Firefox opens new windows

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How do I open new windows instead of tabs

• 11 replies
• 7 have this problem
• 15267 views
• Last reply by cor-el

The system open all new pages in Tabs..I was wondering how to change the settings so when I click on a new link it opens in a new window

Chosen solution

You can tear off tab to a new window by slightly dragging the tab in the Firefox window to move the tab to a new window. You can also drag a tab from the Tab bar of one window to the tab bar of another window.

• You can hold down the Shift key and left-click a link to open the link in a new window.
• You can hold down the Ctrl key and right-click a link or middle-click the link to open the link in a new tab.

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Keyboard+shortcuts
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Mouse+shortcuts

Read this answer in context 👍 0

All Replies (11)

In Options under tabs section «uncheck» 1st option — Open new windows in a new tab instead.

• You can also hold down the Shift key and left-click a link to open the link in a new window.
• A middle-click or holding down Shift Ctrl and left-click will open the link in a new tab.

Modified May 4, 2014 at 6:17:25 PM PDT by cor-el

With Firefox 24.2.0ESR , this no longer works! Middle click now opens in a new tab.

Shift+left click does open a new window. Middle click *used* to also open in a new window, but no longer does. *I* consider this a *bug*!

Same problem here: FireFox has lost some useful functionality!

I generally want new urls opened in a new tab; but sometimes I want them in a new window. Or sometimes I want to move the currently viewed webpage to a new window; so I can shrink it as an overlay onto another window/tab. This is handy when comparing complex images.

Sadly, the only «new window» option gives me my 12-tab homepage: which then requires closing eleven tabs and finding the requisite link or url to copy+paste into the remaining tab.

Grrr: please gimme back my simple buttons: «move (page) to new window» and «open a new (blank) window»

Chosen Solution

You can tear off tab to a new window by slightly dragging the tab in the Firefox window to move the tab to a new window. You can also drag a tab from the Tab bar of one window to the tab bar of another window.

• You can hold down the Shift key and left-click a link to open the link in a new window.
• You can hold down the Ctrl key and right-click a link or middle-click the link to open the link in a new tab.

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Keyboard+shortcuts
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Mouse+shortcuts

I used to be able to drag a tab from one (reduced-size) window to another window behind it. But now that I’ve changed to this latest FireFox, I can’t easily open a second window!

Holding the shift key and left-clicking a link opens another TAB: because of my «settings». Incidentally, when I tried this procedure on your link to. https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Keyboard+shortcuts . I got a new tab which would not close! Eventually I found that this tab was, or had unwittingly become, «protected»; and I am now left wondering how that «protection» could ever be helpful, as there are several easy ways to retrieve accidentally closed tabs!

If I changed my settings to «open links in a new window», I’d get a new window with all my homepage tabs (and probably the link’s related url tacked on the end. ). And after closing all the unwanted duplicated tabs from that newly-opened window; I’d then have to remember to go back into «settings»: to «open links in a new tab» again! How is that supposed to be convenient or user-friendly?

Thinking outside the Fox, I’ve found a temporary fix. Although I consider this far from satisfactory; I’ve been shown how to open a new «private» window: shift+ctrl+p for geeks.

So, why can’t a new standard window be similar one-click option?

Firefox opens new windows

Hi cathc, it’s not you, it’s Firefox. There is a bug in Firefox 67 related to clearing data at shutdown. If you use BOTH of the following features, some of the cleaning may carry over to the beginning of your next session, and that seems to preempt showing a custom home page. A fix should be in Firefox 68, and maybe in an interim update to Firefox 67.

Here is the problem combination:

(1) «Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed»

set in Options > Privacy & Security > Cookies section

about:config => network.cookie.lifetimePolicy => 2 (modified)

(2) «Clear history when Firefox closes»

set in Options > Privacy & Security > History section, with «Firefox will: Use custom settings for history» selected to show detailed options

about config => privacy.sanitize.sanitizeOnShutdown => true (modified)

If you set either of those red-boxed preference back to its default value (unchecked), the problem should not occur. If you do not want to change settings, you’ll have to click the Home button at startup.

Hi cathc, it’s not you, it’s Firefox. There is a bug in Firefox 67 related to clearing data at shutdown. If you use BOTH of the following features, some of the cleaning may carry over to the beginning of your next session, and that seems to preempt showing a custom home page. A fix should be in Firefox 68, and maybe in an interim update to Firefox 67. Here is the problem combination: (1) «Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed» * set in Options > Privacy & Security > Cookies section

* »’about:config»’ => network.cookie.lifetimePolicy => 2 (modified) (2) «Clear history when Firefox closes» * set in Options > Privacy & Security > History section, with «Firefox will: Use custom settings for history» selected to show detailed options

* »’about config»’ => privacy.sanitize.sanitizeOnShutdown => true (modified) If you set »either» of those red-boxed preference back to its default value (unchecked), the problem should not occur. If you do not want to change settings, you’ll have to click the Home button at startup.

