I'm trying to set my default browser as Opera. I tried Set Default Program and had Opera have all defaults, but links in e-mails and other applications still opened in IE. I tried Set Program Access and Computer Defaults, and under custom I selected Opera as my default browser. However when the Applying Changes window pops up, it freezes and opens Opera. The only way for me to get out of that screen is to close Opera, which closes the applying changes window and cancels change. I do not get this problem when I try to set the default as IE or Firefox. It only freezes when I try to set Opera as the default. I tried uninstalling/reinstalling Opera but it didn't do anything to help.

Some applications such as MSN Messenger and Outlook Express are designed to only open web pages in Internet Explorer never mind what you set in "Set Program Access and Computer Defaults".
If you want Opera as a default browser, the best way to do it is through the Opera options.

Aww, that sucks. Well, somehow I managed to get my e-mails to open in Opera, but when I restarted it reverted back to using IE. Oh well, I guess there's nothing I can do about it.