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Firefox 5 is closing my tabs instead of saving them for my next session even though I am configured to reopen tabs from previous session

  • 5 replies
  • 48 have this problem
  • 3 views
  • Last reply by davesuff

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I just updated to Firefox 5. I have used Firefox for years and have always set my options to open Firefox with the tabs from my previous session. Today, when I go to close Firefox, it warns me that I am about to close multiple tabs (I re-checked my Startup selection in the General area under Options). I can't get it to stop this. I checked for an update, and none are available. HELP?!? This is really annoying.

Thanks!!

I just updated to Firefox 5. I have used Firefox for years and have always set my options to open Firefox with the tabs from my previous session. Today, when I go to close Firefox, it warns me that I am about to close multiple tabs (I re-checked my Startup selection in the General area under Options). I can't get it to stop this. I checked for an update, and none are available. HELP?!? This is really annoying. Thanks!!

All Replies (5)

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Make sure that you do not use Clear Recent History to clear the Browsing History when you close Firefox.


Firefox 4 and later versions save the previous session automatically, so there is no longer need for the dialog asking if you want to save the current session.
Use "File > Exit" or "Firefox > Exit" (Mac: "Firefox > Quit Firefox") if you want to restore multiple windows.
You can use "History > Restore Previous Session" to get the previous session at any time.
You may need to click the orange/gray Firefox button to see History.
There is also a "Restore Previous Session" button on the default about:home Home page.

more options

I do not have Clear Recent History set.

Restore Previous Session is gray.

I can get the previous session back if I go to History | Recently Closed Windows > and select the most recently closed window.

I think it is not supposed to work this way.

Here is my troubleshooting info:


 Application Basics
       Name
       Firefox
       Version
       5.0
       User Agent
       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:5.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/5.0
       Profile Directory
         Open Containing Folder
       Enabled Plugins
         about:plugins
       Build Configuration
         about:buildconfig
 Extensions
       Name
       Version
       Enabled
       ID
       AVG Safe Search
       10.0.0.1387
       true
       {1E73965B-8B48-48be-9C8D-68B920ABC1C4}
       Java Console
       6.0.21
       true
       {CAFEEFAC-0016-0000-0021-ABCDEFFEDCBA}
       Java Console
       6.0.23
       true
       {CAFEEFAC-0016-0000-0023-ABCDEFFEDCBA}
       Java Console
       6.0.24
       true
       {CAFEEFAC-0016-0000-0024-ABCDEFFEDCBA}
       Java Console
       6.0.26
       true
       {CAFEEFAC-0016-0000-0026-ABCDEFFEDCBA}
       Java Quick Starter
       1.0
       true
       jqs@sun.com
       Microsoft .NET Framework Assistant
       1.2.1
       false
       {20a82645-c095-46ed-80e3-08825760534b}
 Modified Preferences
     Name
     Value
       accessibility.typeaheadfind.flashBar
       0
       browser.history_expire_days.mirror
       20
       browser.places.smartBookmarksVersion
       2
       browser.startup.homepage
       about:blank
       browser.startup.homepage_override.buildID
       20110615151330
       browser.startup.homepage_override.mstone
       rv:5.0
       extensions.lastAppVersion
       5.0
       general.useragent.extra.microsoftdotnet
       ( .NET CLR 3.5.30729)
       gfx.blacklist.direct2d
       2
       gfx.blacklist.layers.direct3d10
       2
       gfx.blacklist.layers.direct3d10-1
       2
       network.cookie.prefsMigrated
       true
       places.database.lastMaintenance
       1310002304
       places.history.expiration.transient_current_max_pages
       31940
       places.last_vacuum
       1306370526
       print.print_printer
       EPSON Stylus CX7400 Series - Network
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_bgcolor
       false
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_bgimages
       false
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_command
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_downloadfonts
       false
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_edge_bottom
       0
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_edge_left
       0
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_edge_right
       0
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_edge_top
       0
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_evenpages
       true
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_footercenter
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_footerleft
       &PT
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_footerright
       &D
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_headercenter
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_headerleft
       &T
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_headerright
       &U
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_in_color
       true
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_margin_bottom
       0.5
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_margin_left
       0.5
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_margin_right
       0.5
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_margin_top
       0.5
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_oddpages
       true
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_orientation
       0
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_pagedelay
       500
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_paper_data
       1
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_paper_height
       11.00
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_paper_size_type
       0
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_paper_size_unit
       0
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_paper_width
       8.50
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_reversed
       false
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_scaling
       1.00
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_shrink_to_fit
       true
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_to_file
       false
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_unwriteable_margin_bottom
       0
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_unwriteable_margin_left
       0
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_unwriteable_margin_right
       0
       print.printer_EPSON_Stylus_CX7400_Series_-_Network.print_unwriteable_margin_top
       0
       privacy.sanitize.migrateFx3Prefs
       true
       security.warn_viewing_mixed
       false
 Graphics
       Adapter Description
       Intel(R) 82945G Express Chipset Family
       Vendor ID
       8086
       Device ID
       2772
       Adapter RAM
       Unknown
       Adapter Drivers
       igxprd32
       Driver Version
       6.14.10.4764
       Driver Date
       1-13-2007
       Direct2D Enabled
       false
       DirectWrite Enabled
       false (0.0.0.0, font cache n/a)
       WebGL Renderer
       (WebGL unavailable)
       GPU Accelerated Windows
       0/2
more options

Well, now the option to start with windows and tabs from last time seems to be working.

All I did was reboot. I wonder if that was the fix?

more options

Are you using "Show my windows and tabs from last time" ?

  • Tools > Options > General > Startup: "When Firefox Starts": "Show my windows and tabs from last time"

Do you use File > Exit Firefox to close all open windows at once?

If not then Firefox will only restore the last closed window.

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Sorry, but I did mention in my original post that "have always set my options to open Firefox with the tabs from my previous session". I never use File>Exit. I always click on the red "X" at the top-right of the window. I re-installed Firefox 5.0 and it seems to have cleared up this problem. FF, however is still acting odd. I am running a Windows 7 machine, and have FF on my quick start icons on the bottom-left of my screen. It used to be that once I had started up FF, this icon was highlighted. Now, Windows 7 actually creates a second FF icon at the right end of the quick start icons. However, when I exit (using the X to close the window), it exits but when I re-start FF, my tabs are there again, so I appear to be OK. The other odd thing when I had the problem was that there was absolutely nothing in the History tab, so your original idea to go back to History to get my past sites open in tabs wouldn't work. That's when I tried the re-install.