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How can I get a new window to open in Front of the current window?

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There seems to be a related setting for new Tabs, but not for new windows. I fail to see why many people would want to open a new window, but then not want to use it right away. It seems the default should be open the new one in front. Thanks

 Application Basics
       Name
       Firefox
       Version
       21.0
       User Agent
       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:21.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/21.0
       Build Configuration
         about:buildconfig
 Extensions
       Name
       Version
       Enabled
       ID
       Content Blocker
       13.0.1.4307
       false
       content_blocker@kaspersky.com
       Kaspersky URL Advisor
       13.0.1.4307
       false
       url_advisor@kaspersky.com
       TelevisionFanatic
       2.73.1.162
       false
       64ffxtbr@TelevisionFanatic.com
       Virtual Keyboard
       13.0.1.4307
       false
       virtual_keyboard@kaspersky.com
 Important Modified Preferences
     Name
     Value
       accessibility.blockautorefresh
       true
       browser.cache.disk.capacity
       1048576
       browser.cache.disk.smart_size.first_run
       false
       browser.cache.disk.smart_size_cached_value
       1048576
       browser.history_expire_days.mirror
       180
       browser.link.open_newwindow
       2
       browser.places.importBookmarksHTML
       false
       browser.places.smartBookmarksVersion
       4
       browser.startup.homepage_override.buildID
       20130511120803
       browser.startup.homepage_override.mstone
       21.0
       browser.tabs.loadInBackground
       false
       browser.tabs.onTop
       false
       browser.urlbar.default.behavior
       2
       browser.zoom.full
       false
       dom.disable_open_during_load
       false
       dom.disable_window_move_resize
       true
       dom.event.contextmenu.enabled
       false
       dom.w3c_touch_events.expose
       false
       extensions.lastAppVersion
       21.0
       network.cookie.lifetimePolicy
       2
       network.cookie.prefsMigrated
       true
       places.database.lastMaintenance
       1372133501
       places.history.expiration.transient_current_max_pages
       102101
       places.last_vacuum
       1306895657
       plugin.disable_full_page_plugin_for_types
       application/pdf
       print.print_printer
       Send To OneNote 2010
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_bgcolor
       false
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_bgimages
       false
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_command
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_downloadfonts
       false
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_edge_bottom
       0
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_edge_left
       0
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_edge_right
       0
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_edge_top
       0
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_evenpages
       true
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_footercenter
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_footerleft
       &PT
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_footerright
       &D
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_headercenter
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_headerleft
       &T
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_headerright
       &U
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_in_color
       true
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_margin_bottom
       0.5
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_margin_left
       0.5
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_margin_right
       0.5
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_margin_top
       0.5
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_oddpages
       true
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_orientation
       0
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_page_delay
       50
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_paper_data
       1
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_paper_height
       11.00
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_paper_size_type
       0
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_paper_size_unit
       0
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_paper_width
       8.50
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_reversed
       false
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_scaling
       1.00
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_shrink_to_fit
       true
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_to_file
       false
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_unwriteable_margin_bottom
       0
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_unwriteable_margin_left
       0
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_unwriteable_margin_right
       0
       print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_unwriteable_margin_top
       0
       privacy.clearOnShutdown.formdata
       false
       privacy.cpd.cookies
       false
       privacy.cpd.sessions
       false
       privacy.sanitize.migrateFx3Prefs
       true
       privacy.sanitize.sanitizeOnShutdown
       true
       privacy.sanitize.timeSpan
       0
       security.warn_viewing_mixed
       false
 Graphics
       Adapter Description
       Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator HD
       Adapter Drivers
       igdumd64 igd10umd64 igdumdx32 igd10umd32
       Adapter RAM
       Unknown
       ClearType Parameters
       Gamma: 2200 Pixel Structure: BGR
       Device ID
       0x0046
       Direct2D Enabled
       Blocked for your graphics driver version. Try updating your graphics driver to version 8.1500.1000.2202 or newer.
       DirectWrite Enabled
       false (6.2.9200.16492)
       Driver Date
       10-30-2009
       Driver Version
       8.15.10.1986
       GPU #2 Active
       false
       GPU Accelerated Windows
       4/4 Direct3D 9
       Vendor ID
       0x8086
       WebGL Renderer
       Google Inc. -- ANGLE (Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator HD)
       AzureCanvasBackend
       skia
       AzureContentBackend
       none
       AzureFallbackCanvasBackend
       cairo
 JavaScript
       Incremental GC
       true
 Accessibility
       Activated
       false
       Prevent Accessibility
       0
 Library Versions
       Expected minimum version
       Version in use
       NSPR
       4.9.6
       4.9.6
       NSS
       3.14.3.0 Basic ECC
       3.14.3.0 Basic ECC
       NSSSMIME
       3.14.3.0 Basic ECC
       3.14.3.0 Basic ECC
       NSSSSL
       3.14.3.0 Basic ECC
       3.14.3.0 Basic ECC
       NSSUTIL
       3.14.3.0
       3.14.3.0
There seems to be a related setting for new Tabs, but not for new windows. I fail to see why many people would want to open a new window, but then not want to use it right away. It seems the default should be open the new one in front. Thanks Application Basics Name Firefox Version 21.0 User Agent Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:21.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/21.0 Build Configuration about:buildconfig Extensions Name Version Enabled ID Content Blocker 13.0.1.4307 false content_blocker@kaspersky.com Kaspersky URL Advisor 13.0.1.4307 false url_advisor@kaspersky.com TelevisionFanatic 2.73.1.162 false 64ffxtbr@TelevisionFanatic.com Virtual Keyboard 13.0.1.4307 false virtual_keyboard@kaspersky.com Important Modified Preferences Name Value accessibility.blockautorefresh true browser.cache.disk.capacity 1048576 browser.cache.disk.smart_size.first_run false browser.cache.disk.smart_size_cached_value 1048576 browser.history_expire_days.mirror 180 browser.link.open_newwindow 2 browser.places.importBookmarksHTML false browser.places.smartBookmarksVersion 4 browser.startup.homepage_override.buildID 20130511120803 browser.startup.homepage_override.mstone 21.0 browser.tabs.loadInBackground false browser.tabs.onTop false browser.urlbar.default.behavior 2 browser.zoom.full false dom.disable_open_during_load false dom.disable_window_move_resize true dom.event.contextmenu.enabled false dom.w3c_touch_events.expose false extensions.lastAppVersion 21.0 network.cookie.lifetimePolicy 2 network.cookie.prefsMigrated true places.database.lastMaintenance 1372133501 places.history.expiration.transient_current_max_pages 102101 places.last_vacuum 1306895657 plugin.disable_full_page_plugin_for_types application/pdf print.print_printer Send To OneNote 2010 print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_bgcolor false print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_bgimages false print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_command print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_downloadfonts false print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_edge_bottom 0 print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_edge_left 0 print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_edge_right 0 print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_edge_top 0 print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_evenpages true print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_footercenter print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_footerleft &PT print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_footerright &D print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_headercenter print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_headerleft &T print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_headerright &U print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_in_color true print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_margin_bottom 0.5 print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_margin_left 0.5 print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_margin_right 0.5 print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_margin_top 0.5 print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_oddpages true print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_orientation 0 print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_page_delay 50 print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_paper_data 1 print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_paper_height 11.00 print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_paper_size_type 0 print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_paper_size_unit 0 print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_paper_width 8.50 print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_reversed false print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_scaling 1.00 print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_shrink_to_fit true print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_to_file false print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_unwriteable_margin_bottom 0 print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_unwriteable_margin_left 0 print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_unwriteable_margin_right 0 print.printer_Send_To_OneNote_2010.print_unwriteable_margin_top 0 privacy.clearOnShutdown.formdata false privacy.cpd.cookies false privacy.cpd.sessions false privacy.sanitize.migrateFx3Prefs true privacy.sanitize.sanitizeOnShutdown true privacy.sanitize.timeSpan 0 security.warn_viewing_mixed false Graphics Adapter Description Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator HD Adapter Drivers igdumd64 igd10umd64 igdumdx32 igd10umd32 Adapter RAM Unknown ClearType Parameters Gamma: 2200 Pixel Structure: BGR Device ID 0x0046 Direct2D Enabled Blocked for your graphics driver version. Try updating your graphics driver to version 8.1500.1000.2202 or newer. DirectWrite Enabled false (6.2.9200.16492) Driver Date 10-30-2009 Driver Version 8.15.10.1986 GPU #2 Active false GPU Accelerated Windows 4/4 Direct3D 9 Vendor ID 0x8086 WebGL Renderer Google Inc. -- ANGLE (Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator HD) AzureCanvasBackend skia AzureContentBackend none AzureFallbackCanvasBackend cairo JavaScript Incremental GC true Accessibility Activated false Prevent Accessibility 0 Library Versions Expected minimum version Version in use NSPR 4.9.6 4.9.6 NSS 3.14.3.0 Basic ECC 3.14.3.0 Basic ECC NSSSMIME 3.14.3.0 Basic ECC 3.14.3.0 Basic ECC NSSSSL 3.14.3.0 Basic ECC 3.14.3.0 Basic ECC NSSUTIL 3.14.3.0 3.14.3.0

