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How Do You Stop New Links/Tabs Stacking On Top of Each Other in one 'pile' on far left above address bar?

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  • Last reply by StevenB

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Whenever I open a new link/website tab FF stacks each site (tab, that is) on top of each other rather than having all the tabs displayed across the top. I want to have all NEW website tabs not stacked on top of each other. Presently, I have to 'X' out of each open tab that is in a stack to get to the one buried to the one I want below. I also do not want to hover over the FF icon on taskbar to display all open windows/tabs (that I can barely make out) to try to find what I am looking for .

I can't get each new link/tab to open next to the one to the left. I want the tabs to look like first photo. All the tabs -websites are stacked on top of each other to the far right (second photo). I want my FF pages/tabs to properly look like the first screen shot on left (this shot is from my laptop....issue is with desktop computer), and not the screen shot on right that shows one tab/windows but has several more websites/tabs under it.

I do not have any tab extensions installed and all my tab options are unchecked in Options. I think this issue is somewhere in the preferences (about:config). No clue where..

Also, is there a way to have all newly open tabs open first on the far LEFT rather the far right.

Thank you in advance.

Steven

Whenever I open a new link/website tab FF stacks each site (tab, that is) on top of each other rather than having all the tabs displayed across the top. I want to have all NEW website tabs not stacked on top of each other. Presently, I have to 'X' out of each open tab that is in a stack to get to the one buried to the one I want below. I also do not want to hover over the FF icon on taskbar to display all open windows/tabs (that I can barely make out) to try to find what I am looking for . I can't get each new link/tab to open next to the one to the left. I want the tabs to look like first photo. All the tabs -websites are stacked on top of each other to the far right (second photo). I want my FF pages/tabs to properly look like the first screen shot on left (this shot is from my laptop....issue is with desktop computer), and not the screen shot on right that shows one tab/windows but has several more websites/tabs under it. I do not have any tab extensions installed and all my tab options are unchecked in Options. I think this issue is somewhere in the preferences (about:config). No clue where.. Also, is there a way to have all newly open tabs open first on the far LEFT rather the far right. Thank you in advance. Steven
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StevenB modificouno o

Chosen solution

McCoy said

You've got to be kidding ! That same preference is in your own thread that I linked to yesterday : https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1275305 And here I was, searching some more trying to find what could possibly be causing this (thinking you'd be sound asleep); wanted to carefully go over your thread again and : BAM  ! you had just solved the problem all by yourself ! The fact that you mentioned "clicking on bookmark links" could have (should have) been a clue ...... Well done you ! Please mark your own last post as Chosen Solution ("Solved the problem" button to the right), so everyone will know. Great job, Steven !

Whatever it is/was, it's fixed. Sure would like to know how it happened since I just upgraded my system to Win 10 Pro from Win 7 and reinstalled ALL my software programs as if this was a new machine. Not that important now. Thank you ...for all your help! Dodge the virus germs and stay at home! Steven

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All Replies (20)

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Are you using an extension or .css to work with your tabs? Also, I notice that you've made some about:config changes in regard to your tabs. Those prefs might need to be reviewed.

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Can you attach a screenshot ?

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RobertJ said

Are you using an extension or .css to work with your tabs? Also, I notice that you've made some about:config changes in regard to your tabs. Those prefs might need to be reviewed.

1. I have no idea what you mean by .css

2. How can you tell whether I made any about:config changes? (I haven't since this is a new install last week)

See below screen shots. I have several websites open but the tabs are all stacked on top of each other I can't take a screenshot showing all the open websites open when I hover my mouse over the FF icon on taskbar where they are all displayed across the bottom on top of the taskbar. When I try that they disappear when I press CTRL+ALT+PrintScrn -OR- click to open FF Screen Shot feature near the address bar. I can only take a screen shot when I click I RIGHT CLICK on FF icon on task bar that shows all the web pages open.

There isn't much to really see. Nearly all links/website tabs that get open just stack on top of each other. They don't spread out one next to another as you'd expect. Pretty straight forward problem.

Thanks.

StevenB modificouno o

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cor-el said

Can you attach a screenshot ?
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StevenB said

cor-el said
Can you attach a screenshot ?

