Firefox not opening windows in new tabs
The updated version 82.0 automatically installed on 10/21/20. Now, when I'm browsing and click on a link, the window does NOT open in a new tab. I've checked setting/options and "open windows in new tab" is checked. Did not have this issue prior to the update. Help.
All Replies (1)
Hi, just to be clear, there are two types of links in pages:
- Links coded to open in a new, separate window. By default, Firefox diverts these to a new tab in the same window.
- Links that are not coded to open anywhere but the current tab. Firefox opens these in the same tab and does not have a setting to open them in a new tab.
Assuming we are taking about the first case:
Are the new windows you get "dialog-style" popup windows with reduced features? For example, no tab bar, missing most toolbar buttons? Those are an exception to the standard setting but you can force them into a new tab using an obscure setting.
(1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter/Return. Click the button accepting the risk.
(2) In the search box in the page, type or paste neww and pause while the list is filtered
(3) Review/Edit the preference values as follows (double-click the current value to open an editing field, and then when you're done, press Enter or click the blue checkmark to save the change):
(A) browser.link.open_newwindow - for links in Firefox tabs
This is the one that has a checkbox on the Preferences page and determines whether targeted links are allowed to open in a new window or are diverted to a new tab instead; there's no effect on untargeted links:
- 3 = divert new window to a new tab (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
By default, if a page sets width, height, or toolbars for a popup, Firefox will open it in a "dialog-style" window. To force those into a tab as well, you can change this preference to 0:
- 0 = apply the setting under (A) to ALL new windows (even script windows with limited features)
- 2 = apply the setting under (A) to normal windows, but NOT to script windows with features (default)
- 1 = override the setting under (A) and always use new windows
(C) browser.link.open_newwindow.override.external - for links in other programs
This preference governs those external links that open in Firefox (not directly relevant to your question):
- -1 = apply the setting under (A) to external links (default)
- 3 = open external links in a new tab in the last active window
- 2 = open external links in a new window
- 1 = open external links in the last active tab replacing the current page
To return to normal if things go haywire, there's an arrow-like reset button at the right end of each of those rows if it has a non-default value.