To fine-tune default actions for the file type in question, click .

Learn more about default file type actions

Visiting password protected Web pages

Some Web pages require that you enter a username and password. Contact the service provider if you are unable access the page.

Installing new certificates

In situations like creating an on-line bank account, you will be asked to install a certificate.

Some of the certificate information is quite technical, but if the certificate name, issuer and validity period seem reliable and correct, click to install the certificate on your computer.

Cookies, normally used to make browsing easier, can sometimes be set up incorrectly or insecurely.

Dealing with cookies requires some level of technical understanding. If you are not familiar with cookies, click if you trust the Web site you are visiting. Click if you are in doubt.

Uploading files through forms

Some Web sites offer uploading of files as part of a Web service. Normally, you click and select which file you want to upload from your computer to the Web site.

However, a form can be pre-set to upload a particular file from your computer, worst case your password file. To prevent forms from stealing files from your computer, a warning is always given if a filename is pre-set in a file submission form.

Deleting private data

This dialog helps you to delete information on your computer about your browsing activities.

Note: Deleted data on a hard drive may be restored using an "un-delete" program.

Warning: Be sure you know what you are doing when using this dialog. Deleting private data may have unwanted side-effects.

This dialog is accessible from the File menu.