Encountering a glitch in Opera GX is rarely a crisis, but knowing how to restart the browser efficiently can save you minutes of frustration. This guide walks you through the standard methods, keyboard shortcuts, and advanced troubleshooting steps to ensure the application reloads cleanly.
Standard Restart Procedure
For most users, the simplest way to restart Opera GX involves using the interface directly. This method is reliable when the application is responsive and not frozen.
Follow these steps to perform a standard restart:
Click the three-dot menu icon located in the top-right corner of the window.
Hover your cursor over the "Exit" option in the dropdown menu.
Select "Restart" from the submenu that appears.
If the "Restart" option is not visible, selecting "Exit" and then reopening the application from your desktop or taskbar achieves the same result.
Keyboard Shortcuts for Speed
Power users prefer keyboard efficiency. Opera GX supports a direct shortcut that initiates the restart process without navigating through menus.
To use the keyboard command:
Press Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) + Shift + Del simultaneously.
The "Clear browsing data" popup will appear. Click the "Restart" button at the bottom right of this window.
This method is particularly useful when you need to quickly refresh the browser state without interrupting your workflow.
Restarting via Task Manager
When the Interface is Unresponsive
If Opera GX becomes unresponsive and the standard restart fails, you can force-close the process and launch it anew. This is the most direct way to kill the application.
The process differs slightly depending on your operating system:
Windows
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
Locate "Opera GX" or "opera.exe" in the list.
Select it and click "End task".
Reopen the browser normally.
macOS
Press Cmd + Space to open Spotlight, type "Activity Monitor", and hit Enter.
Find "Opera GX" in the process list.
Select it and click the "X" button in the top left corner.
Click "Force Quit" and then relaunch the app.
Clearing Cache During Restart
Sometimes a simple restart isn't enough; residual cache data might be causing the instability. Combining a restart with cache clearance can resolve underlying issues.
To clear cache while restarting:
Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Del to open the Clear browsing data panel.
Adjust the time range to "All time" if necessary.
Check the boxes for "Cached images and files" and "Cookies".
Click the "Restart" button. Opera GX will close, purge the temporary data, and start fresh.
This ensures that corrupted local data does not persist through the reload.
