This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Avatar for Username

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

This thread was archived. Please ask a new question if you need help.

middle mouse button does not open tab with new url

  • 5 majibu
  • 136 wana tatizo hili
  • 7 views
  • Last reply by cor-el

Ulrich_Scholz
Ulrich_Scholz
more options

Suddenly, Firefox (3.6.10 on Kubuntu) changed the behavior of the middle mouse button.

Before, pressing the middle mouse button on the regular window (not tab bar or tool bar or such) and not on a link caused Firefox to open a new tab and to attempt to load the content of the buffer as URL.

Now, Firefox shows a weird circle with arrows and my page scrolls vertically in a weird way.

How to get back the original behavior?

I tried to find a solution on the web. Despite the many suggestions, the problem prevailed. For example, browser.tabs.opentabfor.middleclick and middlemouse.contentLoadURL are both true

Suddenly, Firefox (3.6.10 on Kubuntu) changed the behavior of the middle mouse button. Before, pressing the middle mouse button on the regular window (not tab bar or tool bar or such) and not on a link caused Firefox to open a new tab and to attempt to load the content of the buffer as URL. Now, Firefox shows a weird circle with arrows and my page scrolls vertically in a weird way. How to get back the original behavior? I tried to find a solution on the web. Despite the many suggestions, the problem prevailed. For example, browser.tabs.opentabfor.middleclick and middlemouse.contentLoadURL are both true

All Replies (5)

cor-el
cor-el
  • Moderator
  • Top 10 Contributor
more options

You can disable Edit > Preferences > Advanced > General: Browsing: "Use autoscrolling"

Ulrich_Scholz
Ulrich_Scholz Mwenye swali
more options

Thanks.

Now it opens the link in the current tab. Much better but not optimal, as it should be a new one. But I will see if there is another option for this.

PugLIVES
PugLIVES
more options

Very glad to see I am not alone. Alas....that answer did nothing on my system. I also am very very frustrated that, all of a sudden, my middle mouse button brings up a weird four pointed arrow! (see pic) I NEED it to open links in tabs for researching!!

I turned off auto scrolling in the advanced settings. Restarted FF even...and nada.

I have disabled every single add on I had (only like 6 of them)...and nothing.

This happened all the sudden...I dont even know of an update. FF v3.6.10

Modified by PugLIVES

PugLIVES
PugLIVES
more options

PS... I am running Windows 7.

PSS...I always used to get a scroll arrow when middle-mouse-button on open space in the web browser. While still opening the link when clicking on a link. To be clear though: it was a two pointed arrow, softer tone, more polished. It scrolled up and down....now I used that. I just dont want to loose one good feature for no reason.

Could this be a java thing?

cor-el
cor-el
  • Moderator
  • Top 10 Contributor
more options

Did you check the mouse wheel button settings in your mouse driver software?