# Middle Click Not Opening New Tabs in Firefox **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 6, 2011, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-click-not-opening-new-tabs-in-firefox/595411 "2011-09-06T17:40:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-click-not-opening-new-tabs-in-firefox/595411/1 "2011-09-06T17:40:10Z")
My mouse randomly decided to not open tabs when clicking on hyperlinks in Firefox sometime overnight. I have already checked the the mouse properties to make sure the middle click functionality is enabled, and even re-downloaded the driver for my Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500, and both are as they should be. I’ve also opened Firefox is safe mode to make sure none of my extensions are screwing with its functionality, but it doesn’t work there, nor did it help to download the most recent browser version. The scroll function works perfectly, and it even opens my bookmarks in a new tab if I click on them (as well as working perfectly in IE), but it refuses to acknowledge hyperlinks in Firefox. Can anyone help me with this? Right clicking and clicking open link in new tab is pretty annoying after years of using middle click. ---
**Author:** ![Omphaloskeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bcef8e/32.png) [@Omphaloskeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omphaloskeptic)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-click-not-opening-new-tabs-in-firefox/595411/2 "2011-09-06T18:31:09Z")
The first thing that occurs to me is to check the Firefox configuration. Type “about:config” into the URL bar and check the setting of browser.tabs.opentabfor.middleclick – it should be “true”. What currently happens when you middle-click a link – nothing, open in new window, open in current tab, something else? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-click-not-opening-new-tabs-in-firefox/595411/3 "2011-09-06T18:39:34Z")
Nothing at all happens. The value for browser.tabs.opentabfor.middleclick is true. ---
**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:** [September 6, 2011, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-click-not-opening-new-tabs-in-firefox/595411/4 "2011-09-06T19:33:15Z")
Many browsers support this feature as the default setting. Try it in chrome or IE. If it works there, continue looking for the appropriate setting in firefox. If not, concentrate on your mouse settings instead. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-click-not-opening-new-tabs-in-firefox/595411/5 "2011-09-06T22:28:54Z")
It works in IE, and I’ve checked my mouse settings, which are as they should be. I’ve also tried Firefox in safe mode, where it doesn’t work. It seems to be a browser issue. ---
**Author:** ![Petek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/petek/32/1590_2.png) [@Petek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petek)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-click-not-opening-new-tabs-in-firefox/595411/6 "2011-09-06T23:58:56Z")
Same problem reported [here](https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/questions/869069?s=middle+click+does+not+open+tab&as=s). Does anything on that page help? ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-click-not-opening-new-tabs-in-firefox/595411/7 "2011-09-07T02:48:19Z")
Same problem. I went to the previous version of Greasemonkey as recommended, and everything was okay. **Petek** ’s link says that Gm has been fixed, but I haven’t installed the new version. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-click-not-opening-new-tabs-in-firefox/595411/8 "2011-09-07T03:21:57Z")
Thanks, Petek! That did it. Weird that Safe Mode didn’t disable Greasemonkey. Now I am having a problem with left click opening all links in a new tab. I must have changed a setting somewhere when trying to figure out the initial problem and now I can’t change it back. Any help on that one? ---
**Author:** ![Mopquill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Mopquill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mopquill)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-click-not-opening-new-tabs-in-firefox/595411/9 "2011-09-07T17:04:52Z")
You can download a newer version of GreaseMonkey with a bugfix for this very issue here: [Greasemonkey version history - 12 versions – Add-ons for Firefox (en-US)](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/greasemonkey/versions/) It was a compatibility problem with Tab Mix Plus in the GreaseMonkey extension. @Ephemera: Try Tools \> Tab Mix Plus Options, then select the “Links” tab at the top. There should be an option “Force to open in new tab”; change it’s value to “Nothing”. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-click-not-opening-new-tabs-in-firefox/595411/10 "2011-09-07T22:50:24Z")
Every time Firefox upgrades to a new version it breaks my middle click. 6.0.2 just came out last night and sure enough I had to uninstall and reinstall to fix it. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-click-not-opening-new-tabs-in-firefox/595411/11 "2011-09-08T01:25:09Z")
Thanks, **Mopquil**. That did it. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/middle-click-not-opening-new-tabs-in-firefox/595411/12 "2011-09-08T04:42:49Z")
I guess my announcement went by without anyone reading it. ☹ I tried to warn you guys about this bug.