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Firefox loads previous session instead of opening new in home tabs

  • 9 cavab
  • 23 have this problem
  • 7 views
  • Last reply by cor-el

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Using Firefox 21.0 in Windows 8. Everything is set and updated as it should be, but when I open a new browser session it retains all the tabs and history from the previous session. Pressing the home button will open my selected home tabs.

Using Firefox 21.0 in Windows 8. Everything is set and updated as it should be, but when I open a new browser session it retains all the tabs and history from the previous session. Pressing the home button will open my selected home tabs.

All Replies (9)

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Is Firefox being closed down properly on exit or turn off?

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You can check if you have an user.js file in the Firefox profile folder that sets the browser.sessionstore.resume_session_once pref to true.

You can use this button to go to the Firefox profile folder:

  • Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory: Show Folder

You can check for problems with the sessionstore.js and sessionstore.bak files in the Firefox profile folder that store session data.

Delete the sessionstore.js file and possible sessionstore-##.js files with a number and sessionstore.bak in the Firefox profile folder.

Deleting sessionstore.js will cause App Tabs and Tab Groups and open and closed (undo) tabs to get lost and you will have to recreate them (make a note or bookmark them).

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i followed your suggestion regarding tabs closed on a previous session re-appearing when you start a new session. You suggested Delete the sessionstore.js file and possible sessionstore-##.js files with a number and sessionstore.bak in the Firefox profile folder.

Great idea except...when i opened the next session...there were the tabs from the last session....

Any further ideas ????

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What is a proper exit? I close the window with the red X in the upper Right hand corner.

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Try to use the entry in the Firefox or File menu to close Firefox to see if that works better.

  • "Firefox > Exit" (Windows: Firefox/File > Exit; Mac: Firefox > Quit Firefox; Linux: Firefox/File > Quit)

Modified by cor-el

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As cor-el said, that is how you properly close Firefox.

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Feer56 and Cor-el, I don't see a significant difference between using the red x in the upper right corner of the browser window or choosing exit from the drop-down menu, but I did try it 3 times. It did not make a difference, the tabs remain the same.

Also, Cor-el, I don't really understand your main post. I forwarded it to my IT guy, but I haven't heard back from him yet.

Thank you both, and please keep trying.

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Hello,

Try Firefox Safe Mode to see if the problem goes away. Safe Mode is a troubleshooting mode, which disables most add-ons.

(If you're not using it, switch to the Default theme.)

  • You can open Firefox 4.0+ in Safe Mode by holding the Shift key when you open the Firefox desktop or Start menu shortcut.
  • Or open the Help menu and click on the Restart with Add-ons Disabled... menu item while Firefox is running.

Once you get the pop-up, just select "'Start in Safe Mode"

If the issue is not present in Firefox Safe Mode, your problem is probably caused by an extension, and you need to figure out which one. Please follow the Troubleshoot extensions, themes and hardware acceleration issues to solve common Firefox problems article for that.

To exit the Firefox Safe Mode, just close Firefox and wait a few seconds before opening Firefox for normal use again.

When you figure out what's causing your issues, please let us know. It might help other users who have the same problem.

Thank you.

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Your system details list shows that you have a user.js file in the Firefox profile folder and this file may be causing preference settings that cause problems.

You can use this button to go to the Firefox profile folder:

  • Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory: Show Folder

Windows hides some file extensions by default.
Among them are .html and .ini and .js and .txt, so you may only see a name without file extension.
You can see the real file type if you open the Properties via the right-click context menu