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Cool tips for Opera browser

Posts tagged with "Privacy"

Opera favicons & privacy

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Opera 9.50 introduced new format for saving favicons to fix wrong favicons bug in previous versions. Opera now additionally creates idx file along with ico file to store favicon information. The problem with new format is Opera stores history of visited pages (including searches) in idx file and size will grow over time.

You can delete ico and idx files by enabling "History of visited pages" option in "Delete private data" dialog but it will delete all including favicons for bookmarks & personal bar items. (You can disable favicons completely. Tools → Preferences... → Browsing → Page icons → Show no icons)

To delete all ico & idx files except bookmarks ico & idx files (when you use "Delete private data" with "History of visited pages" option), set read-only attribute to bookmark ico & idx files in images directory inside Opera Local Directory. This will also prevent storing of history in bookmarks idx file.

Opera ad block filters

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Get a faster browser, download Opera

Try Opera or Opera Mini to see the difference.

If you are new to content blocking in Opera, see tutorial.

Easy way to block ads is to disabling the IFrames & JavaScript globally and enabling them for required sites in site preferences.

To block particular JavaScript or IFrame ad in a page, open info panel, note path under Scripts or Inline frames and add it to content blocker. Tools > Preferences... > Advanced > Content > Blocked Content... > Add...

To block flash use Flashblock for Opera 9.

From Opera 9.50, you can enable/disable content blocker globally using Block Ads button or per site basis using site preferences. F12 > Edit Site Preferences... > Content > Enable content blocking

  • Large urlfilter.ini file will increase startup time of Opera.
  • You will get blank page when you try to visit a site blocked by content blocker.

A frequently updated filters can be downloaded from

Optimized filter to block most of the ads
Add the following under [exclude] section of urlfilter.ini file (see this if you don't have one) after closing Opera.

*-ad.cgi*
*-ads/*
*.2o7.net*
*.ad-*
*.ad.*
*.adbrite.*
*.adrevolver.*
*.ads.*
*.adserver.*
*.adtomi.*
*.advertising.*
*.atdmt.*
*.banner*
*.blogads.*
*.buysellads.*
*.casalemedia.*
*.click*
*.directtrack.*
*.doubleclick.*
*.etology.*
*.fastclick.*
*.google.*/adfetch*
*.googleadservices.*
*.googlesyndication.*
*.kontera.*
*.linkbuddies.*
*.mochibot.*
*.overture.*
*.pheedo.*
*.qksrv.*
*.quantserve.*
*.roar.*
*.slickkicks.*
*.tradedoubler.*
*.tradepub.*
*.trafficzap.*
*.tribalfusion.*
*/accresults.*
*/ad.*
*/ad/*
*/ad_*
*/adbot.*
*/adc_*
*/adclient.*
*/adcouncil/*
*/adframe.*
*/adgifs/*
*/adgraph/*
*/adimages/*
*/adinfo*
*/adlog.*
*/adlog/*
*/adrotator.*
*/ads.*
*/ads/*
*/ads_*
*/advert*
*/adview.*
*/affiliates/*.js
*/banner/*
*/banners/*
*/hotfreebies.html*
*/housead/*
*/liveads/*
*/pagead/*
*/phpads/*
*/pop.cgi*
*/pop.htm
*/pops/*
*/poptest.*
*/popup/*
*/printads/*
*/redir.asp*
*/skyscraper/*
*/softad/*
*/sponsor/*
*/sponsors/*
*/tw/adt*
*120x240*
*120x600*
*120x90*
*160x600*
*234x60*
*336x280*
*468x60*
*728x90*
*_ad.js
*_ad_*
*_ads.js
*_ads_*
*_advert*
*_adx_*
*_banner_*
*_borders/*
*_superad*
*a.p.f.qz.*
*a.r.tv.*
*ad-flow*
*ad.trafficmp.*
*ad_type*
*adbot*
*adclick*
*adclix*
*adclub*
*adcycle*
*adflight*
*adframe*
*adimage*
*adknowledge*
*adlink*
*adlogix.*
*admaximize*
*admex*
*admonitor*
*adpulse*
*adrunner*
*adserv*
*adsoftware*
*adswap*
*adtomi.*
*aureate*
*avenuea*
*banner.*
*banners.*
*bluestreak.*
*burstmedia*
*burstnet*
*clickxchange*
*darkblue.*
*darkbluesea.*
*dbbsrv.*
*exitpopup*
*flycast*
*focalink*
*headerpopup*
*hitexchange*
*hitlist*
*hitsites*
*houseads_*
*i.us.rmi.yahoo.*
*imaginemedia*
*intellitxt*
*jsads*
*linkads*
*linkexchange*
*linkpopup*
*linkshare*
*linksynergy*
*media.fastclick*
*paypopup*
*popieen.*
*popme.*
*popunder*
*popupad*
*ps.interpolls.*
*radiate*
*secure.webconnect*
*smartsize_*
*spinbox.versiontracker.*
*spylog*
*subs.timeinc.*
*toolbar.google.*
*trafic.ro/*
*us.a1.yimg.*
*us.f.yahoofs.*
*valueclick*
*x.mycity.*
*z.about.*
*zdmcirc*


The following will block most of the counters. Don't add the following filters if you want to show Opera in browser statistics.

