FAQ
FAQ
Cache preferences
What options are there for the cache?
You have independent control over caching documents, images and other files and you can choose the size of both the Disk cache and RAM cache (though on many EPOC devices the cache stored on the C disk is actually in RAM anyway). For the RAM cache you can even choose a separate cache size for images and documents. There's also an option to enable turbo mode for the current browsing session.
Can I view the contents of the cache?
Yes, you can view the contents of both the RAM cache and Disk cache by typing Opera:cache into the Progress bar (or click the link). Opera will present you with a table showing all files presently held as cache data and will tell you whether they're held on disk or in RAM, their file size, the URL from where the file was originally retrieved and the cache name of the file that Opera gave it when it saved the file to Disk cache. This is usually something like opr0001Z.htm.
Can I move the cache to another drive?
Yes, but to do this you will need a text editor. You can use the Program application or Word however it's easier to use a dedicated plain text editor such as Symbian Editor.
To move the Disk-cache it is important you close Opera first. Now find Opera's INI file located at:
If you're using Program or Word to edit it then use Ctrl+X and move the file to your Documents folder where it can be edited. If you're using Symbian Editor you can easily edit the file in it's current location.
In the Documents folder create a new Program or Word file and use the Import Plain Text function to import Opera.ini. If you're using Editor you just need to click on Opera.ini from it's original location to open it.
Scroll down the file until you find the [USER PREFS] section and insert the following new line below it:
CACHE DISK=DYou can replace D
with an available drive of your choice if you're using a device with an E drive or are using software that creates virtual drives.
If using Editor, now simply exit the file and delete the following folder and it's contents:
Restart Opera and your Disk-cache should now be created on the new drive. If using Program or Word to edit the INI file you must now export the file as plain text. Use the filename Opera.ini
and choose Yes to overwrite the original. Now use Ctrl+X again and return the file to:
You can delete the Program/Word file you created to edit the INI contents. Also delete the Cache folder on the C drive, as described above, and restart Opera. Your Disk-cache will now be created on the new drive
Note that in most cases the other drive will be a Compact Flash card which will impair Opera's performance since it takes longer to write to and read from Flash memory than it does RAM. CF cards also draw far more current than RAM so since the Disk-cache is constantly being used (as you browse web pages) it will have a noticeable effect on battery life. You may find that Opera reports errors or crashes as it can no longer access the CF card long before the machine actually turns itself off. On very rare occasions writing to a CF card with low battery levels can even corrupt the disk.
What's the difference between Disk cache and RAM cache?
This is an idea inherited from the PC version where your computer will have RAM and a physical hard disk (which is a lot slower), so a RAM cache doesn't normally offer the same performance boost on today's EPOC devices which use RAM for both the internal "disk" and to execute programs.
RAM cache data is held in the area of memory Opera is currently using to run in, whereas data in the Disk cache will be saved as individual files in a folder at:
Opera will refer to this directory to reload, erase or store new files, and if set to save the cache on exit then any data held in the RAM cache will also be saved here as Opera closes.
Since both the memory used to run in, and the Internal disk of an EPOC device use the same RAM pool there will be negligable difference with only a tiny delay for Disk cache information as the system reads/writes to the cache folder however if you move the Disk cache to the D drive then things start to change:
CF cards are noticeably slower to read from and (especially) to write to, so if you have moved the Disk cache to D then the RAM cache will now offer a noticeable performance boost. Ensure you have allocated adequate memory to the RAM cache from the cache settings.
What is the Turbo mode option for?
Turbo mode allows cached images to display faster and scroll more smoothly. When an image is held in the RAM cache or in the normal Disk cache it's just the original GIF/JPG that is stored meaning each time Opera re-displays it, it has to decode the file all over again. Turbo mode makes Opera keep decoded images in the RAM cache which it can then re-display instantly without the delay of decoding. The trade off is that this consumes much more RAM so less data fits in the cache, unless you increase the RAM cache limit to compensate.
If required, this mode must be enabled during each browsing session as enabling it is not saved as a preference when you exit Opera 3.62.
