See:

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/browser.link.open_newwindow
• 1: current tab; 2:new window; 3:new tab;

For links opened via JavaScript you can look at this pref:

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/browser.link.open_newwindow.restriction

You can open the about:config page via the location/address bar. You can accept the warning and click "I accept the risk!" to continue.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/about:config

Firefox does not have a built-in setting to force all links into new windows (or new tabs). Firefox has settings for what should happen when the website has specially coded the link to open in a new window (window, tab, or neither). cor-el's post has the details on that.

If you want to force ALL links to open in a new window, you would need to use an add-on. This one should cover a lot of them:

https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/open-link-with-new-tab/

After installing it, go to the Add-ons page and use the Options button for the extension to choose which links open in a new window/tab. Either:

• Ctrl+Shift+a (Mac: Command+Shift+a)
• "3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Add-ons
• type or paste about:addons in the address bar and press Enter/Return

In the left column of the Add-ons page, click Extensions.

Then on the right side find Open Link With New Tab and click its Options button. Then scroll to the bottom and choose the second or third button.

Finally, if you never ever want Firefox to create a new tab, even for internal pages like the Add-ons page, you can use my "I Hate Tabs" extension for that: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/i-hate-tabs-sdi-for-firefox/

911boss said

I want to disable Firefox from opening a new tab when I click on a link. Instead, I want Firefox to open a clicked link in a new window.

If it's just occasionally, right-click the link and choose to "Open Link in New Window" or use the 'W' on the keyboard after right-clicking on the link.

~Pj

Easiest is to hold the Shift key and left-click a link to open the link in a new window.