I have several websites open but the tabs are all stacked on top of each other. I can't take a screenshot showing all the open websites open when I hover my mouse over the FF icon on taskbar where they are all normally would be displayed across the bottom on top of the taskbar. When I try that they disappear when I press CTRL+ALT+PrintScrn -OR- click to open FF Screen Shot feature near the address bar. I can only take a screen shot when I click showing open websites when I RIGHT CLICK on FF icon on task bar that shows all the web pages open.

There isn't much to really see. Nearly all links/website tabs that get open just stack on top of each other. They don't spread out one next to another as you'd expect. Pretty straight forward problem.


Thank you !!

StevenB modificouno o

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StevenB said

Presently, I have to 'X' out of each open tab to get to the one buried to the one I want below.

Hello StevenB,

I'm almost sure that the answer to this question will be "No", but just in case : Could it be that you inadvertently press the Shift key instead of the Ctrl key when you want to open a new tab, thus opening a new window instead ?

If not: do you by any chance have an add-on that could be causing this ?

Also, is there a way to have all newly open tabs open first on the far LEFT rather the far right.

Please see your earlier thread ;

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1268799

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McCoy said

StevenB said
Presently, I have to 'X' out of each open tab to get to the one buried to the one I want below.

Hello StevenB,

I'm almost sure that the answer to this question will be "No", but just in case : Could it be that you inadvertently press the Shift key instead of the Ctrl key when you want to open a new tab, thus opening a new window instead ?

If not: do you by any chance have an add-on that could be causing this ?

Also, is there a way to have all newly open tabs open first on the far LEFT rather the far right.

Please see your earlier thread ;

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1268799

I never ever use keyboards to open/close/move tabs, etc. I'm 100% mouse-centric user when comes to browser. Know very little of the keyboard commands to begin with.

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How about my second question : do you by any chance have an add-on that could be causing this ?

(RobertJ also suggested an extension could be related to the problem)


Regarding your other question : did you take a look at your earlier thread that I linked to ?

McCoy modificouno o

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Call me stubborn, but I still think that you're opening windows instead of tabs ....

Would you check this please :

Type in the address bar about:config and press Enter (ignore the warning)

Type in the search bar browser.tabs.loadDivertedInBackground

It's value should be set to false (= default)

If you had to change the value, then close and restart Firefox.


A few other possibilities here :

https://winaero.com/blog/four-ways-to-open-a-new-firefox-tab-in-the-background/

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McCoy said

Call me stubborn, but I still think that you're opening windows instead of tabs .... Would you check this please : Type in the address bar about:config and press Enter (ignore the warning) Type in the search bar browser.tabs.loadDivertedInBackground It's value should be set to false (= default) If you had to change the value, then close and restart Firefox.

A few other possibilities here :

https://winaero.com/blog/four-ways-to-open-a-new-firefox-tab-in-the-background/

1. I am not clear on what you are talking about 'windows and tabs.' My issue is painfully simple to understand. Every time I click on a link for example on my bookmark toolbar or type in a website (without closing them out) each new website tab gets stacked on already opened tabs . It's that simple.

2. This is not an issue requiring to an add-on app but I'll try it.

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McCoy said

How about my second question : do you by any chance have an add-on that could be causing this ? (RobertJ also suggested an extension could be related to the problem)

Regarding your other question : did you take a look at your earlier thread that I linked to ?

I'll check out the earlier thread...i missed that question.

I have other tab-related add-ons but I disabled them. I still have the issue,

Thank you!!

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StevenB said

1. I am not clear on what you are talking about 'windows and tabs.' My issue is painfully simple to understand. Every time I click on a link for example on my bookmark toolbar or type in a website (without closing them out) each new website tab gets stacked on already opened tabs . It's that simple.

What you're describing paints two pictures for me :

  1. You're opening windows instead of tabs (have you checked the value of the preference on the "about:config" page, just to make sure ?)
  2. You're using this add-on (or something similar) :

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/tree-style-tab/

But you mentioned having tab-related add-ons that you disabled (I assume that you are 100% sure that they are inactive ?)

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McCoy said

StevenB said
1. I am not clear on what you are talking about 'windows and tabs.' My issue is painfully simple to understand. Every time I click on a link for example on my bookmark toolbar or type in a website (without closing them out) each new website tab gets stacked on already opened tabs . It's that simple.

