# automatic scrolling to previous link in Firefox **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 4, 2004, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-scrolling-to-previous-link-in-firefox/278036 "2004-12-04T06:49:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sandlegs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@Sandlegs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sandlegs)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-scrolling-to-previous-link-in-firefox/278036/1 "2004-12-04T06:49:42Z")
I will try to explain this without being confusing. I have noticed that several websites, the dope too, that when in Firefox you click on the link, and then you hit the back button, and you want it to automatically scroll down to where you were last, but it doesn’t. On some websites it works. How do I fix this problem? ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-scrolling-to-previous-link-in-firefox/278036/2 "2004-12-04T07:09:17Z")
Avoid using the Back button, maybe? I rarely use it. Instead, middle-click the link and let it load in a tab in the background. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-scrolling-to-previous-link-in-firefox/278036/3 "2004-12-04T09:11:06Z")
> [@Sandlegs](#): > > I will try to explain this without being confusing. I have noticed that several websites, the dope too, that when in Firefox you click on the link, and then you hit the back button, and you want it to automatically scroll down to where you were last, but it doesn’t. On some websites it works. How do I fix this problem? All the Firefox virgins on the forums seem to ask this question. And, having used Mozilla for years now (and opening ridiculous numbers of windows in Netscape before that), it puzzles me. Going down and picking threads in the forums is about the perfect situation for tabs. Read one while another’s loading. Load several, no wait between 'em. And the threads page won’t be jumping around with new threads and old ones being bumped and everything getting out of order in the meantime. It would never occur to me to do what y’all are doing; using tabs is natural for me now. Suffice it to say, this probably seems like a minor bug to the Firefox developers, since long-time users just _never encounter it due to our browsing style_. And I haven’t heard any extensions to fix it either. My recommendation is obviously to try out the tabs feature; even if you don’t get convinced it’s better like I am, you’ll at very least not be getting all sorts of browser hijacks and spyware programs. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-scrolling-to-previous-link-in-firefox/278036/4 "2004-12-04T09:38:21Z")
Besides, I just tried it in Firefox 1.0 and it does remember the scroll position, at least on this forum. Maybe they got tired of the complaints. ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-scrolling-to-previous-link-in-firefox/278036/5 "2004-12-04T11:39:52Z")
Doesn’t for me, and I’d rather not open and close tabs all the time for this particular task. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-scrolling-to-previous-link-in-firefox/278036/6 "2004-12-04T12:36:37Z")
Could it be a cookie thing? I have cookies blocked generally, but I allow [boards.straightdope.com](http://boards.straightdope.com) to set cookies. So I don’t have to log in all the time, and because I trust them. ---
**Author:** ![partlycloudy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/partlycloudy/32/3114_2.png) [@partlycloudy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/partlycloudy)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-scrolling-to-previous-link-in-firefox/278036/7 "2004-12-04T21:30:54Z")
I do the same thing as **Excalibre**. Open a forum, and if you see a topic you want to read, right click to open it in a new tab. Makes my life… err, I mean, browsing experience… so much simpler. I understand the OP **Sandlegs**. Don’t know why that happens though. Ebay used to do it to me all the time. (til I learned the technique I just referred to)