Firefox automatically opens New Window with same page

Discussion of bugs in Mozilla Firefox
jimbeam
Posts: 4
Joined: July 6th, 2009, 11:41 pm

Firefox automatically opens New Window with same page

Post by jimbeam »

Hi, I am using Firefox 3.5 on my PC laptop. Now and then (about once an hour), if i'm browsing using tabs, Firefox will suddenly open a new window with the page I'm looking at. The original tab will have disappeared from the original window. I never click on anything, and it doesn't seem to be limited to any particular website. Has this ever happened to anyone before? It's incredibly annoying!
teoli2003
Posts: 5091
Joined: November 10th, 2005, 2:54 am
Contact:

Re: Firefox automatically opens New Window with same page

Post by teoli2003 »

You have dragged the tab outside the tab bar; just drag it back.
jimbeam
Posts: 4
Joined: July 6th, 2009, 11:41 pm

Re: Firefox automatically opens New Window with same page

Post by jimbeam »

possible, but it also happens when i am not touching either the mouse or keyboard
mpz
Posts: 244
Joined: February 4th, 2009, 3:06 pm

Re: Firefox automatically opens New Window with same page

Post by mpz »

The same thing was happening with me. I solved it for now by using the Menu Editor extension to remove the "Open in a New Window" command that's located on the right context menu of each tab.
jimbeam
Posts: 4
Joined: July 6th, 2009, 11:41 pm

Re: Firefox automatically opens New Window with same page

Post by jimbeam »

ok thanks I will try that and see how it goes
jimbeam
Posts: 4
Joined: July 6th, 2009, 11:41 pm

Re: Firefox automatically opens New Window with same page

Post by jimbeam »

nope, still no good. a new window still automatically opens now and again, perhaps once or twice an hour. i cant think of anything else i'm doing to encourage this. help anyone?
User avatar
LoudNoise
New Member
Posts: 39900
Joined: October 18th, 2007, 1:45 pm
Location: Next door to the west

Re: Firefox automatically opens New Window with same page

Post by LoudNoise »

Download this and see if the problem goes away: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12276
Post wrangler
"Choose between the Food Select Feature or other Functions. If no food or function is chosen, Toast is the default."
alfarodix
Posts: 1
Joined: July 31st, 2009, 2:17 am

Re: Firefox automatically opens New Window with same page

Post by alfarodix »

I am facing the same problem with FF3.5 in all computers where I have installed FF3.5.

It happens when I right-click and select "Open Link in New Tab". Not always, but very frequent.
haydn
Posts: 7
Joined: January 9th, 2004, 2:35 am

Re: Firefox automatically opens New Window with same page

Post by haydn »

I am seeing this with FF 3.5.5. It is terribly annoying. The workaround is to copy the URL back to a TAB in the original window and close out the rogue window that opened without permission. But this should not be necessary. I hope the next version of FF addresses this and provides absolute control over when a page opens in a new window. It should NEVER happen at random as it does currently. I like the feature of being able to spin a page out to a new window. But I want it to happen at a time of MY choosing.
haydn
Posts: 7
Joined: January 9th, 2004, 2:35 am

Re: Firefox automatically opens New Window with same page

Post by haydn »

Have upgraded to FF 3.5.6. I am keeping my fingers crossed but so far it has not spun off any pages to a new window without permission. Did not see anything in the list of fixes that would indicate that the problem was fixed. Just have to keep hoping.
haydn
Posts: 7
Joined: January 9th, 2004, 2:35 am

Re: Firefox automatically opens New Window with same page

Post by haydn »

I posted too soon. Just had the first occurrence of a Tab spinning off into its own window without permission. This has been going on since July 7 and version 3.5 (per this thread) and its still a bug. Since its a real bug, I am averse to installing an extension or addon in order to work around the bug.

As I see it, you can cluster Tabs into a single Window at your own risk. With no warning any of the Tabs may suddenly spin off into their Window.
User avatar
dickvl
Posts: 54145
Joined: July 18th, 2005, 3:25 am

Re: Firefox automatically opens New Window with same page

Post by dickvl »

You can drag such a tab that has been teared-off back to the tab bar of the original window.
That will automatically close that (now empty) window.

Firefox 3.5 has a new feature called ''tear-off tabs'' that makes it possible to detach a tab from the current window and open it in a new window.
You can drag that tab back to the tab bar in the original window to undo that detaching.
See Firefox 3.5 FAQ: Look here first! • mozillaZine Forums

bug489729 (Disable detach and tear off tab): https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/12276
haydn
Posts: 7
Joined: January 9th, 2004, 2:35 am

Re: Firefox automatically opens New Window with same page

Post by haydn »

Thanks, Dick

I've installed the add-on for bug489729. It does fix the problem, in the same that a sledgehammer can be used to crack an egg. The "tear-off tab" feature is potentially useful. The add-on not only disables that feature so that tabs can no longer be dragged off to open in a new window, it also disables the action of the Right-Click menu option "Open in a New Window" (even though the menu option still appears active, that is, ungreyed).

The real bug is that tabs were being "torn off" by much more than dragging them off the tab bar. Sometimes even innocuous mouse movements were being interpreted as tear-off requests, much to the chagrin of the totally surprised user. If that is the bug addressed by bug489729, I would like to be able to track its resolution so that I can uninstall the add-on when it is no longer needed. Is there a means to track the progress of its resolution?
Alan Baxter
Posts: 4419
Joined: May 30th, 2005, 2:01 pm
Location: Colorado, USA

Re: Firefox automatically opens New Window with same page

Post by Alan Baxter »

haydn wrote:The add-on not only disables that feature so that tabs can no longer be dragged off to open in a new window, it also disables the action of the Right-Click menu option "Open in a New Window" (even though the menu option still appears active, that is, ungreyed).

You appear to be mistaken. In a new test profile that has only the bug489729 (Disable detach and tear off tab) extension installed, the Right-Click menu option "Open in a New Window" opens the tab in a new window for me. You might have some kind of extension conflict.

If that is the bug addressed by bug489729, I would like to be able to track its resolution so that I can uninstall the add-on when it is no longer needed. Is there a means to track the progress of its resolution?

Bug 489729 was fixed in Fx 3.5.4
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=489729
haydn
Posts: 7
Joined: January 9th, 2004, 2:35 am

Re: Firefox automatically opens New Window with same page

Post by haydn »

I am running version 3.5.6 and the bug still exists. With no warning a tab will suddenly spin off into its own window. Fortunately, I know now that the tab in its own window can be forcibly dragged back to it original location. Its annoying when it happens and its like playing whack-a-mole to keep the tabs in place, but at least its manageable.
Locked