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why does each single left-click on a saved html document open two duplicate copies?

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  • Last reply by gh777

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Any time I left-click on a saved Firefox html document to open it, I get not one --- but TWO --- tabs leading to identical copies of the document. I have tried off and on for months to find a way to stop this, with no success. Anyone who can tell me what is going on here, what causes it, and how to stop it, will have my eternal gratitude. Thanks a million, in advance.

Any time I left-click on a saved Firefox html document to open it, I get not one --- but TWO --- tabs leading to identical copies of the document. I have tried off and on for months to find a way to stop this, with no success. Anyone who can tell me what is going on here, what causes it, and how to stop it, will have my eternal gratitude. Thanks a million, in advance.

All Replies (20)

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Apologies. I was too tired when I submitted this issue, and made an error:

It is a left DOUBLE-CLICK on the html document that opens the two copies of the document.

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Maybe it is set to open with a single click and opens two copies if you try to double click but it is interpreted as two single clicks.

What happens if you single click ? As a workaround maybe Right click and select open

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Thank you for trying to help, John99. Folder options is set to open on a double click. Clicking once does nothing. A right click and Open also results in two copies of the document.

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Clarification: Clicking once selects the item --- highlighting it --- as specified in Folder Options.

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Does it make any difference if you hold down the Shift key while right-clicking the HTML file, and then use Open With to select Firefox?

(I haven't used XP for a long time, so if the Shift key doesn't reveal Open With on the context menu, there may be some other method I've forgotten.)

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Also, does it make any difference whether you already have a Firefox window open vs. Windows needing to launch Firefox to display the file?

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Hi, JScher2000, and thanks for trying to help!

With no other Firefox window open: 1. Left double-click on document --- opens two copies of the doc (I get two tabs with the document's title: one tab is highlighted and its window is open, and then if I left-click the other tab, I get the very same window. Both tabs have to be left-clicked to close the two instances of the document). 2. Right click + Open --- opens two copies (two tabs, either of which, when left-clicked, will open a duplicate copy of the document). 3. Right click > Open with > Firefox --- brings up only one copy of the doc. 4. Shift + right click > Open with > Firefox --- brings up only one copy of the document

If a Firefox window is already open: 4. any of the above sequences leads to the opening of a single copy of the desired document 5. even a left double-click on the desired document brings up only a single instance of the desired doc.

If I have failed to fully answer your questions, please let me know so I can try again.

In the meantime, Thank You for giving me a transfusion of hope that there may be a way to get this issue resolved!

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I thought my suggestion was too simple to be of help, but I have seen that happen, - opening two instances of something - and even do it myself when I forget what System I am using.

But I can not at the moment think what else causes that.

A standard HTML page will be an html file plus a folder. Windows IE can also save those as a single MHT file. What happens if you save this question by using keyboard shortcut Ctrl+ S and select the Desktop as its save location. Does that then open in dupllcate ?

Is this only a Firefox problem ? If you right click a text file and open it in Firefox does that also open in duplicate ? And what about if you open the text file in Notepad ? What happens if you open this questions file in Internet Explorer, does that open twice ?

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Thanks again for trying to help me with this.

I never use Internet Explorer. But to respond to your question: I saved this question to my desktop with Ctrl+S. A right-click > Open with > Internet Explorer verrrry slowly but eventually opened a single document with a completely different format ----- please see the attached screenshot for a portion of the page. As you can see, each portion of text appears twice in the single opened document.

Concerning your other questions, I will have to close Firefox in order to experiment so that I can give you answers. I will be back with those as soon as I can.

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Further responses to questions from John99:

As to the html file of this question, saved to my desktop: If there is no other Firefox window open, then 1. a left double-click --- opens two instances of the document 2. a right click > Open --- opens two instances of the document 3. a right click > Open with > Firefox --- opens one instance of the doc.

