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Closed tabs leave gaps between opened ones

  • 2 replies
  • 36 have this problem
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  • Last reply by version2-1

version2-1
version2-1
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For some strange reason, since Firefox 4, when I close a tab, the space it occupied remains blank all the tabs on the right of it do not shift left to fill the blank.

In whichever version of Firefox 3, if I had 6 tabs opened and closed tab # 3, tabs 4-5-6 would shift left and become tabs 3-4-5, like so :

1. |¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯x||¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯|

2. |¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯|<-------|¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯|

3. |¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯|

Now in Firefox 4, if I close tab # 3, the rightmost tabs don't shift left, so I have Tab 1, Tab 2, a blank space, Tab 4, 5 and 6, like so :

|¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯|. . . . . . .|¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯|

New tabs are opened on the right of the last tab so if I closed tabs 3 to 6, all new tabs are opened at position 7 and eventually outside of the tab bar to the right with a huge gaping space between tabs.

I've tried to delete the gaps but no can do. As if Firefox 4 is keeping the tab in it's active memory in case I decide to "Undo Close Tab" but doesn't get rid of the space it occupied.

It's been happening for any versions of Firefox 4 on this machine running Windows XP Professional version 2002 Service Pack 3. It's my computer at work. I'm reporting no such issue at home on Windows 7 with the same Firefox installation.

Please note I'm experiencing this on a FRESH INSTALL of FF4 FINAL with NO ADD-ONS RUNNING.

For some strange reason, since Firefox 4, when I close a tab, the space it occupied remains blank all the tabs on the right of it do not shift left to fill the blank. In whichever version of Firefox 3, if I had 6 tabs opened and closed tab # 3, tabs 4-5-6 would shift left and become tabs 3-4-5, like so : 1. |¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯x||¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯| 2. |¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯|<-------|¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯| 3. |¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯| Now in Firefox 4, if I close tab # 3, the rightmost tabs don't shift left, so I have Tab 1, Tab 2, a blank space, Tab 4, 5 and 6, like so : |¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯|. . . . . . .|¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯||¯¯¯¯| New tabs are opened on the right of the last tab so if I closed tabs 3 to 6, all new tabs are opened at position 7 and eventually outside of the tab bar to the right with a huge gaping space between tabs. I've tried to delete the gaps but no can do. As if Firefox 4 is keeping the tab in it's active memory in case I decide to "Undo Close Tab" but doesn't get rid of the space it occupied. It's been happening for any versions of Firefox 4 on this machine running Windows XP Professional version 2002 Service Pack 3. It's my computer at work. I'm reporting no such issue at home on Windows 7 with the same Firefox installation. Please note I'm experiencing this on a '''FRESH INSTALL of FF4 FINAL with NO ADD-ONS RUNNING'''.

Modified by version2-1

All Replies (6)

cor-el
cor-el
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  • Top 10 Contributor
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Did you also create a new profile for that Firefox 4 version?

See Basic Troubleshooting: Make a new profile

version2-1
version2-1 Question owner
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Oh sorry, I should've specified. Yes I did, brand new profile from scratch.

The only thing a bit out of the ordinary is that the profile rests in the same folder as the install on the C: drive as opposed to the usual "Documents and Settings/-----/" folder where it's installed.

Hopefully that isn't a big deal because I can't install in Documents & Settings on my work computer.

qri.ahyy
qri.ahyy
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In about:config try setting browser.tabs.animate to false.

the-edmeister
the-edmeister
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version2-1,

I am having no problems with a "remote" Profile and 4.0. Please explain how you did that "remote" Profile.

1. thru the profiles.ini file using the Profile Manager
2. Command Line to the that Profile, effectively bypassing the Profile Manager and profiles.ini altogether

version2-1
version2-1 Question owner
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@ the-edmeister : Profiles.ini using the Profile Manager. Because of the limited amount of space allowed in Documents and Settings, upon FF install or reinstall, I go through Profile Manager, create a new profile in "C:/Program Files/Mozilla Firefox/Profiles".

@ qri.ahyy : would you look at that. Thank you good sir, it seems turning off browser animation fixed it ! Tabs don't smoothly scroll left when the adjacent tab gets closed but quite frankly, I couldn't care less seeing as how I use FF as a much more powerful work tool than IE.

I fail to see how the animation would generate such a weird issue though. Maybe the animation script freezes, crashes or isn't properly applied when a tab is closed ?

Anyway, thank you. That just took care of weeks of head scratching, hair pulling and furious tab scrolling to the right. :)

eduardochang
eduardochang
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Hi, noob question here, I'm under macosx 10.6.7 and can't find the config file for addresing same trouble, ¿any help? loving the tabs, hating the gap, can live without the animation thanks in advance, saludos, eduardo