Could you check a setting or two:

(1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter/Return. Click the button accepting the risk.

More info on about:config: Configuration Editor for Firefox. The moderators would like us to remind you that changes made through this back door aren't fully supported and aren't guaranteed to continue working in the future.

(2) In the search box in the page, type or paste open_newwindow and pause while the list is filtered. Firefox should display five preferences.

(3) If the browser.link.open_newwindow preference is bolded and has a value other than 3, click the Reset button at the right end of the row to restore the default value of 3

For reference on the accepted values:

browser.link.open_newwindow => when a link in a tab in Firefox is targeted to a new window, send it to:

• 3 = new tab [DEFAULT]
• 2 = new window
• 1 = same tab => you definitely do not want this one

browser.link.open_newwindow.override.external => when Firefox receives a link to open from the system, send it to:

• -1 = apply the setting for in-tab links to external links [DEFAULT]
• 3 = new tab in the last active window
• 2 = new window
• 1 = the last active tab replacing the current page => you definitely do not want this one

Was that relevant?

jscher2000

You nailed it.

browser.link.open_newwindow was set to 1. I reset it to 3 and things are copacetic now.

I don't know how that got set to 1. I can't remember the last time I was in about:config

Hmmm - maybe one of our cats was messing with me???

Well, it's is fixed, thanks to you, and I'll just go with it.

Thanks.

Bob

Hi Bob, I don't know how a cat could launch such a devious attack. Maybe one of your add-ons did it? Anyway, now you know what to do if it ever happens again.

For me "_blank" still doesn't work even with browser.link.open_newwindow set to 3. Any other ideas? Started to happen some time ago, but I don't know when exactly.

For me "_blank" still doesn't work even with browser.link.open_newwindow set to 3. Any other ideas? Started to happen some time ago, but I don't know when exactly.

Do you have any extensions that might override the link behavior?

I'm seeing this issue across several different computers even when no extensions installed/active.

I've verified the about::config settings are correct according to the list above. browser.link.open_newwindow is 3 browser.link.open_newwindow.override.external is -1

I don't have a cat