*.123count.*
*.123counted.*
*.3dstats.*
*.4count.*
*.a-counters.*
*.acestats.*
*.addfreestats.*
*.aflashcounter.*
*.amazingcounters.*
*.analytics.live.*
*.christianstats.*
*.clickcounters.*
*.clickwit.*
*.coolwebcounter.*
*.count-all.*
*.counted.*
*.counter-intelligence.*
*.counter.*
*.counter4all.*
*.counterbot.*
*.countercentral.*
*.counters.*
*.counting4free.*
*.countmypage.*
*.countville.*
*.cqcounter.*
*.dataplain.*
*.debuging.*
*.devstats.*
*.digits.*
*.downloadcounter.*
*.dstats.*
*.easycounter.*
*.evostats.*
*.extreme-dm.*
*.extremewebstats.*
*.fakecounter.*
*.fastcounter.*
*.fastonlineusers.*
*.fhcotn.*
*.fishclix.*
*.flowcounter.*
*.free-hit-counter.*
*.free-hit-counters.*
*.free-stats.*
*.free-web-counters-online.*
*.freehitcounter.*
*.freeinvisiblecounters.*
*.freestats.*
*.freestatscounter.*
*.freeweblogger.*
*.fxcounters.*
*.geo.yahoo.*
*.goldstats.*
*.google-analytics.*
*.gostats.*
*.guesttrace.*
*.histats.*
*.hit-counter.*
*.hit-o-meter.*
*.hit-tracker.*
*.hitbox.*
*.hitmatic.*
*.hits-counter.*
*.hitscreen.*
*.hitstats.*
*.hypercounter.*
*.ideal-tracker.*
*.jellycounter.*
*.linkcounter.*
*.logclicks.*
*.magicounter.*
*.masterstats.*
*.max-stats.*
*.megastats.*
*.metacount.*
*.my-stats.*
*.myfreecounter.*
*.nedstat.*
*.nedstatbasic.*
*.nextgenstats.*
*.okcounter.*
*.onestat.*
*.onlinecount.*
*.opentracker.*
*.our-counter.*
*.paycounter.*
*.pinkcount.*
*.pluslog.*
*.pmstats.*
*.procounter.*
*.prostats.*
*.pstats.*
*.q-counter.*
*.qcounter.*
*.realtracker.*
*.refcount.*
*.reliablestats.*
*.relmaxtop.*
*.rightstats.*
*.s-tracking.*
*.servustats.*
*.shinystat.*
*.shockcounter.*
*.site-stats.*
*.sitemeter.*
*.sitestats.*
*.sitetracker.*
*.sitetrafficanalyzer.*
*.sitetrafficstats.*
*.statcounter.*
*.stats4all.*
*.stats4me.*
*.stats4you.*
*.statsbank.*
*.statsession.*
*.statsforyoursite.*
*.statsrjnc.*
*.statswhere.*
*.stattrax.*
*.supercounters.*
*.superstats.*
*.td-soft.*
*.tdstats.*
*.the-counter.*
*.thecounter.*
*.trackyourstats.*
*.trafficexaminer.*
*.trafficfile.*
*.trafficserverstats.*
*.true-counter.*
*.trustats.*
*.tulipstats.*
*.ultimatecounter.*
*.ultrastatsnet.*
*.urgentclick.*
*.usertracer.*
*.vioclicks.*
*.virtualmall.*
*.vstats.*
*.w3counter.*
*.web-stat.*
*.webcounter.*
*.webhitcounter.*
*.webhits.*
*.websitestatistics.*
*.websitetracker.*
*.websitetrafficreport.*
*.webstat.*
*.webstats4u.*
*.webtistic.*
*.webtrends.*
*.whowasthere.*
*.wundercounter.*
*.wysistat.*
*.xcounters.*
*.xstats.*
*.xxxcounter.*
*.yahoostats.*
*.yourstats.*
*counter*.bravenet.*
*counter.hitslink.*


To block Snap Preview Anywhere bubble, add the following to content blocker.

*spa.snap.com*


To save images from Flickr, add the following to content blocker.

*.yimg.com/*/spaceball.gif


If you don't have urlfilter.ini file, create a text file with the following, place it inside profile and restart Opera.

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

[prefs]
prioritize excludelist=1

[include]
*

[exclude]
Remove this line and add ad block filters here.


Updates:
2007
Feb 1
Apr 7 (*i.imdb* removed as it blocks CSS. Thanks to M3CSL.), 22
Jun 12
Sep 3,12
Oct 2 (*popup_* & *.mochiads.* removed), 8 (*_popup.* & */tracker/* removed. Thanks to Lex1.)
Nov 16

2008
Feb 24
Apr 13 (*/ads.* blocks Lifehacker CSS), 23
May 20
Jun 15, 28 (*.google.*cleardot.gif & *doubleclick* removed. Thanks to mp3geek.)
Jul 2,3
Aug 8

2009
Jan 28
Mar 18, 30 (*view.atdmt* changed to *.atdmt.*. Thanks to Chas4.)
Aug 14

How to keep your search history private if you use Google search & Gmail?

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When you use google.com search and Gmail, your searches can be associated with your gmail account because when you use Gmail, cookies will be stored for google.com and mail.google.com. To keep your search history private, use local Google (example: google.co.in) as your search engine & block cookies for it.

See How To Keep Your Search History Private for more tips.
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