Hello Dawna.

Go into Tools > Options > Tabs > Open links that open in a new window on:new tab. That should fix your issue.

In any case, you can always middle-click any links you want to open in a new tab. Middle-clicking is pressing the scroll-wheel on your mouse.

Hello Morbus, and thank you for your reply. That box is already checked, as are all the other boxes under TOOLS> OPTIONS> TABS. The middle wheel suggestion sounds good, but I use a touch pad instead of a mouse. I'm pretty set in my way of using the touch pad (several years) and I'm really not willing to try and retrain my brain as far as that goes.

I think some changes were made in about:config by another unauthorized user to my computer, and I would really like to know how to remedy things using about:config.

If that's the case, we should be able to detect it: please type about:support in your address bar and press ENTER, then click "Copy all to clipboard". Then paste here. Hopefully that will give me a bit more information to work with.

Hotmail uses JavaScript to open those links, so you can't middle-click them as that will give an empty tab. A normal left click should work though AFAIK.

Start Firefox in Diagnose Firefox issues using Troubleshoot Mode to check if one of your add-ons is causing your problem (switch to the DEFAULT theme: Tools > Add-ons > Themes). See Troubleshoot extensions, themes and hardware acceleration issues to solve common Firefox problems and Troubleshoot issues with plugins like Flash or Java to fix common Firefox problems

same problem just started - firefox opens a new tab when i click hotmail on msn.com. what a nuisance

I have this problem too. I can't figure it out. Instead of opening in a new tab, it opens in a new window after I did the about: config thing. I have those tabs in the tools areas checked too.

I don't have browser.link.open_external on mine. I have browser.link.open_newwindow and browser.link.open_newwindow.restriction

It's so annoying!

Hi Morbus,

Please forgive the very delayed response. It is due to illness. I have copied and pasted the information as you instructed, and maybe you might have some insight as to what is going on. Any input is much appreciated.

 Application Basics

       Name
       Firefox

       Version
       3.6.3

       Profile Directory

         Open Containing Folder

       Installed Plugins

         about:plugins

       Build Configuration

         about:buildconfig

 Extensions

       Name

       Version

       Enabled

       ID

       Microsoft .NET Framework Assistant
       1.2.1
       true
       {20a82645-c095-46ed-80e3-08825760534b}

       HP Smart Web Printing
       4.60
       false
       smartwebprinting@hp.com

       Google Toolbar for Firefox
       7.0.20100326W
       true
       {3112ca9c-de6d-4884-a869-9855de68056c}

       KeyScrambler
       2.6.0.0
       true
       keyscrambler@qfx.software.corporation

       BetterPrivacy
       1.47.4
       true
        

       DownloadHelper
       4.7.3
       true
        

       Java Console
       6.0.18
       true
        

       ColorfulTabs
       4.6
       true
       {0545b830-f0aa-4d7e-8820-50a4629a56fe}

       Personas
       1.5.3
       true
       personas@christopher.beard

       Open Profile Folder
       1.3.2
       false
        

       Java Console
       6.0.20
       true
        

       Fasterfox
       3.8.4
       false
        

       Aviary
       0.8.7.2
       true
        

       Flash Killer
       1.2.1
       true
       flashkiller@joli.clic

       Fasterfox (EladKarako Mod)
       3.1.2b
       true
        

       Skype extension for Firefox
       4.2.0.5198
       true
        

 Modified Preferences

     Name

     Value

       browser.history_expire_days_min
       1

       browser.link.open_newwindow
       1

       browser.places.importBookmarksHTML
       false

       browser.places.smartBookmarksVersion
       2

       browser.startup.homepage
       http://www.msn.com/

       browser.startup.homepage_override.mstone
       rv:1.9.2.3

       browser.tabs.loadInBackground
       false

       dom.event.contextmenu.enabled
       false

       extensions.lastAppVersion
       3.6.3

       font.name.serif.x-western
       Palatino Linotype

       font.size.variable.x-western
       17

       general.useragent.extra.microsoftdotnet
       ( .NET CLR 3.5.30729)

       network.dnsCacheEntries
       512

       network.dnsCacheExpiration
       3600

       network.http.max-connections
       40

       network.http.max-connections-per-server
       16

       network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-proxy
       12

       network.http.pipelining
       true

       network.http.pipelining.firstrequest
       true

       network.http.pipelining.maxrequests
       6

       network.http.proxy.pipelining
       true

       places.last_vacuum
       1276093538

       print.print_printer
       HP Officejet J4500 Series

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_bgcolor
       true

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_bgimages
       true

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_command

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_downloadfonts
       false

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_edge_bottom
       0

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_edge_left
       0

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_edge_right
       0

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_edge_top
       0

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_evenpages
       true

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_footercenter

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_footerleft
       &PT

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_footerright
       &D

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_headercenter

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_headerleft
       &T

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_headerright
       &U

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_in_color
       true

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_margin_bottom
       0.5

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_margin_left
       0.5

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_margin_right
       0.5

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_margin_top
       0.5

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_oddpages
       true

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_orientation
       0

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_pagedelay
       500

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_paper_data
       1

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_paper_height
       11.00

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_paper_size_type
       0

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_paper_size_unit
       0

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_paper_width
       8.50

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_reversed
       false

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_scaling
       1.00

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_shrink_to_fit
       true

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_to_file
       false

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_unwriteable_margin_bottom
       0

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_unwriteable_margin_left
       0

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_unwriteable_margin_right
       0

       print.printer_HP_Officejet_J4500_Series.print_unwriteable_margin_top
       0

       privacy.cpd.extensions-betterprivacy
       true

       privacy.cpd.siteSettings
       true

       privacy.sanitize.migrateFx3Prefs
       true

       privacy.sanitize.timeSpan
       0

       security.warn_viewing_mixed
       false

It seems it's the browser.link.open_newwindow string. It should be set to 3. Do you need help with setting it to 3?

I did that and now it opens in a new tab which was my original problem! I want my e-mail (Hotmail) to open in the same tab, not a new one!

You appear to have the Fasterfox extension installed, currently disabled.
You should reset the network.http prefs that have been changed by that extension to the default.
If you want links to open in the current tab then use a value of 1 for the pref browser.link.open_newwindow

See also:

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/browser.link.open_newwindow
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/browser.link.open_newwindow.restriction

Morbus! That fixed it. I know to type in about:config in the address box and I went in there and changed browser.link.open_newwindow to 3, and that was the solution. Thank you very much for your help.

cor-el, thank you also for your help.

Same problem, but on a Mac, started last night

I want hotmail to open in a new tab NOT a new window. It used to do that and even though I have the box checked for open in new tab, it doesn't work in firefox.

I have the same exact problem. Hotmail opens a new window and not a new tab or in the same window. Why is this happening? Thanks!

oh this fixed my problem below.

typed in about:config in the address box and then I changed browser.link.open_newwindow to 3

you can change it to 3 to open in new tab or to 1 and it will open in same window. thanks for the solution because the was really annoying.

So I tryed typing 1 so when I click on the hotmail link it will stay in the same window but it still opens in a new window. WTF happened does anyone know how to fix. pls

Don

Don--I have the same problem. It's so annoying!

Similar problem. Can open links with a right click and then open in new tab but left clicks only cause it to open in same window but do not load. Ends up a blank tab. Have to backspace then reload to get Hotmail back open.

Clicking the mouse wheel opens the link in a new tab so I just have to make that a new habit and I'll be ok I guess. Just don't know why it stopped working.