Upgrading to new version changes new tab behavior
Whenever I use the search window, I always want the results in a new tab; when I click on one of the results, I always want the clicked on link to open in a new tab so that the list of search results remains in its own tab UNTIL I CHOOSE TO CLOSE IT. Whenever I click on a link on a site, I want the page with the link to remain and for the new link to open in a new tab.
How do I get this behavior to remain forever and why does firefox, google, yahoo whomever keep trying to change this ? I do not want to use a key combo (Alt+) or whatever for those rare occasions I want to do those; I never want to see any other behavior
The about:config change false=> true no longer works?
Why are upgrades unable to just read a users preferences and maintain them after each upgrade. If I wanted someone else deciding how I use a browser, I'd use MSIE.
All Replies (13)
Type about:config<enter> in the address bar. If a warning screen comes up, press the Be Careful button. At the top of the screen is a search bar.
Find browser.search.openintab and set it to true
It already is:
browser.search.openintab ..... Userset ...... boolean ..... true
That preference is for Firefox's search bar and doesn't affect what happens with links within web pages.
Assuming you use Google, your preference to launch each result in a new window/tab instead of the same window/tab can be updated here and then is stored in a cookie:
https://www.google.com/preferences
(It says window, but since windows are diverted to tabs, you can read it as tab.)
jscher2000 said
That preference is for Firefox's search bar and doesn't affect what happens with links within web pages. Assuming you use Google, your preference to launch each result in a new window/tab instead of the same window/tab can be updated here and then is stored in a cookie: https://www.google.com/preferences (It says window, but since windows are diverted to tabs, you can read it as tab.)
I wasn't speaking about web pages (that works just fine, well half the time).
OP starts with "Whenever I use the search window,"
The top of the Firefox window had two places that you can type:
URL Search - Is this not firefox's search window ?
Yes, I know there are methods to change the default behavior of Yahoo / Google. I have to use them every couple of Firefox upgrades
The default search engine however is Yahoo; Google is the only alternate, all others were removed as options. Both were working just fine before the recent Firefox upgrade. After these troublesome Firefox upgrades (on average every 2 or 3, I'd say), I would have to go in would do an upgrade, I used to be able to change it using the method describe here
http://www.worldstart.com/open-browser-search-results-in-a-new-tab/
Now I used to think that Google / Yahoo was doing this but it seems too coincidental that the behavior always starts immediately after a Firefox upgrade.
I was able to make Google work again using the same methos linked above, but there is no longer a preferences option as describe in said link for Yahoo. The annoyance stems from the fact that every couple of Firefox upgrades, I have to go back and redo this exercise. And with the linked method no longer offering the Preferences access, I was stuck
Since my last post, I did find a way to do it
.... but again, every couple of Firefox upgrades forces me thru this silly exercise and with the increased frequency of upgrades, this is very annoying. I almost miss the old days with many months between upgrades.
Such a choice is stored in a cookie on your computer in the profile folder. If you lose this setting then it is likely that you lost this cookie. Note that this isn't really a Firefox problem, but a setting that the search engine website should support. You only need to make sure to keep the cookie that stores this choice and possibly create an allow cookie exception.
What is erasing the cookie ?
1. All is working fine. 2. Get notice that FF needs an upgrade 3. Install the upgrade 4. Cookie gone
I was wondering if the situation was the result of FF's new private browsing feature (which forces me to log in to all regularly visited sites that used to "remember" me), and perhaps it is, but this has been happening for years.
I have had to do this no less than than a dozen times in last few years.
When you are in Private Browsing mode then Firefox uses a separate cookie jar and all cookies expire when you close the PB mode session (all PB mode windows). You can't use the feature of website remembering you if you want to use PB mode. In PB mode all data is kept in memory and not stored in the profile folder.
No way to create exceptions ?
You could use normal Firefox. Then remove history or whatever you want when you close Firefox.
Type about:preferences#privacy<enter> in the address bar. The button next to History, select Use Custom Settings.
At the bottom of the page, turn on Clear History When Firefox Closes. At the far right, press the Settings button.
You can create cookie exceptions in PB mode that work in both modes, but that is only about an allow or block exception that work the same in regular mode and PB mode. It is not possible to use regular mode cookies in PB mode or keep cookies created in PB mode. You will have to stay away from PB mode if you want to use the feature of a website remember you via cookies.
I heard about an add-on that lets you designate cookies you want to save across sessions, even as you clear/lose other cookies, but I don't recall whether it works in automatic private browsing mode.
cor-el said
You can create cookie exceptions in PB mode that work in both modes, but that is only about an allow or block exception that work the same in regular mode and PB mode. It is not possible to use regular mode cookies in PB mode or keep cookies created in PB mode. You will have to stay away from PB mode if you want to use the feature of a website remember you via cookies.
I don't mind not having cookies that "remember me". The system will prompt me for the user name and all I have to do is type password in the worst case, sometimes just typing the 1st letter of user name prompts both user name and password (stored on system).
But settings on how the browser works is another thing. Back in "the ole days" opening in a new tab was the default behavior, can't imagine why someone thought it was a good idea to change it. Ought to be able to create an exception for this .... and / or use an addon that was basically a script to do the manual changes linked above each time you open FF.
Your Firefox search bar setting shouldn't change depending on whether you are in private or regular windows.
The way websites code their links on their pages (search results pages or otherwise) is up to them. I don't recall any feature of Firefox that would override links set to open in the current tab so they opened in a new tab. As far as I know, that was always something for which you needed an extension like Tab Mix Plus.