Pressing Tab key does not select menus or buttons

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Firefox can be configured to change how the Tab key moves through web page elements.

To change this setting:

  1. Type about:config in the address bar and press EnterReturn.
    A warning page may appear. Click Accept the Risk and Continue to go to the about:config page.
  2. Right-clickHold down the Ctrl key while you click anywhere in the grid and choose New, then Integer.
  3. In the Enter the preference name prompt, type accessibility.tabfocus and click OK.
  4. Next enter the value, to set how you want the Tab key to behave:
    • 1 will select text boxes when tabbing, but not links or other form elements.
    • 2 will select text boxes and other form elements when tabbing, but not links.
    • 4 will select text boxes and links when tabbing, but not other form elements.
    • 6 will select links, text boxes, and form elements.
  1. Click OK.




Based on information from Keyboard Navigation: Tabbing (Mozilla.org QA) and Accessibility.tabfocus (mozillaZine KB).

Firefox can be configured to change how the Tab key moves through web page elements. On Mac systems, only text boxes will be selected when using the keyboard to navigate forms by default.

  1. Open the Mac System Preferences.
  2. Select the Keyboard panel.
  3. Select the Keyboard Shortcuts tab.
  4. At the bottom of the panel, in the "Full keyboard access" section, select All controls.

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