# L-Ctrl starts Firefox
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-ctrl-starts-firefox/391789
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 12, 2007, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-ctrl-starts-firefox/391789 "2007-02-12T00:36:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2007, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-ctrl-starts-firefox/391789/1 "2007-02-12T00:36:17Z")
Every time I hit the left Ctrl key, I start a new instance of Firefox. If I already have one open, a new browser window starts. Why? And how can I stop it?
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### Author:  [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2007, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-ctrl-starts-firefox/391789/2 "2007-02-12T01:09:26Z")
[QUOTE=Throatwarbler Mangrove]
Every time I hit the left Ctrl key, I start a new instance of Firefox. If I already have one open, a new browser window starts. Why? And how can I stop it?
[/QUOTE]
Is your “N” key stuck down by any chance? I know that you can launch a new instance by pressing Ctrl-N. Just a thought.
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### Author:  [@ChicanoRojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChicanoRojo)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2007, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-ctrl-starts-firefox/391789/3 "2007-02-12T02:13:37Z")
[QUOTE=Throatwarbler Mangrove]
Every time I hit the left Ctrl key, I start a new instance of Firefox. If I already have one open, a new browser window starts. Why? And how can I stop it?
[/QUOTE]
Have you changed the short cut? I use Crtl plus N.
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### Author:  [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2007, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-ctrl-starts-firefox/391789/4 "2007-02-12T04:47:28Z")
I’m not sure I understand. Do you mean a shortcut within windows? I’ve never heard of such a function. Where can I access it?
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### Author:  [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2007, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-ctrl-starts-firefox/391789/5 "2007-02-12T19:39:31Z")
Don’t hit the left Control key.
Ok, ok. Try rebooting if you haven’t already.
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### Author:  [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2007, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-ctrl-starts-firefox/391789/6 "2007-02-12T19:44:52Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Don’t hit the left Control key.
I don’t. Well, except when I want to …you know…start a new instance of firefox.
This has been going on for about a month now. It annoys me because whenever I want to hit Ctrl+\ I have to use the right ctrl key. Sometimes I hit LCtrl by accident in the middle of a game or something and it throws my computer into chaos.
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### Author:  [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2007, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-ctrl-starts-firefox/391789/7 "2007-02-12T21:36:02Z")
Think of what you changed about a month ago? Generally computers will keep working the same way until something new is installed or an existing program has its configuration changed.
Did you install any macro software, toolbars, anything like that? Did you update Firefox around then?
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### Author:  [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2007, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-ctrl-starts-firefox/391789/8 "2007-02-12T23:58:06Z")
[QUOTE=control-z]
Did you update Firefox around then?
[/QUOTE]
Credit to **control-z** for the inspiration, but have you tried uninstalling Firefox and then doing a clean re-install?
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### Author:  [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2007, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-ctrl-starts-firefox/391789/9 "2007-02-13T03:00:02Z")
A few things to try:[ul][li]Swap keyboards.[/li][li]Temporarily change your default browser to IE and see if Ctrl launches it instead.[/li][li]Right-click any Firefox or URL shortcuts on your desktop, go to **Properties** , and check the **Shortcut key** line. It shouldn’t be possible to launch anything using just the Ctrl key, but maybe there is some other odd combination.[/li][\*]Check the registry entries listed [here](http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/input/w2kscan-map.mspx) to see if the key has been remapped.[/ul]
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### Author:  [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2007, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-ctrl-starts-firefox/391789/10 "2007-02-14T04:54:16Z")
Huh. I tried with a different keyboard. The behaviour is not repeated. So it seems to be an issue with this particular keyboard and not a software issue. I trie putting in IE as the default browser, and now it will start a new instance of IE.
Conclusion: My LCtrl key has spontaneously mutated into a “Start Web Browser” key. OK, not really, because I had washed it a few weeks ago, but still very strange.
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### Author:  [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2007, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-ctrl-starts-firefox/391789/11 "2007-02-14T05:25:18Z")
[QUOTE=Throatwarbler Mangrove]
Conclusion: My LCtrl key has spontaneously mutated into a “Start Web Browser” key. OK, not really, because I had washed it a few weeks ago, but still very strange.
[/QUOTE]
Aha, you probably shouldn’t have paid extra for the Hot Wax option.
“Kryten, what do you mean you _washed_ the computer?”
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### Author:  [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2007, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-ctrl-starts-firefox/391789/12 "2007-02-14T05:30:46Z")
OK, fine, I may have been a bit too vigourous with the washing last time, but still, this has never happened before. 😛