In 73.0.1 , opening a new link opens a new window, rather than just a new tab. 72.0.2 did not do this.
For example, I have my home weather page open and I want to open a different weather page in a new tab, but the same Firefox window. Using 72.0.2 this worked, as that is the setting I made in Options/General/Tabs. I have the setting correct, but 73.0.1 ignores it and opens a new Firefox window. I have done this download of 73.0.1 twice in the last ten days. Same result. Would not update normally, by the waay. Had to download a fresh install.
Chosen solution
Solved. For some reason, old and new Firefox versions were opening in a pattern that I can't quite figure out. Restarting the computer did not fix it. I deleted the 72.0.2 from Program Files (x86), and then dragged 73.0.1 from Program Files, where Firefox installed it for some reason, to Program Files (x86). Shut down. Restart. Create a new shortcut on the Desktop to open 73.0.1 . Now it works properly. Pain in the Royal We. Now... why did the download of 73.0.1 not replace the 72.0.2 in the (x86) folder? Is it because Firefox was not supposed to be there in the first place? It was in that folder when I transferred all my programs from my Windows 7 Compal NBLB3 over to this new Eluktronics MECH-17 G1R. Maybe that was the crux of the biscuit, and Firefox will never update properly if I leave it where it is, in the (x86) folder.
Thoughts??
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Hi gregmoehl, what method are you using to direct the link to a new tab?
Not exactly sure what you mean. I have a folder of weather links, each one opening , usually, a NWS web page. Double click opened the page in a new tab in the same Firefox window. I could do what I did before, and just roll back to 72.0.2 , and it will work right again, probably. This is the first time an update has broken this function. Also the first time I've had update fail, multiple times, and require a fresh download.
Also, I had downloaded this fresh 73.0.1, that is giving me grief, and just now a greeting popped up asking me to get the updated Firefox... 73.0.1 !!
So, the new FF window is opening in the old 72.0.2 Firefox.
Do I need to restart the computer , or go into the Program files (x86)/Firefox, and delete it. The new version is in program files/Mozilla Firefox. I'm cornfused.
Chosen Solution
Solved. For some reason, old and new Firefox versions were opening in a pattern that I can't quite figure out. Restarting the computer did not fix it. I deleted the 72.0.2 from Program Files (x86), and then dragged 73.0.1 from Program Files, where Firefox installed it for some reason, to Program Files (x86). Shut down. Restart. Create a new shortcut on the Desktop to open 73.0.1 . Now it works properly. Pain in the Royal We. Now... why did the download of 73.0.1 not replace the 72.0.2 in the (x86) folder? Is it because Firefox was not supposed to be there in the first place? It was in that folder when I transferred all my programs from my Windows 7 Compal NBLB3 over to this new Eluktronics MECH-17 G1R. Maybe that was the crux of the biscuit, and Firefox will never update properly if I leave it where it is, in the (x86) folder.
Thoughts??
If you are a longtime Firefox user, your installation may have remained under the 32-bit program path even after 64-bit became the preferred version back around Firefox 51 or so. The new installer may have failed to re-use that location, causing side-by-side installations.
Anyway, it sounds as though it is cleaned up now?
Yes.
Can't remember when I bailed on IE, but it was my best move ever. FF is working fine now. I wonder how the fresh install managed to assimilate all my settings and bookmarks and still park the program in the wrong folder.
At least I now know what went wrong. So next time an update fails, I can just read the notes I have, move the 73.0.1 to the Program Files folder, restart, fix the shortcut, and carry on as if I actually understood what happened.
This all took some quality time with my old brain, and until I noticed the wrong version # showing up in Help/About, I was really stumped. Then I looked at the two different shortcut paths, and it all clicked. Does this all make sense to you?
A few users report side-by-side updates in recent months, but there's no obvious reason for it to happen so selectively. I have no idea what is going wrong.
Regarding your data, every installation of Firefox looks to the same files (installs.ini and profiles.ini) in your Windows user profile to find existing data, so luckily, the installation folder isn't critical for that
So, it's a recent phenomenon. Suppose it's reached the point where it'll get a fix?
Thanks for the .ini file info. Good to know what's going on. I know just enough to get myself in trouble, and half what it takes to get self out. A lot of my life is like that.
I really appreciate your help. Thanks for being there.
Note that 64-bit Firefox version are normally installed in "Program Files" and 32-bit Firefox in "Program Files (x86)".
- (64-bit Firefox) "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\"
- (32-bit Firefox) "C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\"
You can see the current version (32 or 64 bit) in "Help -> About Firefox".
I just looked at my 9-year-old Win-7 Compal NBLB3. The 73.0.1, 64-bit FF is in the (x86) folder. That's where the 72.0.2 was that I transferred to this Win-10 Eluktronics MECH-17 G1R.
That Compal 72.0.2 update was done on 1-21-2020, and was successful the first try... did not require a fresh download. The update to 73.0.1 also worked OK.
Maybe we just wait to see what happens with the next FF update, and if it's screwy, make the change as I proposed above?