# How can I get back the Mozilla window that shows most common sites in a new tab? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 12, 2015, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-back-the-mozilla-window-that-shows-most-common-sites-in-a-new-tab/724948 "2015-07-12T15:04:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-back-the-mozilla-window-that-shows-most-common-sites-in-a-new-tab/724948/1 "2015-07-12T15:04:57Z")
Following a suggestion from this board to install Ad-Aware to block an recurrent ad, I did so. Not only didn’t it block the ad, it had a side-effect of installing its own search engine so that is what I get when I open a new tab in Mozilla. What I used to get was thumbnails of my most frequently visited sites, which was very convenient. Since Ad-Aware wasn’t blocking the pop-up I uninstalled it. But I cannot back to the thumbnails in a new tab; I still get the Ad-Aware search engine, **which I do not want.** So is there any way to get back to the old setup? Just for the record, on the options menu in Mozilla, I have restored Google as my only search function. But how do I get rid of that damned Ad-Aware search? I can find nothing in the Mozilla options menu about what to open in a new tab. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-back-the-mozilla-window-that-shows-most-common-sites-in-a-new-tab/724948/2 "2015-07-12T15:08:43Z")
Try shutting down mozilla and restarting to make sure that the anti adware program hasnt planted a little virus that automatically switches back your default search everytime yo clos firefox. Also, try opening a second tab and see if the page you are looking for is there. I have the same issue with vosteron hijacking my firefox and I cant kill it. ---
**Author:** ![Ex\_Bubblehead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ex_bubblehead/32/3397_2.png) [@Ex\_Bubblehead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ex_Bubblehead)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-back-the-mozilla-window-that-shows-most-common-sites-in-a-new-tab/724948/3 "2015-07-12T15:34:28Z")
1. Launch Firefox 2. Put **about:config** into the firefox location bar (confirm the info message if it shows up) 3. RightClick on the preference named **browser.newtab.url** 4. Set it to its default value of **about:newtab** ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-back-the-mozilla-window-that-shows-most-common-sites-in-a-new-tab/724948/4 "2015-07-12T15:40:07Z")
I got a warning message when I tried this. It said I might violate my warrenty (to a free program :rolleyes:) Could you please be a little more detailed with your instructions because this might finally be the fix to my default-search,net virus. ---
**Author:** ![Ex\_Bubblehead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ex_bubblehead/32/3397_2.png) [@Ex\_Bubblehead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ex_Bubblehead)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-back-the-mozilla-window-that-shows-most-common-sites-in-a-new-tab/724948/5 "2015-07-12T15:41:50Z")
Just acknowledge the message and continue with the instructions as posted. Can’t be any more detailed that that. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-back-the-mozilla-window-that-shows-most-common-sites-in-a-new-tab/724948/6 "2015-07-12T15:47:24Z")
Thank you. Do you know how I can get rid of the vosteron search that opens in default firefox? Ive tried everything to delete anything vosteron. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-back-the-mozilla-window-that-shows-most-common-sites-in-a-new-tab/724948/7 "2015-07-12T15:52:54Z")
Thank you so much Ex\_Bubblehead. I couldnt have done it without your help. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-back-the-mozilla-window-that-shows-most-common-sites-in-a-new-tab/724948/8 "2015-07-12T17:36:49Z")
It probably wasn’t AdAware that did this. You probably Downloaded AdAware from a third party site which downloaded this additional “benefit” for you. I believe the only other thing AdAware installs is Google Chrome, which isn’t bad, but not everyone’s preference. In any case that is optional if you be sure to unclick the option (something you should probably do for everything) As for your search hijack. If it’s anything like the conduit search hijack, it may also have installed some program like search protect, which will reset the about:config. If when you reboot your computer, the problem reoccurs, you’re going to need to uninstall “search protect” or whatever they call the program, then go through the about:config business again. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-back-the-mozilla-window-that-shows-most-common-sites-in-a-new-tab/724948/9 "2015-07-12T19:14:24Z")
> [@Ex\_Bubblehead](#): > > 1. Launch Firefox > 2. Put **about:config** into the firefox location bar (confirm the info message if it shows up) > 3. RightClick on the preference named **browser.newtab.url** > 4. Set it to its default value of **about:newtab** By God, you got it. Who knew you could do this. When I entered about:config in the address bar, I got a message that was something like, "Here be dragons. Are you sure you want to continue. But I found browser.newtab.url and restored it to default and it worked! Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-back-the-mozilla-window-that-shows-most-common-sites-in-a-new-tab/724948/10 "2015-07-12T19:16:18Z")
> [@OldGuy](#): > > It probably wasn’t AdAware that did this. You probably Downloaded AdAware from a third party site which downloaded this additional “benefit” for you. I believe the only other thing AdAware installs is Google Chrome, which isn’t bad, but not everyone’s preference. In any case that is optional if you be sure to unclick the option (something you should probably do for everything) > > As for your search hijack. If it’s anything like the conduit search hijack, it may also have installed some program like search protect, which will reset the about:config. If when you reboot your computer, the problem reoccurs, you’re going to need to uninstall “search protect” or whatever they call the program, then go through the about:config business again. No, I downloaded it from the Ad-Aware site. And it was the Ad-Aware’s very own browser that was there. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-back-the-mozilla-window-that-shows-most-common-sites-in-a-new-tab/724948/11 "2015-07-13T05:31:16Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > No, I downloaded it from the Ad-Aware site. And it was the Ad-Aware’s very own browser that was there. Ad-aware doesn’t have it’s own browser. So that was a fake site. You should probably run Malwarebytes to get rid of that search hijacker, and any other malware that might have been installed. Download it ONLY from [www.malwarebytes.org](http://www.malwarebytes.org/) ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-back-the-mozilla-window-that-shows-most-common-sites-in-a-new-tab/724948/12 "2015-07-13T16:45:32Z")
I jsut installed and ran Malwarebytes from the link. It installed and ran found and the only thing it found was four potentially unusable files, which I deleted. But no malware.