How To Clean Custom Opera Installations

[LouieChuckyMerry]

Nergal: thank you for answering one of my questions, and thank you very much for recommending WinMerge . I just finished downloading the portable version and setting it up so that as soon as I update my winapp2.ini file (with CCEnhancer) I can open WinMerge, press a couple of buttons, and have an updated winapp2.ini file with the custom embedded cleaning options copied to it. The next best thing to a winapp3.ini, I reckon.

[Nergal]

yup the portable apps version is the on e I use too.

 

I've not tried making patches with it (I use a diff program on Linux that makes great patches though)

[LouieChuckyMerry]

What's a patch, Nergal? Also, since you're a Moderator, would it be bad form for me to post my 2 unanswered questions in a new thread? Thanks.

[Winapp2.ini]

Any chance we can sticky this, in a similar manner to the Chrome version of this thread? It's highly informative for Opera users.

[Alan_B]

Any chance we can sticky this, in a similar manner to the Chrome version of this thread? It's highly informative for Opera users.

I suggest the title would merit changing to something like

How to Clean Custom Installations of two versions of the same Application (e.g. Opera)

I think this topic has covered techniques that are not restricted to Opera 10.63 and 11.11.

 

There could be other CCleaner users who do not use Opera but have a similarly need with alternative browsers,

or even with non-browser applications.

 

I never switch to a later version of CCleaner until I have inspected the differences between the analysis results of the previous,

and most times any new features apply to products I do not have so I stick with the Old,

[LouieChuckyMerry]

Sorry to pester, but is there a respectful way to have my final 2 questions answered (I think that they were lost in the shuffle)?

 

2) Is it possible to somehow add the list of saved cookies in my ccleaner.ini file to the above? That is, can I somehow incorporate 
the list of saved cookies in my ccleaner.ini file to the above without having to add them individually to Options/Exclude?

3) Where can I find a list of usable ID's and LangRef's for the winapp2.ini file? That is, I would like to know exactly what the 
options are for "ID=xxxx" and "LangRef=xxxx" in the winapp2.ini file so that I can further customize the above.

 

I realize that they're technically off topic, so I'm not sure if I should start a new thread. Regardless, many thanks to all the kind people who helped me solve my original dilemma; I really appreciate your help .

[Alan_B]

Why do you want to exclude Cookies in the WinApp2.ini file ?

 

I could be wrong but it seems to me not feasible.

 

As standard without the WinApp2.ini you have these options (anongst others)

EXCLUDE, which can specify files,or folders, or Registry items, but NOT cookies;

INCLUDE, which can specify files,or folders, but NOT Registry items or cookies;

COOKIES, which on the left shows some cookies that are "ready to go", and on the right are Cookies to Keep.

 

I doubt that WinApp2.ini would add an exclude cookie capability that native CCleaner does not support.

 

Is not Cookies to keep a very close alternative to "Cookies to Exclude from cleaning"

Does that not meet your needs ?

 

Cookies to keep includes cookies from whatever, i.e.

Abominable I.E. cookies

Abominable Adobe Flash Cookies

Chrome cookie - I could start a flame war here ! !

Firefox Cookies

and I guess any Opera cookie that has been detected.

I would suggest that the hard part with a custom Opera is getting the cookies detected in non-standard places,

but once they are detected the Cookies to Keep should automatically protect all you want to protect

 

I cannot advise you on "ID=xxxx" and "LangRef=xxxx",

other than to point you at the top 30 lines of winapp2.ini which refers to

; LangSecRef

; 3021 = Applications

; 3022 = Internet

; 3023 = Multimedia

; 3024 = Utilities

; 3025 = Windows

; 3026 = Firefox/Mozilla

; 3027 = Opera

; 3028 = Safari

[Winapp2.ini]

You could manually add the location of the cookies in a manner such as

 

ExcludeKey1=FILE|Path to cookie

 

and so on for all of the cookies you wish to keep, then delete all other cookies in the folder with a |*.*

[LouieChuckyMerry]

Alan_B: thanks for your reply. I did notice the list of "LangSecRef" in the winapp2.ini file but was hoping for a list of "ID=xxxx" and "LangRef=xxxx" so that I could further customize my custom entries. I Googled all word combinations that I could imagine but came up with no useful information, although I image it exists somewhere. I'll keep trying. As for the cookies, I think that I wasn't lucid enough in my original question. While I'm easily able to keep the cookies of my choice (sites where I log in, etc.) in my default Opera install by going to Options/Cookies in CCleaner and selecting accordingly, when using your earlier advice to find exactly which files-folders CCleaner deletes I discovered that, unlike the other categories, viewing the detailed results of the default Opera install's "Cookies" analysis doesn't show a file path (see attachment). Thus, I was forced to settle for deleting the entire cookies file, "C:\Users\Me\AppData\Roaming\Opera\10.63\cookies4.dat", in my custom Opera install, which unfortunately means that even the cookies on my "Cookies to Keep" list are deleted. I did, however, notice that the ccleaner.ini file has a list "CookiesToSave=aaaa.com|bbbb.org|cccc.xxx|..." and was wondering if I could somehow incorporate it into my custom winapp2.ini "Cookies" entry so that the cookies of my choice aren't deleted in my custom Opera install. Basically, I was able to figure out how to exclude-include files within a folder while creating my custom winapp2.ini file, but I can't figure out how to exclude-include specific bits of a file, in this case the cookies4.dat file. Any help would be much appreciated.

