Adding bookmarks using a mouse
My dad is almost 89 years old. He is NOT TECH SAVVY. I have him using a trackball mouse. His hands are HUGE and his fingers are numb.
Somehow, he is inadvertently adding bookmarks to the bookmark bar. I do not know how he is doing this but he'll call and ask me to "put Gmail back on the bar". When I go over, there are a gazillion new bookmarks which pushes his Gmail bookmark beyond the >> spot. I have to delete these umpteen extra bookmarks so that the Gmail bookmark is visible again. Yesterday, I decided to move Gmail to the far left, hoping these accidental bookmarks he creates won't push it off the bar. The bookmarks he "creates" are specific gmail conversations, or facebook pages, or Publisher's Clearing House pages (he LOVES PCH games and plays them constantly).
HOW IS HE DOING THIS? He doesn't know enough to click the star button. He doesn't know about using the Ctrl and D keys to create a new bookmark. It's driving me BATTY. I'm sure he's somehow doing this using his mouse (clicking both right/left simultaneously but not aware of doing so).
Thanks in advance for helping a daughter keep her sanity ...
Chosen solution
Hi
One way you could resolve this is to pin Gmail to the new tab page so it is easy to find. This article will help you to do this and customise the page for your father:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/customize-items-on-firefox-new-tab-page
Read this answer in context 👍 1All Replies (7)
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1101156 https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/disable-firefox-sync
When able you should clear the over-loaded bookmark area (just so you can spot new addons easier) and just observe him on the computer to see IF you can notice any physical action cause.
One thread (1st above) had a guy with Sync ON with an Addon installed and That combo caused a huge # of unwanted bookmarks.[ "Perchance are you using Firefox Sync along with the iCloud Bookmarks extension? Doing that has been reported to cause bookmarks and folders to be duplicated, and might cause bookmarks to be saved that you didn't specifically save yourself. Use one or the other, not both." ]. THIS is only way I've seen FF cause Auto-Bookmarks creation.
My only feeble guess now is to look at FF Settings / Sync module (Left column under Privacy fore me) and See IF it's ON, and via Change button clk Disconnect IF On. Hope you evolve a solution.
Thanks so much, Craig, for the suggestions!
The desktop computer my dad uses is Windows 10. He uses no other devices - this computer is the only device he uses to access the internet - so I'm not sure sync off or on would make any difference
The only add-on I have set up is Ad Blocker Plus and that's it. No iCloud extension or anything else.
I really don't want to have to sit and watch him use the computer to try and figure this out. LOL. I'll just clean up the accidentally added bookmarks as they need to be cleaned up.
Oh. I just tried right-clicking on this page - and you can click the star to bookmark but I seriously doubt my dad is doing that. Even if dad inadvertently right clicked, he'd have to intentionally click the star and then intentionally select Save before it would be added to the bookmark bar. So again, back to square 1. LOL.
Maybe someone else will see this thread and add their 2¢.
Chosen Solution
Hi
One way you could resolve this is to pin Gmail to the new tab page so it is easy to find. This article will help you to do this and customise the page for your father:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/customize-items-on-firefox-new-tab-page
You can create a new bookmark by dragging the tab to the Bookmarks Toolbar. Maybe hide the Bookmarks Toolbar and let him use the bookmarks sidebar (sidebar button via customize) or the Bookmarks Menu button (star on a tray via customize).
See "How do I add the Bookmarks Menu button to the toolbar?"
Seburo and co-rel - thanks for your suggestions!
Seburo - I currently have Google Search set as dad's home page - I will try using Firefox's new tab page BUT the trick would be to teach my dad to open a new tab each time!
Co-rel - I'll play around with Show sidebars. If I could have it show ONLY the bookmarks, that might work.
I love Firefox and that's why I have my dad using it. I know he gets impatient, and ends up clicking on icons numerous times. Today I told him to use his pointer finger to move the trackball then use his pointer finger to left click. When he uses his thumb to left click, he is still palming the mouse/trackball and since his fingers are numb, I have a feeling he is moving that ball and perhaps even right clicking.
ugh. It's a total mystery!!!
Thanks again for your suggestions. Much appreciated.
No problem, glad we could help.
Seburo - your suggestion to use the New Tab Page has really cut down on issues for my dad!! I've set it to as his Home Page.
But he still has issues, mind you. Now somehow he keeps removing the Firefox Icon from the taskbar (has happened twice in the last couple of weeks). And somehow he created 3 desktop shortcuts for Firefox, each opening to a unique page.
Just today he emailed me, complaining that he "couldn't get rid of the ad". It's because he had somehow unpinned his Firefox icon from the taskbar AND was using a Firefox shortcut on his desktop (hey, at least he recognizes the icon!) I deleted the three Firefox desktop shortcuts - and also deleted the shortcuts to Chrome, Canary and Edge. lol. And pinned Firefox back to his taskbar. AND moved the Firefox desktop shortcut to the upper left corner.
But hey - at least he isn't messing up his bookmarks any longer!!
Modified by romiha