Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

I can't seem to get a new tab to open as a blank tab?

  • 6 replies
  • 11 have this problem
  • 5 views
  • Last reply by cor-el

more options

When I open a new tab before an update it would open as either a blank page. Now it opens with this delta search and it is really annoying.

When I open a new tab before an update it would open as either a blank page. Now it opens with this delta search and it is really annoying.

Chosen solution

You need to remove the user.js file in the Firefox profile folder before you can reset those prefs successfully.

See:

You can use this button to go to the Firefox profile folder:

  • Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory: Show Folder (Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder)
Read this answer in context 👍 0

All Replies (6)

more options

You can use the SearchReset extension to reset some preferences to the default values.

Note that the SearchReset extension only runs once and then uninstalls automatically, so it won't show on the "Firefox > Add-ons" page (about:addons).

You an check if you have a user.js file in the profile folder to initialize some prefs on each start of Firefox.

You can use this button to go to the Firefox profile folder:

  • Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory: Show Folder (Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder)

The user.js file is only present if you or other software has created it, so normally it wouldn't be there. you can check its content with a plain text editor if you didn't create this file yourself.

The user.js file is read each time you start Firefox and initializes preferences to the value specified in this file, so preferences set via user.js can only be changed temporarily for the current session.

If present then delete the user.js file.


more options

Ok so it says I have the file but how can I delete it?

more options

Hi Kevin, do you mean deleting a user.js file? When you are viewing it in your profile folder, you can right-click > Delete it.

Two other things:

(1) I also suggest disabling ALL nonessential or unrecognized add-ons on these two tabs:

orange Firefox button (or Tools menu) > Add-ons > Plugins category
orange Firefox button (or Tools menu) > Add-ons > Extensions category

Usually a link will appear above at least one disabled extension to restart Firefox. You can complete your work on the tab and click one of the links as the last step.

If that helps, then you would want to be very selective about re-enabling those add-ons.

(2) You can change your new tab to blank or another URL here:

(i) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter. Click the button promising to be careful.

(ii) In the search box above the list, type or paste newtab and pause while the list is filtered

(iii) Double-click the browser.newtab.url preference and enter your preferred page:

  • Page thumbnails (default) => about:newtab
  • Blank tab => about:blank
  • Built-in Firefox home page => about:home
  • Any other page => full URL to the page

Press Ctrl+t to open a new tab and verify that it worked. Fixed?

more options

Note that delta-search is known to create a user.js file that sets some prefs. so you won't be able to make changes to involved prefs permanently on the about:config page (pref settings in user.js override setting changes made in the previous Firefox session).

more options

Ok so let get this straight if I go to the orange tab then go to add-ons and the extensions I will find that the delta search is there. <-------- I did that and then I disabled it and closed everything out and opened a new window then a new tab. In that tab IT STILL COMES UP DELTA SEARCH. What am I missing?

more options

Chosen Solution

You need to remove the user.js file in the Firefox profile folder before you can reset those prefs successfully.

See:

You can use this button to go to the Firefox profile folder:

  • Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory: Show Folder (Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder)