In Firefox 41 that browser.newtab.url pref is gone. That pref was being abused by malware so frequently that Mozilla decided to remove that pref to eliminate that type of hijack. You will need an extension such as this to restore it. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/new-tab-override/

Or for having your homepage as the new tab page, try this extension. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/new-tab-homepage/

If you are using Classic Theme Restorer, go into CTR options > Tabs (1) section and set your preference for the new tab URL there.

For Super Start you can use the about:superstart page.

For New Tab Override, there's an extra step: you can set the preferred Google page address using either:

• Options button for that extension on the Add-ons page (screen shots)
• extensions.newtaboverride@agenedia.com.url preference in about:config

Ok guys, I tried your add-on suggestion, but found that it doesn't solve the problem, merely requires us to make an extra step for a purely cosmetic change (since we can still use the address bar to enter our search words on the blank page alternative).

Speaking for myself, I'm asking for a Firefox option to choose at least our home page over the enhanced page when clicking on a new tab, both for cosmetic reasons as well as to improve the display speed vs. the slower and clunky "enhanced" page (something I have little need for given my most used web pages are bookmarked). What say you?

Hi nevet9, here in support we are working with the Firefox we have today. To submit feature suggestions for future versions of Firefox, you can use the following page:

https://input.mozilla.org/feedback

Understand what you're working, sir jscher2000, and that's what we're asking you to support...to reintroduce a user option either in the current FF version, or if that's not possible, support it for the next update with whatever tweaks it may need to protect from the claimed 'malware abuse' (which I for one don't understand, but obviously there's no requirement that I do).

Whatever, but rather than just pass the buck here and drop it, I'm sure YOUR in-house strong support to push for such change with your fellow gurus would be a lot more effective than a few requests from the masses, don't you agree? That said, and while you hopefully seriously consider doing at least that, I may (time permit) still post where you've pointed us, assuming it will accept requests to reconsider and polish up an existing prior design vs asking for an entirely new feature.

See also:

• [/questions/1086813#answer-789449]

Hi nevet9, FYI, I'm not in-house, just another user. Sorry if it sounds like passing the buck, but I donate a lot of time already.

And I apologize in turn for assuming you're a part of the Mozilla super-high-paid technical staff assigned to respond to questions here. Don't know how or why I assumed that, just did I guess, but can't imagine any soul short of a masochist who would voluntarily subject themselves to all the flak you must have to cheerfully accept in your role. Whatever, guess someone has to do it, so mucho kudos for your enterprising ability to do so!

Oh well, since I've never never made a mistaken assumption before in 84 some years of living (other than during a brief stint selling Brooklyn bridges that is), I guess I'm entitled to a first, right? LOL And actually, despite any and all your protestations to the contrary, I suspect your input to the legit FF gurus must still carry a heckava lot more weight than from we peons, so get on board son and go for it! :-)