All Replies (8)

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Firefox has always opened the new window in front of the existing window as long as there wasn't something still loading in the first window or there was a plugin grabbing the focus of the first window away from the new window. Doesn't make a difference if it is a new Private window or a regular window opened by {Ctrl + N}, by File > New Window, or by the Context Menu item for New Window.

I don't now what to suggest besides trying the Firefox SafeMode and see if that action is different in SafeMode.
http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Safe+Mode

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Does the new window start to open in front but then the previous window returns to the front? If so, there's a good chance this is related to a bug that kicks in when you do not have Flash running in any tab and you open a new window to a page that does use Flash. The details and known workarounds are in this thread: Opening New Windows and Shockwave Flash.

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Regarding the Options checkbox to "When I open a link in a new page, switch to it..." I already have that box checked, but still windows are opening behind my current window.

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Hi MichaelDMiller60, are you running Windows 7 and does the new window use Flash media? If so, please see my earlier reply in this thread.

If not, how are you opening the windows? For example, Ctrl+n to create a new window with your home page, or Shift+clicking a link to open the link in a new window, etc.

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Windows 7 Home Edition. I have just uninstalled Flash 11.x and reinstalled 10.3, per another respondent.

Many times the link I am opening is a video, but many times it's just a link to another web page somewhere.

For the link, It's hot and only requires a click. I don't use CTL+n nor Shift+Click.

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Hi MichaelDMiller60, if the problem does not occur with Flash 10.3, then most likely the issue is the Protected Mode feature found in Flash 11.3 and later.

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Thanks, I'll keep an eye on it, and the other eye on my camera.