What you're describing paints two pictures for me :

  1. You're opening windows instead of tabs (have you checked the value of the preference on the "about:config" page, just to make sure ?)
  2. You're using this add-on (or something similar) :

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/tree-style-tab/

But you mentioned having tab-related add-ons that you disabled (I assume that you are 100% sure that they are inactive ?)

Again, I'm clicking bookmark links on my bookmark toolbar and typing web addresses into address bar that opens windows and when the browser win opens the tabs are stacked on top of each other. Not sure why this is difficult to understand. Every new website I open tabs stacks on top of the ones already open. I'm not sure what you mean "You're opening windows instead of tabs " -- a tab represents a window in a browser,

I have disabled all my tab related extensions. I might try deleting them.

I checked the value and it is 'false'.

I do not have this issue on my laptop which is synched with FF.

Thank you.

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StevenB said

I'm not sure what you mean "You're opening windows instead of tabs " -- a tab represents a window in a browser,

A window can contain many tabs. When you open links/URLs in windows instead of tabs, you will only see the last link/URL you opened.

Maybe this article will explain - especially where it says :

"When a new window opens, it covers the user’s earlier window. The user is left confused and wondering how to get back. But when a new tab opens, the user can still see their earlier tab at the top. Switching from tab to tab is easy for users to understand. In fact, most users have many tabs opened when they’re browsing."

https://uxmovement.com/navigation/why-external-links-should-open-in-new-tabs/

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McCoy said

StevenB said
I'm not sure what you mean "You're opening windows instead of tabs " -- a tab represents a window in a browser,

A window can contain many tabs. When you open links/URLs in windows instead of tabs, you will only see the last link/URL you opened.

Maybe this article will explain - especially where it says :

"When a new window opens, it covers the user’s earlier window. The user is left confused and wondering how to get back. But when a new tab opens, the user can still see their earlier tab at the top. Switching from tab to tab is easy for users to understand. In fact, most users have many tabs opened when they’re browsing."

https://uxmovement.com/navigation/why-external-links-should-open-in-new-tabs/

Funny, I never granulated to such a definition --that is, never use/see it in the same terminology. To me a tab is a window that contains multiple pages of a single website/URL within it.

What my issue is to be clear, every new URL I open that creates a window and associated tab, they all get stacked on top of each other. They (each new URL/website) don't separate out.

Here below is my laptop's screenshot. This is what I want my desktop computer to look like. If this was my desktop computer,for example, all these individual website tabs would all be stacked on top of each other at the far left.

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Ahhh, so it works just fine on your laptop, but not on your desktop .... Bummer, cause if it was the same on both devices, I would now ask you to put that mouse of yours someplace where you can't touch it, and I would show you how to open a tab without a mouse, and how to open a window without a mouse, and you would see the difference. (I don't use, have nor want a mouse). But I can forget about my "window vs tab tutorial" now .....

You have disabled the tab-related add-ons and I assume that you use the same mouse on both your laptop and desktop In all honesty : I haven't a clue what is going on here.

I'm sure that someone else will come to your rescue, though !

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McCoy said

Ahhh, so it works just fine on your laptop, but not on your desktop .... Bummer, cause if it was the same on both devices, I would now ask you to put that mouse of yours someplace where you can't touch it, and I would show you how to open a tab without a mouse, and how to open a window without a mouse, and you would see the difference. (I don't use, have nor want a mouse). But I can forget about my "window vs tab tutorial" now ..... You have disabled the tab-related add-ons and I assume that you use the same mouse on both your laptop and desktop In all honesty : I haven't a clue what is going on here. I'm sure that someone else will come to your rescue, though !

Thank you for trying to help me out.

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I will forward this to a fellow contributor and ask him to "jump in".

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McCoy said

I will forward this to a fellow contributor and ask him to "jump in".

Hey, thanks so much!!!...stay safe!

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StevenB said

Hey, thanks so much!!!...stay safe!

I wish I could have helped - I was sooo convinced that you were opening windows instead of tabs (just being a stubborn girl).

As for staying safe : you too ! (over here we're not supposed to leave the house)

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