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new tab / page comes up when ever don't want how do i stop it?

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  • 5 have this problem
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  • Last reply by maxguy8

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When I move from mail to "home" by hitting the icon a new tab comes up, don't want this. Had some issues with my programs and know that some how I hit some thing or didn't hit something as this wasn't happening before. Want a new tab when I hit the + symbol and want a blank page, which I was getting. How do I fix this? Please help.

When I move from mail to "home" by hitting the icon a new tab comes up, don't want this. Had some issues with my programs and know that some how I hit some thing or didn't hit something as this wasn't happening before. Want a new tab when I hit the + symbol and want a blank page, which I was getting. How do I fix this? Please help.

Chosen solution

Hi maxguy8, okay, the tabs show when there are many tabs.

Maybe you're get a whole new window for each link instead of a new tab. Can you double-check your settings here:

orange Firefox button > Options > Options > Tabs or
Tools menu > Options > Tabs

Make sure the top checkbox is checked to divert new windows to a tab in the current window.

This checkbox doesn't work with all new windows, but it should work with most links.

Read this answer in context 👍 1

All Replies (20)

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Does this occur when you run Firefox in safe mode?

Can you post a screenshot of your extensions?

Modified by Wesley Branton

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OK so like don't laugh to loud but have know idea what safe mode is on FF didn't know there was one or why I would use it.

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Thank you for replying.

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Safe mode disables all extensions and other things in Firefox to help a user see if the issue is caused by an extension.

To start Firefox in Safe Mode, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Help on the Menu Bar
  2. Click Restart with Add-ons Disabled...
  3. When Firefox reopens, select Safe Mode

To exit Safe Mode, close the Firefox window and open it as you normally do.

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thanks good plan

have noticed another new issue was showing additional tabs across the top when working with multiply pages that is now gone the little 3 d pic is on the bottom but liked it when they were spread out across the top easier to go between and use sorry spell

thanks again will try above

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Can you post a screenshot of the new problem you are talking about int he above post?

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OK opened in safe mode and everything worked the way it did and the way I want it to so how do I get that back not in safe mode? (love your sense of humor assuming I know what a screen shot is or how to do that) Love it LOL

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If it worked in Safe Mode the issue is most likely being caused by an Extension that you installed (or that a site/program installed for you).

I can tell that you are not very computer literate, so I will post the steps to take a screenshot.

I screenshot is a picture of your computer's screen.

To take a screenshot, follow these steps:

  1. Type about:addons in Firefox's location bar
  2. Click the Extensions button on the left hand side of the screen
  3. Press the Prt Scr button on you keyboard
  4. Open Microsoft Paint on your computer
  5. Press the Ctrl and V buttons together
  6. An image should appear on the screen
  7. Save the Microsoft Paint image
  8. Post it on here

If you cannot figure out how to take a screenshot, I can throw together an instructional video for you.

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Thanks this is going to take me a while and don't have time right now to do it but will get it posted as soon as I can. Think I took one before a long time ago for a help page some where else so with your great guidance will give it a go.

Big time thank you.....

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Firefox's standard home button will replace the contents of the current tab with your home page. It is possible that there are other home buttons which behave differently, either on a different toolbar or in the webpage where you were viewing your email. Could you be more specific about which home button you clicked?


When you click the "+" (new tab) button, normally Firefox displays 9 thumbnail images of pages that you recently visited or frequently visit. You can change that to a blank page by editing a setting or using an add-on. However, please note that another add-on can override this setting, so if the setting doesn't seem to work or doesn't stick, we should investigate what you're seeing in the new tab (for example, an unknown search engine).

Here are the steps to change the new tab setting:

(1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter. Click the button promising to be careful.

(2) In the filter box, type or paste newtab and pause while the list is filtered

(3) Double-click the browser.newtab.url preference and enter the desired value:

(i) Page thumbnails (default)

about:newtab

(ii) Blank tab

about:blank

(iii) Built-in Firefox home page

about:home

(iv) Any other page

full URL to the page

Press Ctrl+t to open a new tab, or click the "+" button, and verify that it worked. Fixed?

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jdvher OK so like this was scary but printed out your instruction and went for it---got through changing it to "about:blank" fine and the new tabs come up blank which is great. Problem is no clue on (iii) or (iv) couldn't figure what that meant or what to do.

have "status" as userset "type" is string and "value" is about blank

Let me know what I am to do regarding (iii) and (iv) I will give it a go. Other issue ever time I am in my e-mail and I click the little house symbol to go home a new tab pops up. It is now a blank tab and is behind my home page but a little annoying as do this a lot and looked up and had like 4 extra tabs going before I knew it.

