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with multiple browser windows open, can I control where a new tab opens?

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  • Impendulo yokugqibela ngu Michael Weis

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I have a Firefox window open...usually watching a sporting event, in full screen on my 2nd monitor

I'm reading an email and come to an article I'd like to read; I click the link; and since FF is my default browser, a new tab opens in an existing window....but it's usually the full screen sports window...which is a pain. Other than using some other browser to watch the game, is there anything I can do to make the new tab open the other FF window?

I have a Firefox window open...usually watching a sporting event, in full screen on my 2nd monitor I'm reading an email and come to an article I'd like to read; I click the link; and since FF is my default browser, a new tab opens in an existing window....but it's usually the full screen sports window...which is a pain. Other than using some other browser to watch the game, is there anything I can do to make the new tab open the other FF window?

All Replies (4)

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Hmm, the built-in choices are either (A) the last active window or (B) a completely new window.

Maybe an add-on could "protect" a particular window by moving new tabs to a different window. It sounds theoretically possible, but I'm not sure how to search for it...

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If you wanted to try out the completely new window option:

(1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter/Return. Click the button promising to be careful or accepting the risk.

(2) In the search box above the list, type or paste extern and pause while the list is filtered

(3) Double-click the browser.link.open_newwindow.override.external preference and set the value to 2 and then click OK

What do you think?


This is one of a group of related preferences, so to see this in more context:

(1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter/Return. Click the button promising to be careful or accepting the risk.

(2) In the search box above the list, type or paste neww and pause while the list is filtered

(3) Adjust the preferences as follows:

(A) browser.link.open_newwindow - for links in Firefox tabs

  • 3 = divert new window to a new tab (default)
  • 2 = allow link to open a new window
  • 1 = force new window into same tab

(B) browser.link.open_newwindow.restriction - for links in Firefox tabs

  • 0 = apply the setting under (A) to ALL new windows (even script windows)
  • 2 = apply the setting under (A) to normal windows, but NOT to script windows with features (default)
  • 1 = override the setting under (A) and always use new windows

(C) browser.link.open_newwindow.override.external - for links in other programs

  • -1 = apply the setting under (A) to external links (default)
  • 3 = open external links in a new tab in the last active window
  • 2 = open external links in a new window
  • 1 = open external links in the last active tab replacing the current page [not recommended!]
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jscher2000, well, thank you. I had thought that when I opened a new window after the streaming window, the new tab would still open in the stream window, but that was wrong. Just tested it and sure enough. So I just have to pay attention. Thanks

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And thanks for the step.by.step for always.new.window but I probably won't...might save it for the future, just in case