Does it help if you click such an empty square on the new tab page to open such a page?

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/thumbnails-on-new-tab-page-are-missing

The thumbnails on the about:newtab page are generated from the cache, so if the page is not in the cache or otherwise can't or won't (secure pages) be rendered as a PNG image then you will get an empty box.

• Do not use Clear Recent History to clear data like the cache and the history when you close Firefox

If there is no history then you get an about:newtab page with empty boxes (no URLs).

Hi - Thanks for the post. I can not click on an empty square to open anything. The blank squares are truly empty, not just missing the thumbnails. I'm pretty sure I messed this feature up when I cleared my history. Now it doesn't seem to be acquiring new history & I don't know how to make it start up again. Any ideas on how to tell it to start gathering history again?

Can you drag an bookmark or history item in to such an empty square?

Are you keeping history?

• Tools > Options > Privacy > Firefox will: "Use custom settings for history"

Make sure that you do not run Firefox in (permanent) Private Browsing mode.

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Private+Browsing

• Tools > Options > Privacy > Firefox will: "Use custom settings for history"
• Deselect: [ ] "Always use private browsing mode"

Yes, I can drag sites to the empty spaces. Some show thumbnails, some do not. I do appear to be keeping history, and I double checked my settings -- I am not in permanent private browsing mode. I guess it is fine that I can drag sites to those spaces, but I kind of liked it when those spaces were being filled based on my usage. Otherwise I can just use my toolbar. I dunno...

Does it help to close and restart Firefox?

In case you are using "Clear history when Firefox closes" do not clear Browsing History and probably also do not clear cache.

WOW! That did it. What a simple solution. Thank you for sticking with me. Your help is SO greatly appreciated!

You're welcome

I have no empty thumbnail boxes on my new tab page. How do i restore them?