How can I turn off the New Tab pictures? I want a blank page

[Frank Lion]

I am using FF for 14 years now

Which is quite a feat seeing as Firefox was first released 8 years ago.

If in all that time, you cannot even change one about:entry then you need to be using a more basic browser. Try AOL or something.

[Manuzzi]

Oke, it has been Netscape berfore. excuse I will never post my disappointment again and quit this forum first. Don't like the reactions. Right, mine was not friendly too.

[James]

I am using FF for 14 years now

Which is quite a feat seeing as Firefox was first released 8 years ago.

If referring to the Firefox 0.8 released in April 2004 then yes. Even longer if referring to Phoenix 0.1 released back in September 2002, but still not quite close to fourteen years ago. I do not consider Firefox 1.0 to be when it was officially released as some people claim.

[PreacherJohn]

Because it provides a benefit for most people to get to their frequently accessed sites?

I see your point, but wouldn't it better as a speed dial of customizable user-defined bookmarks rather than trawling from the recent history?

You can, but it's not exactly intuitive.

#1. Open all the sites that you want to add to 'New Page'.
#2. Now open a new tab, right click and select 'Open in new window.
#3. Resize windows so that you can see both at the same time.
#4. Drag the urlbar favicon of the site to be bookmarked into the selected position on the New Tab page.
#5. The bookmark seems to get pinned (blue pin) automatically and persists across restarts.

I discovered this by accident and this feature really should have a much better default way of doing this. As I keep almost zero history, this feature was pretty useless to me, as it was.

Incidentally, experience in forums has shown me that ranters rarely let new information stand in the way of a good rant. So for every 'Thanks for the tip, Frank' type post, I'm sure that there will be 10 'That's all very well, Frank, but why should a user be expected to....' posts.

It is the nature of the world we now live in.

^5 steps to do what I already have with Bookmarks Toolbar, which is not limited to 9 sites and I can populate with a simple 2 step "Bookmark" "Save to"... This is not useful additional functionality.

Thanks for the info anyway.
And double thanks for the fellas upthread for how to change "about:config browser.newtab.url to about:blank".
First time I've ever needed to use about:config in Firefox.
Nasty feeling it won't be the last

[Frank Lion]

^5 steps to do what I already have with Bookmarks Toolbar, which is not limited to 9 sites and I can populate with a simple 2 step "Bookmark" "Save to"... This is not useful additional functionality.

Thanks for the info anyway.

I believe in user choice, whether I personally use a feature or not.

And double thanks for the fellas upthread for how to change "about:config browser.newtab.url to about:blank".

You're welcome.

- viewtopic.php?p=12040787#p12040787

[Annoyed2]

So... FF now has this worthless "new tab" irritation and seems to be going "tabs on top only". Are they working on driving long time users away? I'm sick and tired of worthless "features" that do nothing for my style of use. I'm also tired of being forced to use about:config *every* time there's an update to "fix" some piece of crap "feature" and fully disable it or return FF to a useable state. I *hate* tabs on top. Don't tell me it's intuitive - it's *not* for many users. I like FF for the choice and customizability it provides but it's getting to the point where I just don't want to spend an hour or so with each major "upgrade" to unfix the new crap. While they are at it they can also stop resetting things I've disabled! The new update turned back on "smooth scrolling" and "don't load tabs until selected". Why? If I want to run my browser this way what's it to the developers. I guess they're all becoming like those at Google with their "we know what's best" attitude. Sorry for the long rant but "New Tab" and unasked for changes to my settings really pushed my buttons.

[KWierso]

If an update changes a currently-set-to-default preference to a new default value, that change will be applied to the browser. So when it goes from default-off to default-on, you will have it set to off after the update.
Smooth Scrolling was previously disabled by default. So when 13 came along with a bunch of improvements to the smooth scrolling algorithm and a now-default-on preference for it, it was turned on by default for everyone that had it set off previously.


The only alternative to this that I can think of would be to never be able to change any preference ever, since you can't be sure that the previous setting is something the user wanted to keep or not. And that doesn't seem like a good way to make changes and improvements to the browser.



(Incidentally, I'm one of those long time users, and I love tabs on top, and (with a few upcoming changes to the way it's set up on the backend) the new tab page. So yeah.)

[Frank Lion]

Are they working on driving long time users away? I'm sick and tired of worthless "features" that do nothing for my style of use.

but it's getting to the point where I just don't want to spend an hour or so with each major "upgrade" to unfix the new crap.

Tough, I have zero sympathy with this view.