[LouieChuckyMerry]

Wow, Winapp2.ini, you must read minds, as you were answering my question while I was trying to ask it more clearly . After reading your reply I understand what you typed but I can't find any individual cookies, all I see is cookies4.dat.

[Winapp2.ini]

Oh That is unfortunate. I do not know how Opera handles its cookies, but it seems like they're all in that one file, if I had to guess.

[LouieChuckyMerry]

I tried to open cookies4.dat with Notepad but this is the result (see attachment). Also, while you're about, Winapp2.ini, do you happen to know where I could find a list of "ID=xxxx" and "LangRef=xxxx" options? Thanks again for all your help.

[Alan_B]

I tried to open cookies4.dat with Notepad but this is the result (see attachment):

I have far less experience with Windows 7 than XP,

but I remember that Wordpad was generally better if Notepad gave rectangular blocks in the text.

This especially applied to the various "change.log" files within Restore Points

(I go where angels fear to tread ! ! !)

[LouieChuckyMerry]

Thanks for the idea, Alan_B, but the results (see attachment) are similar .

[LouieChuckyMerry]

Googling for answers I bumped into this in Opera's knowledge base (emphasis is mine):

 

 

Opera supports the exact same format for setting cookies as Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. This means that Opera will be able to accept all cookies that work with these browsers. Cookies are stored in the file named cookies4.dat located in the user's Opera profile folder (on Linux known as .opera, on Macintosh called Opera Preferences). It is not possible to edit the file cookies4.dat by hand in order to remove unwanted cookies from your hard drive, but you can use Opera's server manager (go to Tools > Preferences > Advanced > Cookies, click "Manage cookies").

 

Web developers should note that Opera does not store cookies sent from files loaded with the "file://" protocol, that is, local files on your hard disk. The reason is that such cookies are considered a privacy risk.

 

 

I take this to mean that there's no way I can add a "Cookies to Keep" list to the custom Opera cleaning options, unless someone knows differently. Now to figure out "ID=xxxx" and "LangRef=xxxx" options...

[Alan_B]

Perhaps a Binary editor/comparator would help.

e.g. Freeware AptDiff.

This shows two pages side by side for two files to be compared, but it will allow the same file on each side.

Each page shows 16 bytes per line , each byte in hex pair + space to the left, and printable or otherwise to the right.

This sometimes is helpful.

I am now out of tricks.

[LouieChuckyMerry]

Alan_B: I just tried AptDiff but it couldn't open a .dat file; thanks for the idea, though . After more searching for information I don't foresee being able to filter which cookies are deleted in my custom Opera install--at least until Opera changes the way it stores cookies--but it's not such a big deal since I (hope I) shouldn't need to utilize the custom install too often (it's for slow connections). I still can't find any list of possible "ID=xxxx" and "LangRef=xxxx" for a winapp2.ini file, though.

[Winapp2.ini]

.dat files are typically data files that are only readable by computers.

 

Does opera have a built-in singular cookie manager?

[Alan_B]

As Baldrick would say to BlackAdder, I have a cunning plan.

 

Clean your DEFAULT Opera

Move you CUSTOM cookies4.dat to a different folder so you can recover if the plan goes pear shaped,

Copy your clean default cookies4.dat to where your custom Opera wants its cookies4.dat.

 

With a bit of luck there will be sufficient compatibility for the custom Opera to work well.

If not then put the original custom cookies4.dat back where it came from.

[LouieChuckyMerry]

Winapp2.ini: I found the following information about how Opera manages cookies, and snipped a shot of Opera's Cookie Manager as well (see attachment):

 

"Manage cookies: Displays your Server Manager, which lists all the domains you currently have cookies from. You can add new domains, delete the domains you do not wish to keep cookies from, and edit cookie settings specifically for each server."

 

 

Alan_B: remind me to never play chess with you . A freshly cleaned copy of my default Opera install's cookies4.dat file did work perfectly when substituted for my custom Opera install's cookies4.dat file; that is, after the substitution, any site into which I'm automatically logged when visiting in my default Opera install I was also automatically logged into when visiting in my custom Opera install. While a bit of a workaround, it's still better than nothing. And thank you very much.

[Alan_B]

You are welcome.

