Windows 10: Creating shortcuts for Edge and Opera

I'm trying to create some shortcuts to my browsers on my new Windows 10 64bit PC, but I'm stuck on a couple issues:

- How can I create a private browsing shortcut for Opera? It's easy to do this for Firefox and Chrome - but I can't figure out how to do it for Opera.

- Is there still no way to create a desktop shortcut for the Microsoft Edge browser? I can't find any info on how to do this. And does Edge have a private browsing mode?

- Also, I'm trying to see if there's some add-on or some way I'm unaware of to shorten the url bar at the top of Opera and Firefox. In Chrome, I can just grab the right edge and move it over to the left to make more room for the extension icons. I have quite a few and in Opera and Firefox the url bar takes up a ton of the horizontal space, giving me little room for the addon icons.

:)

 

Create Shortcut With URL and Edge Icon

I found out that I can create a shortcut that will open Edge to a specific page when Edge is not the default browser (Create
an Edge Icon with a URL). However, after I created a shortcut with "microsoft-edge://www.microsoft.com/" as "the location of the item," the shortcut displayed the plain, white document icon.

How do I get the shortcut to have the Edge icon?

Sincerely,

Dan Jameson

 

CReate Shortcuts in Edge

I agree with BajaPaul -- this is asinine (and worse!)

 

Hi:

I do not use Edge, but perhaps try the suggestions here to create a shortcut:

Microsoft Edge Shortcut - Create in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

MM

 

Thanks for the link - I'll give that a try in a bit. If anybody can offer some suggestions for the other questions about Opera and Firefox I'd greatly appreciate it.

 

One used to be able to customize the width of the URL Bar/Address Bar/Awesome Bar in older versions of Firefox.
I'm not sure it's still possible within Firefox default features.

EDIT: OOPS! Yes, it's still possible. One can change the relative size of the URL bar, but not the total size of the URL bar + Search bar -- the trick is to do it from Mozilla Normal Mode, not Customize mode:

resize address bar | Firefox Support Forum | Mozilla Support

But, the CTR extension does provide the ability to specify the minimum and maximum width and the "location bar/search bar" tab.
Classic Theme Restorer :: Add-ons for Firefox

>>NOTE: I use the CTR extension, but have not tried that particular feature.
>>You might want to backup your profile or use the profile manager to create a test profile before you experiment.
>>Let us know if you need help with either of those.

MM

 

When you say "width" of the bar, do you mean height (top to bottom)? Or length? Because I"m trying to shorten the length so I have more room along the top for my add-ons.

I've already removed the search bar, so the entire length is the url bar now. But it's very long and doesn't leave much room for add-ons. Most "spill" off the browser where I can't click them. Same thing in Opera.

 

Yes it does. Click the three dots at the top right of the Edge browser window and 'In Private' is near the top of the list of options.

 

I'm guessing there's no way to start Edge or Opera in private mode direct from a shortcut? With Chrome and Firefox you just add an extra command in the shortcut (like --incognito for Chrome), and then when you click the shortcut it opens the browser in private mode.

 

Width is width -- horizontal space from left to right.
Height is height -- the amount of vertical space from top to bottom.

As explained in the post quoted in my previous reply here, the combined total horizontal width taken up by the URL bar + search bar is FIXED by Firefox.
You can adjust the *relative* size of one or the other.
But, if, as you describe, you completely removed the search bar, then the URL bar will -- by necessity -- now take up ALL of the allotted space.
In other words, if you make one of them smaller (narrower), then the other one will be bigger (wider).
If you remove one, then the other one will get bigger (wider) to fill all of the allotted space.

Did you look at the CTR extension I mentioned?
As the attached screen shot shows, you can manually customize the width of the 2 bars.
I do not know if doing so will change the TOTAL space allocated to them by Firefox.
You'll need to experiment a bit to find out.
>>You might want to backup your profile or use the profile manager to create a test profile before you experiment.
>>Let us know if you need help with either of those.

There may be other ways, e.g. using Stylish and userchrome, to do what you want. But at some point, you will probably risk irrevocably breaking Firefox.

Cheers,
MM

 

So does the same limitation apply to Opera? I'm guessing so since I don't see an obvious way of dragging the bar. I don't love the idea of risking breaking Firefox. I was just hoping there was an easy method that didn't require anything risky.

 

Hi:

The advice I provided applies to Firefox.

Alas, I have no experience with Opera.
Please wait for someone else familiar with Opera to assist you with that other browser.

But do please let us know if adjusting those settings in Classic Theme Restorer for Firefox achieves the effect you want with the Location bar.

Thanks,
MM

 

Okay, for Opera I discovered this:

If I create a desktop shortcut and add --private to the end of the target field, it will start Opera in private mode. However, it will not load most of my extensions (most of which are Chrome extensions running through Opera's new addon that allows Opera to run Chrome extensions).

If I start Opera normally, and then click that shortcut, it opens up a 2nd new Opera window, this one private, and with all extensions enabled, since they were all enabled in the first window. The same happens if I select ctrl+shift+n - it pops open a second Opera window in private. For whatever goofy reason, I can't just start Opera in private mode right away because it won't load extensions. I have to have Opera running normally first, then open a new private window. The I can close the other window. Goofy. Is there really no way around this?

 

I haven't tried the theme restorer with Firefox yet. I'm a bit nervous to because that one seems to be able to make tons of changes to the look of Firefox and I'm afraid I might break something. I've got Firefox set up almost perfectly except for a handful of these silly issues. I was hoping Firefox made it easy to do a simple thing like resize the location bar without making a big deal out of it.

I also noticed that since I installed Firefox on Windows 10, it looks ugly compared to Windows 7. Instead of the nice angled folder-shaped tabs, now every tab is flat and square against each other, instead of folder-shaped. It seems the theme restorer addon might let me fix that too, but that addon makes me nervous.

 

It sure sounds as if you have already done quite a lot of tweaking and customizing.*Wink

CTR is perfectly safe -- one can always undo the options, if they do not suit your needs.
The option I previously mentioned would likely accomplish what you want.
However, each computer and each Firefox installation is unique (settings, preferences, installed extensions and add-ons).
So, you would need to try it on your own system to see if it works.

And, as I previously suggested, one can always (and probably should):

• backup one's profile (Profile Backup and another Profile Backup) before experimentation; and/or
• create a test profile (Create a New Profile and use Profile Manager) for experimentation and/or
• use Firefox Portable for experimentation.

That way, one does not burn bridges.

CTR has fixes for that, too.
And there are also THEMES that may provide the appearance you want.

Cheers,
MM