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I have just upgraded from FF 3 to FF9 and in the process lost my 'New Tab' button, and there isn't one in the View>Customise window. So how do I manually open a new tab in FF9?

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  • Last reply by gorgamella

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Question I have just upgraded from FF 3 to FF9 and in the process lost my 'New Tab' button, and there isn't one in the View>Customise window. So how do I manually open a new tab in FF9?

Question I have just upgraded from FF 3 to FF9 and in the process lost my 'New Tab' button, and there isn't one in the View>Customise window. So how do I manually open a new tab in FF9?

Chosen solution

To open the Customize Toolbar window, do one of the following:

  • Firefox button > Options > Toolbar Layout
  • tap the ALT key or the F10 key to temporarily display the Menu Bar and choose from there (View > Toolbars > Customize)
  • HOLD down the ALT key while pressing the keyboard letters VTC

See --> https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/common-questions-after-upgrading-firefox-36

As for the New Tab button, do you see a "+" following the last tab or at the right end of the Tab Bar? That is the New Tab icon.

  • CTRL+T will also open a New Tab


If this reply solves your problem, please click "Solved It" next to this reply when signed-in to the forum.



Not related to your question, but...

You may need to update some plug-ins. Check your plug-ins and update as necessary:

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All Replies (8)

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Double-click on any empty space in the Tab Bar also opens a new tab or CTRL+T. Are you sure it is not in customize window ?


thank you

Please mark "Solved" the answer that really solve the problem, to help others with a similar problem.

Modified by ideato

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Thanks for that. The View>Customise window definitely did not have a New Tab button. However as well as your solution, I have also found that clicking a new orange button marked, Firefox', in the top left-hand corner of the FF window, opens a drop-down menu which includes New Tab. However that menu does not include the View menu, and thus I can no longer access the Customise window to change the buttons? In FF3, I accessed the View menu by pressing ALT and the traditional line of drop down menus appeared above the button bar. But that no longer works. So any idea how I can now access the Customise window? FF9 does seem unnecessarily complicated compared to FF3? Appreciate your help.

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Mysteries abound! Now for some reason pressing the ALT button does again reveal the traditional line of drop down menus above the button bar. So for now, I'm sorted. With thanks.

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Chosen Solution

To open the Customize Toolbar window, do one of the following:

  • Firefox button > Options > Toolbar Layout
  • tap the ALT key or the F10 key to temporarily display the Menu Bar and choose from there (View > Toolbars > Customize)
  • HOLD down the ALT key while pressing the keyboard letters VTC

See --> https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/common-questions-after-upgrading-firefox-36

As for the New Tab button, do you see a "+" following the last tab or at the right end of the Tab Bar? That is the New Tab icon.

  • CTRL+T will also open a New Tab


If this reply solves your problem, please click "Solved It" next to this reply when signed-in to the forum.



Not related to your question, but...

You may need to update some plug-ins. Check your plug-ins and update as necessary:

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That's it! Many thanks.

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The problem is that now, if there are alot of tabs open, you have to go waayy off to the right end of the open tabs to open a new tab. Version 3.x allowed you to just add a new tab tool on the toolbar. That's where all the other tools are and that's where the new tab tool should be. Too much travel to open a new tab now.

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You can drag that "+" icon from the right side of your Tab Bar to the Navigation Toolbar when you have the Customize Toolbar window open. The icon will take on a different appearance (grayish tab with a small plus in it); hovering over the icon (after closing the Customize Toolbar window) will show a tooltip of "Open a New Tab". See image below this reply.


If this reply solves your problem, please click "Solved It" next to this reply when signed-in to the forum.

Modified by SafeBrowser

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(FF 9.0.1) Dragging the "+" mini-tab to the navigation toolbar does not work for me. Left or right mouse button. No indication of 'grab' and no cursor when hovering on nav toolbar.

New tab button is not available in the customize toolbar dialog box, as it was with previous versions of FF.

I am aware of all the other (not user friendly) ways of getting a new tab. I find the new tab button to be the most useful.