7 Ways to Fix Opera When It's Not Closing [Multiple Instances]

Corrupted browser files and glitches may cause such issues

Browsers » Opera

6 min. read

Updated on October 4, 2023

by Madhuparna Roy

updated on October 4, 2023

Readers help support Windows Report. We may get a commission if you buy through our links.

Key notes

Sometimes, the Opera browser may malfunction with multiple instances open and may simply refuse to close.
It may keep running as a background process, and may not close even if you try to kill it from the Task Manager.
If the Opera is not closing, it could be either due to an extension, an issue with the graphics card, and not only.

Having problems with your current version of Opera One? Make sure your browser is up-to-date.Although many possible reasons lead to issues with your Opera One Browser, one of the fastest solutions is reinstalling your browser first (make sure you download the version from only verified sources).Here's what Opera One can do:

Optimize resource usage: Opera One uses your Ram more efficiently than other browsers
Enhanced privacy: integrated and unlimited VPN
No ads or tracking with its built-in features
Gaming pleasant: Opera GX is the first browser created specifically for gamers
⇒ Get Opera One

When trying to exit the Opera browser, you may realize that it’s not closing and multiple instances may keep running in the background.

This can be annoying because it would not just keep hogging the system resources, it may sometimes even prevent the system to shut down.

But, if you are facing the same issue with Microsoft Edge and it won’t close, you can refer to our detailed guide for directions.

In the meanwhile, there could be different reasons why the Opera browser stopped working and became a cause of concern.

Why is my Opera browser not closing?

Sometimes, even after closing the Opera browser on the desktop, multiple instances of it may keep running in the background, and it does not shut down completely.

This is a recurring issue reported by many users quite often and may arise due to different reasons:

Problem with the cookies
Corrupted browser files
Interference by extensions
Hardware acceleration turned on
Glitch with the Opera profile
Antivirus software interfering with the process

While rebooting the PC sometimes may help fix the issue, you can also update Opera to the latest version to eliminate any possibility of the problem due to an outdated browser.

Quick Tip:

We’ll troubleshoot the issues you encountered with Opera together, but you can also do a fast browser refresh from the main page of the browser.

When you click the Check for updates button, Opera will search for available updates. If updates are available, Opera will automatically download and install them.

Opera

Refresh the browser through its latest updates available, and proceed with the troubleshooting.

Free Visit website

How do I close all windows in Opera?

You can easily close all windows in Opera as shown below:

Go to your taskbar and right-click on the Opera icon.
Select Close all windows.
This will close all the open Opera windows at once.

But, if the Opera browser is not working and shows multiple instances open in the Task Manager, the below troubleshooting methods can help you fix the issue.

How do I close the Opera browser?

1. Kill the task in Task Manager

Right-click on the Start button and select Task Manager.
Under the Processes tab, look for Opera.
Now, right-click on it and select End task.

This will close all instances of the Opera browser. But, if it doesn’t, you should test the standalone version as below to rule out any issue with the default Opera profile.

2. Test Opera in a standalone installation

Visit the official download page and click on Download Opera.
Next, run the setup wizard and click on Options.
Go to Install path and set it to: C:\Users\%UserProfile%\Desktop\Opera Test
Now, set the Install for field to Stand-alone installation (USB).
Uncheck Import bookmarks and data from the default browser.
Now, press Accept and Install.

You can now test that Opera browser (without any Opera Sync and without any extension) if all its instances are closing.

If Opera is working fine there, then there’s maybe something wrong with your default Opera profile.

NOTE

Once the test is over, delete the Opera Test folder.

3. Delete history files in Opera’s profile directory

Launch Opera and navigate to the below path: opera://about
Scroll down to Paths and copy the Profile path.
Now, press the Win + E keys simultaneously to open File Explorer, paste the copied path in the File Explorer address bar and hit Enter.
Look for the History files here and delete them all.

While you will lose your browsing history in Opera, it may fix the issue when it’s not closing by removing any corrupted files.

4. Clear browsing history and cookies

Launch Opera, and click on Settings on the sidebar.
On the left side of the Opera settings pane, click on Privacy & security.
Now, on the right side, click on Clear browsing data.
In the Clear browsing data window, under Basic, set the Time range to All time.
Now, select Browsing history, Cookies, and other site data and Cached images and files.
Press the Clear data button.

Once the data is cleared, restart Opera and now check if it’s closing normally.

5. Reinstall the Opera browser

Press the Win + I keys together to launch Windows Settings.
On the left of the Settings pane, click on Apps.
Next, click on Apps & features on the right.
Go to App list and search for Opera.
Next, click on the three dots next to Opera and select Uninstall.

Once the uninstallation is complete, visit Opera’s official download page to install the latest version of the browser and the problem should be resolved.

This method is also applicable if you encounter a situation when your Opera GX browser is not responding.

6. Remove browser extensions

Open Opera, click on the cube icon on the top right of the toolbar and select Manage extensions.
Next, go to the problem extension, and disable it.
If it’s not the one causing the problem, try disabling the other extensions one by one to identify the culprit.

Once you have found the problem extension and disabled it, check if the Opera browser not closing issue is fixed now.

7. Disable hardware acceleration

Open the Opera browser and navigate to the below path: Opera://settings/system
On the System settings page, on the right, turn off Use hardware acceleration when available.
Next, click on Relaunch to restart the browser.

Now close the browser and check if the multiple instances of the Opera browser are closed.

What is the shortcut to closing a tab in Opera?

If you have too many tabs open at the same time, you can close the current tab by pressing the Ctrl + W shortcut keys together.

But, if you have only one tab open, then the shortcut will close the entire window.

If later you want to check the content from the closed tabs, you can find them in your browser’s history.

Sometimes, Opera may refuse to close due to interference by antivirus software, therefore, turn off the built-in or any 3rd party antivirus and check if this helps fix the issue.

So, if you are facing an issue where the Opera browser is not working on Windows 7/10/11, and you find multiple instances open, the above solutions can be of great help.

But, if the Opera browser is not responding or working at all, you can refer to the quick solutions in our complete guide.

For any other issues with the Opera browser, do leave a message in the comments box below.

More about the topics: Opera Web Browser

Madhuparna Roy

A diploma holder in computers and with a keen interest in technology, Madhuparna is passionate about writing How-to guides and helping people solve the most intricate Windows issues. It all started with the evolution of mobile phones and Google, and that has now settled with Windows.