Go and try the Iron version (more privacy) of the Google Chrome browser. Use the portable apps version, as it leaves no registry entries and the whole folder can just be deleted afterwards. Here's the link - http://sourceforge.net/projects/portabl ... ror=heanet

I mean it, use it. You'll find what I found - you can't do a damn thing with it, tabs on top - fixed, huge wide tapeworm of an addressbar - fixed, toolbar buttons - cannot be changed, other features - all fixed. IE and Safari are the same.

Now look at Firefox - every part can be changed and my Firefox looks and acts exactly as I want it to. So, stop whining as though you're owed something and just be grateful that Firefox exists.

[Phat Spanker]

My vote: nice feature for those who want/use it. I am not a developer, but I suggest Option in option/tabs tab would be nice to fix url to open new tabs to current home page, and new feature, such as:


Open New Tabs using: [ ] Home Page [ ] 9 Most Recent [ ] Last 9 URL's [ ] Blank Page [ ] 9 Custom URL's _______________

But I love Firefox, no complaints here, just suggestions from a man with $0.02.

[Phat Spanker]

My question to moderators, stating "this is not mozilla dev support site..." and "people are voting for changes on the wrong forum because this is not Mozilla.org...."

Why the heck is the forum area titled Firefox Support?
viewforum.php?f=38

It should be titled "Firefox bitching and moaning forum (we don't fix anything on firefox, we just started this mozillazine site for trolling for FF bugs and bitch sessions)".

[James]

My question to moderators, stating "this is not mozilla dev support site..." and "people are voting for changes on the wrong forum because this is not Mozilla.org...."

Why the heck is the forum area titled Firefox Support?
viewforum.php?f=38

What should it be called then, "Not Firefox Support"

Actually this mozillaZine forum is not new as it was started way back on November 4, 2002 which is long before Mozilla finally got their own forum setup for Firefox at support.mozilla.org/questions/ as Mozilla was mainly using the newsgroups and this forum for support help.

[thorshammerbc]

I just tried Guest's method and it hides (kills) the icon completely. I'm now a happy camper.

Well, a happy something for sure.

Seriously, what do you guys get up to that makes you so ashamed for anyone to see your 9 most viewed websites. You're going to have to come up with something a lot more convincing than 'on-line banking' !

What the 9 previews are or are NOT, is not the point.
(And its that same old argument to justify infringing on privacy with "what have you got to hide?". Not the point - we all have boundaries, respect them.)
The point is that for many this is not a useful feature - I use Bookmarks. So its just a nuisance change for us, and we want to TURN IT OFF not just disable it.

Fortunately as stated above, you can. "about:config" is the answer.
But not the one where browser.newtabpage.enabled is changed to "false" - as pointed out, that does the same thing as clicking the grid (and the grid remains, waiting to be clicked on to re-enable).

Instead as also mentioned above, change browser.newtab.url to "about:blank". No more 9 previews, no more grid switch. Gone permanently (until you resort to about:config again).

[patrickjdempsey]

My vote: nice feature for those who want/use it. I am not a developer, but I suggest Option in option/tabs tab would be nice to fix url to open new tabs to current home page, and new feature, such as:


Open New Tabs using: [ ] Home Page [ ] 9 Most Recent [ ] Last 9 URL's [ ] Blank Page [ ] 9 Custom URL's _______________

But I love Firefox, no complaints here, just suggestions from a man with $0.02.

You can change the browser.newtab.url setting to whatever you want:

about:home
about:newtab
about:blank
http://www.yourfavoritesite.com

[wwww]

My vote: nice feature for those who want/use it. I am not a developer, but I suggest Option in option/tabs tab would be nice to fix url to open new tabs to current home page, and new feature, such as:


Open New Tabs using: [ ] Home Page [ ] 9 Most Recent [ ] Last 9 URL's [ ] Blank Page [ ] 9 Custom URL's _______________

But I love Firefox, no complaints here, just suggestions from a man with $0.02.

You can change the browser.newtab.url setting to whatever you want:

about:home
about:newtab
about:blank
http://www.yourfavoritesite.com

Huh?

So, as far as I can see, this very important issue hasn't been resolved at all, has it? Why isn't there a nice clear and simple way to change this ridiculous feature under Tools? It would be a good feature if, and only if, you could choose what items you want to appear in the new tab and disable the automatic entry of new ones.

[patrickjdempsey]

Fine. Complain to Mozilla about it. Personally I consider it a miracle that they added an about:config pref that allows it to be set to whatever you want. People have been requesting this for ages. (Since long before "speed dial" features existed).