 

Alan_B: remind me to never play chess with you . A freshly cleaned copy of my default Opera install's cookies4.dat file did work perfectly when substituted for my custom Opera install's cookies4.dat file

You ain't seen nothing yet ! !

If that was my system I would tweak the Custom Opera to always use the cookies4.dat held by Default Opera,

then every time a normal CCleaner purge cleans the Default Opera it will remove from Default cookies4.dat all cookies from BOTH Operas.

 

DISCLAIMER :- DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME unless you are prepared to re-install opera or worse - perhaps even Windows !

I only do this sort of thing because it takes me less than 3 minutes to create a Macrium backup image of my entire primary drive,

and even when Windows self-destructs (2 instances this year of patch updates gone wrong) a boot CD brings me back in 6 minutes.

Alternatives include Windows Installation discs or lucky rabbit's foot ! !

 

either :-

1.

replace cookies4.dat file in the custom opera with a hard link or symbolic link to the file in default opera, see

simple command line method :-

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/using-symlinks-in-windows-vista/

http://ipggi.wordpress.com/2009/09/07/windows-file-junctions-symbolic-links-and-hard-links/

or for a GUI application with massive documentation on use :-

http://schinagl.priv.at/nt/hardlinkshellext/hardlinkshellext.html

 

or 2.

replace the custom opera sub-folder holding cookies4.dat with a folder "junction point" to the corresponding sub-folder in default opera

A very convenient GUI application is

http://www.rekenwonder.com/linkmagic.htm

 

Personally I have never had regrets after several years of using "2" above to relocate six folders out of C:\ that totalled 2 GB of code on XP Laptop

and two months ago I shifted from Primary drive to secondary drive on Windows 7 a 200 MB backup virus signature file that Comodo insisted upon creating.

The signature file + backup updates were increasing my Macrium incremental image backup from perhaps 80 MB to nearly 500 MB,

now the backup is elsewhere I have save 200 MB per day - that is a lot of GByte per month.

 

I have not yet used "1" but as soon as I finish testing some experimental software I will be relocation Firefox urlclassifier3.sqlite,

which is guilty of half the 80 MB backups on the days when I decide yesterday's signature's will do for today.

 

N.B. There is no danger to Windows unless you accidentally point at and relocate system files and folders,

but that is something I am careful to avoid, and I only risk making a mistake because I can raise Windows from the dead in a few minutes.

[LouieChuckyMerry]

Alan_B: Geez, I was proud that I actually thought to open every site in my default Opera install that I ever log into, then log into each of those sites, then exit my default Opera install and open CCleaner to save all the applicable cookies, then run CCleaner, then copy the resultant default-install-saved-cookies-only cookies4.dat file into a conveniently located folder (after making a backup copy) in my custom Opera install so that I can copy-and-paste this "Alan_B_Perfect ©" cookies4.dat file to its required location in my custom Opera install after each running of CCleaner to replace the just deleted cookies4.dat file. I'll have to re-read your last post and peruse the links, but I'm sure the ideas are good and thanks again .

 

EDIT: After reading the links that Alan_B so kindly provided, and several failed attempts at creating a hard link via the command prompt, I bumped into this:

 

SymbolicLinkCreatorPortable1.1.0.5

 

and was able to very quickly create a hard link (pretty cool, that) to my default Opera install's cookies4.dat file in its respective location in my custom Opera install. And it works perfectly: with "Cookies" ticked in CCleaner for my default Opera install and unticked for my custom Opera install (because I had to settle for deleting the cookies4.dat file in the custom winapp2.ini), saved cookies are saved and unwanted cookies are deleted for both Opera installations. Now to keep trying to find possible options for "ID=xxxx" and "LangRef=xxxx"...

[Alan_B]

You did good.

 

There is no more I can show you.

[Nergal]

So I'm confused (and been only gone for a few and this has alreadfy quite progressed, have all questions been answered or are in the process of being answered?

 

A Patch plain text file that shows the Differences between the two files in a form such as

 

 /* Normal, standard links. */
a:link, a:visited
@@ -21,10 +100,10 Change Background Color and Body Padding@@
/* Set a fontsize that will look the same in all browsers. */
body
{
-	background: #e5e5e8;
+	background-color: #dcdcdc;
	font: 95%/90% Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif;
	margin: 0;
-	padding: 12px 0 4px 0;
+	padding: 0 0 20px;
}

with the + lines being the line in the New that weren't in the old and the - lines being lines in the old that have been removed from the new. One can then apply a patch to the the old file and it will make it match the new. (this is unnessecary inforamation to the intial questions but it is fun to describe and you had wondered what I meant by patch)

[LouieChuckyMerry]

Alan_B: thank you again very much for sharing from you bag of tricks .

 

Nergal: I hope you had a good break , and thanks for explaining a patch; I'll delve deeper with Google now that I've an idea. And my only remaining question is what are the available options for "ID=xxxx" and "LangRef=xxxx" in a winapp2.ini file?