How are you opening the new Tab? Firefox will open a New Private Window, but not a New Private Tab.

Or

Are you using an extension that allows for a Private Tab? https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/private-tab/

These are my addons.. I don't recall loading any that are specific .

I open a new tab by clicking on the "+" on my tab bar. This "+" is located at the right side of the bar, directly to the right of my last tab.

Everytime I click on this, I get a purple screen talking about private browsing.(as per the picture).

This also seems to enable something that clears all my accountname/passwords I currently have saved, so I have to reenter everything in when I go to websites that have been saved .

If you are using automatic private browsing, you'll need to turn that off on the Options page:

"3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Options

In the left column, click Privacy. Then on the right side, if you see:

• Firefox will: Remember history -- you are NOT using automatic private browsing, so there's some other problem
• Firefox will: Never remember history -- you are using automatic private browsing, to switch see the next line:
• Firefox will: Use custom settings for history PLUS there's a checkmark in the box for "Always use private browsing mode" -- you are using automatic private browsing, to switch to normal mode, uncheck the box

Oh wait, in automatic private browsing, the "mask" is not shown on the title bar. So when you open a new window, do you have the option NOT to open a private window. Does that work?

Here is what my privacy settings are and have always been.

Starting a few days ago, whenever I click the 'New Tab' button this purple screen loads instead of my typical new tab which is blank with buttons for all my frequent sites. I would like to get this for a new tab working again.

I do not get "any options" when I click on '+'. I get this purple screen instead. I tried clicking on the "tracking protection" option, but it seems that all my accountname/passwords are now blank.(Yes, I am talking about the last 3 years worth of using Firefox. I have several accountname/passwords saved that are now blank when I go to those sites).

If nothing else, I would really like my 'new tab' to load like it used to so that I can click on the button for the 'frequent site' that I want to go to. Reentering all my passwords sucks, but whatever.

Let's distinguish between a new tab and a separate new window.

In a regular window, a new tab will show the Firefox new tab page (tiles from your history).

In a private window, a new tab will show the private window welcome page.

So you need to stop using that private window and start using a regular window. To launch a regular window, you can try any of these:

• Ctrl+n
• "3-bar" menu button > New Window
• (menu bar) File > New Window
  If you do not normally display the menu bar, you can tap the Alt key or F10 to activate it temporarily

Does that work?

Also, could you check the shortcut/icon you use to start Firefox, in case that is the source of the problem?

The Firefox icon can be set up to launch specific pages at startup (or more specifically, when you use the icon), either in a regular window or in a private window. To check on that:

First, open the shortcut as follows:

• Desktop shortcut: right-click the icon, choose Properties
• Pinned taskbar icon: right-click the icon, right-click Mozilla Firefox, choose Properties

Windows normally will select the Shortcut tab. If not, go ahead and click the Shortcut tab.

You'll see the Target highlighted. On 64-bit Windows, that usually is no more and no less than the following:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe"

Does anything follow after that? You might see, for example:

• "http://somesite/somepage.html"
• -url "http://somesite/somepage.html"
• -private-window "http://somesite/somepage.html"

The third one would cause you to start in a private window and needs to be edited or removed.

After OK'ing the Properties dialog, if you made a change, you can test right away to confirm that Firefox now launches only your home page. Either:

• double-click desktop shortcut
• right-click pinned taskbar icon, click Mozilla Firefox

Success?

Ummm

-I am not talking about opening a new window.

-There are not any unusual arguments nor switches, nor paths nor web addresses within my shortcut icon. (please see the picture I am providing).

I am familiar with computer terms and processes. When I say "I click on the "+" to open a "New Tab". You can take this LITERALLY(I am NOT opening a new window).

If I want to open a new window, I follow one of the many ways to do so and I get a new window loaded with my homepage. This is performing exactly as I expect it to, and is outside the scope of this issue.

If you look at the pic I am posting, it shows you exactly what I am clicking to "Open a NEW TAB", and exactly what "Purple Screen" that is opening every time. I just want "New Tab" to open with screen that has my frequent visited sites on it.

If someone is familiar with this issue and has some advice on dealing with it, please help me.

This is not a "generic - user doesn't know what to click on issue". So throw all ideas at them, maybe something will work...

This is a specific problem that needs a specific solution.

Thanks for your time,

You can also see in my screen shots there, that the purple mask icon is at the top of my FireFox window all the time since this started. I don't know if that means private browsing is on all the time?? I looked where advised to try and turn it off, but it doesn't seem to change anything.

Start Firefox in Safe Mode to check if one of the extensions ("3-bar" menu button or Tools -> Add-ons -> Extensions) or if hardware acceleration is causing the problem.

• Switch to the DEFAULT theme: "3-bar" menu button or Tools -> Add-ons -> Appearance
• Do NOT click the "Refresh Firefox" button on the Safe Mode start window

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Safe+Mode
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Troubleshooting+extensions+and+themes

Ahh, I looked at add-ons, but not extensions!

Thanks!! this totally fixed it for me. In safe mode, it worked normally, so I went into extensions and turned off all that I didn't need and it works fine now. So thanks!!! And thanks to the-edmeister, he was pointing in the right direction.

Solved!!