# Firefox update sets new tabs to blank **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 9, 2008, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-update-sets-new-tabs-to-blank/444608 "2008-04-09T14:24:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-update-sets-new-tabs-to-blank/444608/1 "2008-04-09T14:24:21Z")
Every time I update Firefox (or update an add-on), new tabs load into a blank page. I have to go to tools\>options\>user interface and set it back to browser homepage. Not too high on the list of annoyances, but a PITA nonetheless. Is there an about:config or other setting I can change to avoid having to do this? Thanks, Rhythm ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-update-sets-new-tabs-to-blank/444608/2 "2008-04-09T14:57:04Z")
I’m pretty sure new tabs have always come up blank. When you initially open Firefox, it will display your home page, but ctrl-T will open a new, blank tab. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-update-sets-new-tabs-to-blank/444608/3 "2008-04-09T15:02:51Z")
Click your scroll wheel above the homepage icon and it will always open a new tab with your homepage loaded. ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-update-sets-new-tabs-to-blank/444608/4 "2008-04-09T15:13:12Z")
[QUOTE=Rhythmdvl] Every time I update Firefox (or update an add-on), new tabs load into a blank page. [/QUOTE] Yes, but I don’t think this replaces your Home Page; it is just a one time occurrence for the update. When this happens again just click on the Home Icon and you’ll be taken from the Update Promo to your home page. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-update-sets-new-tabs-to-blank/444608/5 "2008-04-09T15:17:08Z")
Ah, maybe this is a question/feature of the [Tabbrowser Preferences](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/158) add-on. With it, I have a tabbed preferences section in my tools\>options menu. There is a tab for User Interface, and a dropdown box for “New Tab Button: When loading new tabs, load the: (browser, current, or blank page).” I have a simple HTML file saved locally that has a slew of oft-used links on it, and loading a new tab and selecting one of those is much (well, all is relative) easier than loading from a blank page or a Web site. If that’s not standard Firefox fare, then it must be a question for the add-on author. Thanks~ Rhythm ETA: Definitely an add-on issue. I just checked the comments under it, and while it’s generally lauded (I heartily recommend it as well!), others have noticed this little bit of annoyance. But then again, without it I don’t think getting FF to load a custom page in your tabs is possible. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-update-sets-new-tabs-to-blank/444608/6 "2008-04-09T15:31:12Z")
I’m sure there are some people who want it, but I don’t really get why most people would even want a home page to open when you open Firefox. However, I can’t at all understand why _anyone_ would want the home page every time you open a new tab. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-update-sets-new-tabs-to-blank/444608/7 "2008-04-09T15:43:46Z")
[QUOTE=CurtC] I’m sure there are some people who want it, but I don’t really get why most people would even want a home page to open when you open Firefox. However, I can’t at all understand why _anyone_ would want the home page every time you open a new tab. [/QUOTE] My home page is Google with widgets for Wikipedia and [Dictionary.com](http://Dictionary.com). It loads fast. And I can instantly do whatever kind of search I want. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-update-sets-new-tabs-to-blank/444608/8 "2008-04-09T15:47:22Z")
If you’re opening a new tab for a Google search, you might be interested in this: there’s an add-on (don’t remember which one) that allows you to highlight text on the current page, right-click, and select a “search Google for this” option; that search automatically opens in a new tab. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-update-sets-new-tabs-to-blank/444608/9 "2008-04-09T15:51:30Z")
[QUOTE=Rhythmdvl] … I have to go to tools\>options\>user interface and set it back to browser homepage. … [/QUOTE] There’s an easier way, just open the page you want and drag either the link from the the address bar or the tab to the “home” button. This will open a dialog box asking if you want to change your homepage (dragging to the “bookmarks” button opens the “add bookmark” box). CMC +fnord! I’m still using 1.5 but I doubt that this wouldn’t work in 2.0 too. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-update-sets-new-tabs-to-blank/444608/10 "2008-04-09T16:02:49Z")
[QUOTE=Cervaise] … there’s an add-on … [/QUOTE] [Context Search](http://www.cusser.net/extensions/contextsearch/)? > [@](#): > > Context Search transforms the “Web Search for…” context item into a menu containing your Mycroft search plugins. This is very convenient, since it allows you to decide which search engine you use. Firefox’s default is to use the currently selected search plugin only. > [@](#): > > [The Mycroft project](http://mycroft.mozdev.org/) provides a collection of Sherlock & OpenSearch Search Engine Plugins (15152 at the last count) for your web browser. Wouldn’t surf without it! CMC +fnord! ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-update-sets-new-tabs-to-blank/444608/11 "2008-04-09T16:06:29Z")
[QUOTE=CurtC] I’m sure there are some people who want it, but I don’t really get why most people would even want a home page to open when you open Firefox. However, I can’t at all understand why _anyone_ would want the home page every time you open a new tab. [/QUOTE] Look at the OP’s description right above you. It isn’t my preference, either, but it makes sense. He’s got a large links page as a local file. The obvious rebuttal is “why don’t you just bookmark all that stuff, and use the personal toolbar for the really common ones?”. Different strokes, etc. Presumably, he’d rather look at that page than use the bookmarks menu. Aside - concerning the Personal toolbar: I use the favicon picker add on which allows you to edit the favicons for bookmarks. This allows me to assure unique favicons for bookmarks displayed on the personal toolbar, so that I can remove the text titles, and cram a lot of links on it. ---
**Author:** ![J\_Cubed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@J\_Cubed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J_Cubed)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-update-sets-new-tabs-to-blank/444608/12 "2008-04-09T16:11:18Z")
I have Tabbrowser Preferences, and this happens to me every fricking time anything updates. It’s so annoying, that I don’t always accept updates to other plugins, like NoScript, just so I don’t have to fix the setting. The best workaround is to just learn to hit “Home” when you want a new tab (and have it set to open in a new tab instead of clobbering whatever you’re looking at). Having my home page open in each new tab is important: it’s a custom web app that I wrote to store all my bookmarks; I only use browser bookmarks for temporary stuff.