Firefox opens new windows

In the newest version of FireFox, when I click on links that would have opened a tab are now opening a new window. This started happening after installing the latest version and performing a refresh. I have «Open new windows in a new tab instead» selected. I have tried turning it on and off several times and it doesn’t seem to have any affect on this issue. How do I get new tab to be in my current window and not opening up new windows.

UPDATE: It isn’t «links» that are an issue, it is menu items and action buttons on web sites that use to open in a new tab that are now opening in a new window.

Modified December 7, 2017 at 8:27:34 AM PST by AT

Chosen solution

Hi AT, the «Open new windows in a new tab instead» should control buttons in websites as well as links. However, if the site specifies features of the new window such as its side or selection of toolbars, then Firefox will allow it to be a window, on the theory that it may be a dialog or something that only makes sense when viewed in front of the page. You can override that to see whether it helps. Here’s how:

(1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter/Return. Click the button promising to be careful or accepting the risk.

(2) In the search box above the list, type or paste neww and pause while the list is filtered

(3) Adjust the preferences as follows:

(A) browser.link.open_newwindow — for links in Firefox tabs

• 3 = divert new window to a new tab (default) Reset to restore the default
• 2 = allow link to open a new window
• 1 = force new window into same tab

(B) browser.link.open_newwindow.restriction — for links in Firefox tabs

• 0 = apply the setting under (A) to ALL new windows (even script windows) Reset to restore the default
• 3 = open external links in a new tab in the last active window 👍 6

All Replies (6)

I am using version: 57.0.1 (64-bit)

Right click >> Open link in new tab.

That doesn’t work with buttons and menus. Normally I would use Ctrl click on links to do that.

I should have been better at describing the issue. It isn’t specifically a «Link» that is the issue. They are menu options and action buttons on web sites that use to open in a new tab in the same FF window that now open in a new window.

Modified December 7, 2017 at 7:31:11 AM PST by AT

Chosen Solution

Hi AT, the «Open new windows in a new tab instead» should control buttons in websites as well as links. However, if the site specifies features of the new window such as its side or selection of toolbars, then Firefox will allow it to be a window, on the theory that it may be a dialog or something that only makes sense when viewed in front of the page. You can override that to see whether it helps. Here’s how:

(1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter/Return. Click the button promising to be careful or accepting the risk.

(2) In the search box above the list, type or paste neww and pause while the list is filtered

(3) Adjust the preferences as follows:

(A) browser.link.open_newwindow — for links in Firefox tabs

• 3 = divert new window to a new tab (default) Reset to restore the default
• 2 = allow link to open a new window
• 1 = force new window into same tab

(B) browser.link.open_newwindow.restriction — for links in Firefox tabs

• 0 = apply the setting under (A) to ALL new windows (even script windows) Reset to restore the default
• 3 = open external links in a new tab in the last active window Reset to restore the default * 2 = allow link to open a new window * 1 = force new window into same tab (B) »’browser.link.open_newwindow.restriction»’ — for links in Firefox tabs * »’0 = apply the setting under (A) to ALL new windows»’ (even script windows) Reset to restore the default * »’3 = open external links in a new tab in the last active window»’

Thank you jscher2000, that seems to have done it. I tried this on a couple sites where I had noticed the change and it is now working as before.

Firefox opens new windows

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Firefox just started opening links in new windows instead of a new tab also safe mode does nothing, how can I fix this?

• 4 replies
• 2 have this problem
• 111 views
• Last reply by cor-el

When I click on a link, firefox opens it in a new window. It used to open it in a new tab instead which is what I prefer. I never had this problem until last night so I have no clue what could have started it. I tried the suggestion of setting firefox in safe mode and still same problem. I have firefox 15.0.1 on windows 7.

Chosen solution

Which security software (firewall, anti-virus) do you have?

Try to boot the computer in Windows Safe mode with network support (press F8 on the boot screen) as a test to see if that works.

Create a new profile as a test to check if your current profile is causing the problems.

See «Creating a profile»:

There may be extensions and plugins installed by default in a new profile, so check that in «Tools > Add-ons > Extensions & Plugins» in case there are still problems.

If the new profile works then you can transfer some files from the old profile to that new profile, but be careful not to copy corrupted files.

You can also try to reset Firefox:

All Replies (4)

Chosen Solution

Which security software (firewall, anti-virus) do you have?

Try to boot the computer in Windows Safe mode with network support (press F8 on the boot screen) as a test to see if that works.

Create a new profile as a test to check if your current profile is causing the problems.

See «Creating a profile»:

There may be extensions and plugins installed by default in a new profile, so check that in «Tools > Add-ons > Extensions & Plugins» in case there are still problems.

If the new profile works then you can transfer some files from the old profile to that new profile, but be careful not to copy corrupted files.