Thanks again jscher you rock. Wish I could put a pic up but the profile page said to big and don't know how to change it would love to get rid of the cat logo.

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Hi maxguy8, (i) - (iv) are four different choices, so if you want a blank page, you are all set. Assuming it works. Fingers crossed.

Regarding the extra tab appearing when you click the Home button, could you check your home page setting and make sure you don't have a vertical bar (|) somewhere that can cause an extra tab to appear? This article explains it in more detail: How to set the home page.

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Computer Whiz Tried to get a screen shot for you but the print screen button doesn't seem to be working. Am able to open paint and actually was able to get my self to the extensions (ya even surprised my self with that one). Tried pressing ctrl and print screen, tried ault and print screen, shift and print screen nothing worked. I have done this before just not remembering how to get the little sucker to work. Any more thoughts?

Believe you to be correct about a bad sight putting something in as that is what was happening when all of this started thought it was bing or chrome have had issues with those in the past but was able to kill those, my self This one was one I had never seen. "Conduit" = evil! Had to down load a cleaner called Spy Hunter to kill it, and it did but that's when I was also messing around in extensions trying to clear it out my self, so maybe me may be me may be them.

Again thanks for all your help.

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Could find a line but articular helped and re set it thought the tools then options thing. Thanks

Yes when I hit the + thing a new blank page comes up!

OK so lets go for all the glory be fore the evil conduit experience when I had multiply tabs up they were across the top on the page which I really liked. Now they only apper as a 3 D thing in the bottom thing, I can see and when I hover on it, the pages show up and can close what I want but is there a way to get them to show up on the top again?

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Hi maxguy8, I'm a little lost on the tabs part. When you moused over a tab in Firefox (not on the Windows 7 task bar), it showed a little image of the page in that tab? I've never noticed that, but maybe someone else recognizes it, or maybe it was an add-on.

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@ maxguy8

To take a screenshot only press the Prt Scr button by itself.

Then in the Paint Program you press Ctrl and V together to paste the screenshot.

If you still can't figure it out, could you just post the names of all of your extensions on the extensions list?

@ jscher2000

The tab popup is an extension. It is Tab Scope.

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jscher: Tab issue is resolved no longer getting a new tab when I am maneuvering from e-mail to home something fixed that when I read the articular and followed the directions. Prior to my disaster with the evil conduit thing, when I had multiple tabs open there was a list of them across the top liked that, but those no longer show. Is there any way to get them back? Also see that it may be related to the extension issue. jscher thanks for helping me clear stuff up. you guys have been great.

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Hi maxguy8, I'm not sure about a list of tabs, I'm only familiar with the tab bar itself. The tabs should always appear above the toolbars, but their location changes depending on your menu style and window size.

When you use the compact menu and the orange Firefox button: tabs slide up in the title bar when the window is maximized. Otherwise, the tabs appear on their own row below the orange Firefox button.

When you use the classic menu bar, the tabs always have their own row below the menu.

Does that relate to what you're missing?

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jscher That's my issue they aren't there any more and want them back. May be related to the extensions issue I have. My Print Screen button isn't working but managed to get the list for computerwhiz.

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ComputerWhiz sorry to be slow tried to get the extension page to print or moved to a file so I could past but none of that would work. So here we go below are the 9 items on my extensions. Know that you are aware of the general format of the page and what it looks like so trying to just put in each line and indicate what is out on the far right side

Have Kaspersky Pure 3 as anti viral so the big k's are in reference to that.

K Anti-Bannor 13.0.2.600

K Anti Banner 13.0.2.600 Disable

K Kaspersky URL Advisor 13.0.2.600 Options Disable

Content Blocker 13.0.2.600 (disabled) Enable

CustomizableShortcuts 0.5.11.1 (disabled) Enable Remove

! LivingPlay TextLinks Incompatible with Fire Fox 22.0

 LivingPlay Textlinks    1.0.0           (disabled)
             {Noting undernearth the above lines}

PlayFizz PlatinumContent add on 1.0.0 (disabled) Enable

SafeMoney 13.0.2.600 (disabled) Enable

        {this is a program from Kaspersky I don't use it}

VirtualKeyboard 13.0.2.600 (disabled) Enable

Sorry the screen shot key isn't working or that I couldn't get it to print or open when I saved it as a file but this is pretty close to what it looks like right now. So what do you think? Thanks

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