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First Firefox window,from a clicked link, automatically shows the bookmarks.Didn't before.How to change it back?

  • 4 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by WAVE96

WAVE96
WAVE96
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Originally, with no Firefox windows on my screen, when I clicked a link from Apple Mail or other source, a Firefox window would appear with a tab window of the link only. Now something has changed. This first window always shows the bookmarks panel on the left, automatically, which is a pain as I have to almost always Command B to hide it again.

Tests:

  1. 1. After the 1st Firefox window, automatically showing the left bookmark panel, is up, initiated from a link, if I Command N, a new 2nd window shows with the left bookmarks also.
  1. 2. If I hide the bookmarks, Command B, on the 1st window and Command N, make a 2nd window, the bookmarks will be hidden.
  1. 3. If I hide the bookmarks on the 2nd window and create a 3rd, the bookmarks on the 2nd and 3rd window automatically are hidden, BUT the 1st window STILL shows the bookmarks.
  1. 4. When I quit Firefox completely, then open it again directly from the icon, the window will automatically show the bookmarks.

Am I missing something in preferences to turn off automatically showing the bookmarks panel? And why, in #3 circumstance, listed above, wouldn’t ALL the windows hide the bookmarks?

Originally, with no Firefox windows on my screen, when I clicked a link from Apple Mail or other source, a Firefox window would appear with a tab window of the link only. Now something has changed. This first window always shows the bookmarks panel on the left, automatically, which is a pain as I have to almost always Command B to hide it again. Tests: #1. After the 1st Firefox window, automatically showing the left bookmark panel, is up, initiated from a link, if I Command N, a new 2nd window shows with the left bookmarks also. #2. If I hide the bookmarks, Command B, on the 1st window and Command N, make a 2nd window, the bookmarks will be hidden. #3. If I hide the bookmarks on the 2nd window and create a 3rd, the bookmarks on the 2nd and 3rd window automatically are hidden, BUT the 1st window STILL shows the bookmarks. #4. When I quit Firefox completely, then open it again directly from the icon, the window will automatically show the bookmarks. Am I missing something in preferences to turn off automatically showing the bookmarks panel? And why, in #3 circumstance, listed above, wouldn’t ALL the windows hide the bookmarks?

Chosen solution

  1. Quit Firefox completely (Firefox menu > Quit Firefox option).
  2. Open Firefox from the icon.
  3. Close the Bookmarks window
  4. Quit Firefox completely.

Now you should no longer see the Bookmarks window the next time you open Firefox.

Read this answer in context 👍 1

All Replies (4)

dynamite
dynamite
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Chosen Solution

  1. Quit Firefox completely (Firefox menu > Quit Firefox option).
  2. Open Firefox from the icon.
  3. Close the Bookmarks window
  4. Quit Firefox completely.

Now you should no longer see the Bookmarks window the next time you open Firefox.

WAVE96
WAVE96 Question owner
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Yay! It worked! So simple and exact.


This brings up more questions:

How did you figure this out?

Why did this happen in the first place?

Why couldn't I find an option to automatically display/not display the bookmarks? Does Firefox have one?

And even so, would I still have had the same issue?

Thanks

dynamite
dynamite
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You're welcome!

The problem that you saw happened because of 3 reasons (I know these mainly by observing the Firefox behavior):

  1. If the bookmarks window is open and you quit Firefox, Firefox remembers it and shows it again the next time you open Firefox.
  2. If 2 windows of Firefox already have the bookmarks window open, closing it in one window has no effect on the other window.
  3. If a Firefox window has bookmarks open, then opening a new Firefox window will also have the bookmarks window.

Note that there is no option to automatically display/not display the bookmarks. If you had it open the last time you closed Firefox, it will be shown the next time you open Firefox.

WAVE96
WAVE96 Question owner
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Thank You.