If one other Firefox window is already open, then 4. a left double-click --- opens one instance of the doc 5. a right click > Open --- opens one instance of the doc 6. a right click > Open with > Firefox --- opens one instance of the doc

As to a simple .txt document: If there is no other Firefox window open, then 7. a left double-click --- opens one instance of the doc in Notepad 8. a right click >Open --- opens one instance of the doc in Notepad 9. a right click > Open with > Notepad --- opens one instance in Notepad 10. a right click > Open with > Wordpad --- opens one instance in Wordpad 11. a right click > Open with > Firefox --- opens two instances in Firefox

If one other Firefox window is already open, then 12. a left double-click --- opens one instance in Notepad 13. a right click > Open --- opens one instance in Notepad 14. a right click > Open with > Notepad --- opens one instance in Notepad 15. a right click > Open with > Wordpad --- opens one instance in Wordpad 16. a right click > Open with > Firefox --- opens one instance in Firefox

Sorry if this is more information than you wanted --- I didn't know how to respond sufficiently to your questions with any less information.

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It's possible that the registry settings for Firefox are corrupted. In Windows XP, there's a dialog you can use to check your "Open" command for HTML files.

In a Windows Explorer window (or My Computer):

Tools menu > Folder Options

In the dialog, select the File Types tab and scroll down to .html

Here's where I don't remember very well. Select .html and there should be an Advanced button you can click to call up a list of defined actions such as Open, Edit, and New. Open typically is the default. Select Open and click Edit. What path is listed there to open the file?

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Please see the attached screenshot for what I get when I left click once on HTML. With no Advanced button, I don't know what to do next.

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gh777 said

Please see the attached screenshot for what I get when I left click once on HTML. With no Advanced button, I don't know what to do next.

Oh, on yours it must be the Change... button.

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Clicking "Change" brings up the "Open With" window shown in the screenshot. There's no Open, Edit, or New option --- so once again, I'm at a point where I don't know what to do next to follow your directions.

In the Folder Options window, at the bottom, I'm told "You have customized files with extension 'HTML'. To restore these files to their default type (Firefox HTML Document), click Restore."

Can you tell me what that means? And is it possible that a Restore "to their default type (Firefox HTML Document)" would affect the problem in a positive way?

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Sorry, haven't used XP for such a long time... they took that whole dialog out in later versions.

Go ahead and try the Restore button. Hopefully that will return the Advanced button and the usual list of actions.

If not, next step would be inspecting the registry, or possibly re-running the Firefox installer in an attempt to have the installer update the registry.

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Sorry for the delayed response --- I've been away from the computer all day.

Before I hazard to click the Restore button, I think I'd better do a complete image backup --- just in case.

Also, I am 77, and not much of a geek, so the idea of going into the registry is kind of forbidding to me.

In any case, I will return after doing the backup and then the Restore button --- hopefully with positive results.

Thanks again for your kind efforts to help me here.

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I am temporarily derailed.

Turns out none of my USB 2.0 ports puts out enough power to run my USB 3.0 external hard drive --- so I am unable to do a full image backup I have ordered a y-cable which will enable two USB ports to power the hard drive, but it won't get here until Friday the 5th at the earliest.

Is it possible to put this conversation on hold until then? (This is my first time here, and there is much I do not know about using this forum.)

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Using the Firefox Restore makes changes only to the Firefox profile, and so does not need you to make a hdd image. It actually backs up the Firefox profile as part of the procedure putting the old copy on the Desktop. If you wish to be ultra cautious then a belts and braces manual backup of the profile could be done first of all.

These threads get closed down by forum software if they remain inactive but that is only after a number of months so waiting 5 days or so is no problem

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Thanks very much for this information, John99.

I don't feel sure that we are talking about the same "Restore" here. Could you please look back at the 2nd and 3rd paragraphs of my post of 7/30/16, 11:38 PM --- and the screenshot --- and let me know if the "Restore" issue discussed there is the same as the "Restore" issue you are referring to?

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Sorry I was getting slightly mixed up there. I miss read the suggestion of a Restore as being the old name for the Firefox Reset, My mistake.

I still have an Windows XP but it is not to hand. But looking again at your screenshot From what I recall of XP it is making a very minor change. All it is doing is changing one registry key relating to HTML files.

It is something you should easily be able to set again from similar menu options

Even jscher's suggestion of re running the installer of Firefox is fairly minor.

Working on the Registry with regedit is more tricky. Something I have got out of the habit doing, but it is rather unforgiving. Clicking a .reg file runs it. could break Windows and is not easy to reverse.

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