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Dysfunctional tabes in Firefox

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When I create a tab by clicking on a link, normally the tab will open to that link after a small delay. But some tabs just sit there, seemingly dead to the world. I've tried refreshing by hitting enter, or when possible (which it usually isn't) the refresh button on the taskbar, but nothing happens.

If I create a new tab, and cut and paste the link from the old one to the new one, usually the new one will open right away (after the usual delay). Meanwhile, the old one just sits there.

This has happened before (in much earlier versions of Firefox) in a small percentage of cases, but it is now happening with some frequency. I am currently using version 78.0.1 (64-bit).

When I create a tab by clicking on a link, normally the tab will open to that link after a small delay. But some tabs just sit there, seemingly dead to the world. I've tried refreshing by hitting enter, or when possible (which it usually isn't) the refresh button on the taskbar, but nothing happens. If I create a new tab, and cut and paste the link from the old one to the new one, usually the new one will open right away (after the usual delay). Meanwhile, the old one just sits there. This has happened before (in much earlier versions of Firefox) in a small percentage of cases, but it is now happening with some frequency. I am currently using version 78.0.1 (64-bit).

All Replies (1)

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Hello,

Try Firefox Safe Mode to see if the problem goes away. Firefox Safe Mode is a troubleshooting mode that temporarily turns off hardware acceleration, resets some settings, and disables add-ons (extensions and themes).

If Firefox is open, you can restart in Firefox Safe Mode from the Help menu:

  • Click the menu button Fx57Menu, click Help Fx57Help and select Restart with Add-ons Disabled.

If Firefox is not running, you can start Firefox in Safe Mode as follows:

  • On Windows: Hold the Shift key when you open the Firefox desktop or Start menu shortcut.
  • On Mac: Hold the option key while starting Firefox.
  • On Linux: Quit Firefox, go to your Terminal and run firefox -safe-mode
    (you may need to specify the Firefox installation path e.g. /usr/lib/firefox)

When the Firefox Safe Mode window appears, select "Start in Safe Mode".

Fx68SafeMode

If the issue is not present in Firefox Safe Mode, your problem is probably caused by an extension, theme, or hardware acceleration. Please follow the steps in the Troubleshoot extensions, themes and hardware acceleration issues to solve common Firefox problems article to find the cause.

To exit Firefox Safe Mode, just close Firefox and wait a few seconds before opening Firefox for normal use again.

When you figure out what's causing your issues, please let us know. It might help others with the same problem.