# External Links not opening in a new tab?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-opening-in-a-new-tab/384760>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [December 19, 2006, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-opening-in-a-new-tab/384760 "2006-12-19T06:23:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2006, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-opening-in-a-new-tab/384760/1 "2006-12-19T06:23:21Z")

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Up until the last couple days any time I clicked a link within the SDMB the led to to an external site, links to images or citations for example, it would open in a new tab. Now they load in the current tab directing me away from the SDMB.

Now I can account for this by shift+clicking but that’s a hassle. What change would have caused this? Something on the 'dope software? I didn’t update my browser, though I’m gonna now, but has anyone else noticed a change?

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**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2006, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-opening-in-a-new-tab/384760/2 "2006-12-19T15:13:20Z")

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All links on the SDMB, external and internal, always have (and still do) open in a new window for me. Windows XP, IE6.

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**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-opening-in-a-new-tab/384760/3 "2006-12-20T04:10:25Z")

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I’m running Firefox 2.0, and all the links are still opening in new tabs.

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**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-opening-in-a-new-tab/384760/4 "2006-12-20T13:19:30Z")

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Same here - FF2.0, links in SDMB open in new tabs.

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**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-opening-in-a-new-tab/384760/5 "2006-12-20T13:30:32Z")

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What have you changed on your system? To my knowledge, nothing has changed here.

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**Author:** ![According\_to\_Pliny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@According\_to\_Pliny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/According_to_Pliny)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-links-not-opening-in-a-new-tab/384760/6 "2006-12-20T15:53:53Z")

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I’m using IE7 and the links within posts don’t work when clicked.  
I have to right-click or press “properties button” and select Open.