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Set default window size

  • 25 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 15 views
  • Last reply by McCoy

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Hello,

I love FF and have used it for many years. However, every time I open it, I have to adjust the initial window size and then at least 1 more new window. I am using 65.0.2 64 bit on a Windows 7 machine. I was reading and saw a suggestion to use the command line switches to set the window width and height. So I made a shortcut with the target line as "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -height 850 -width 1800. This doesn't work. So what am I doing wrong or is there an easier way to accomplish this? I am very surprised that there is nothing in the about:config that would allow this type of customization. I also am baffled at what window size is presumed by FF.

Thanks for your help in advance!

Hello, I love FF and have used it for many years. However, every time I open it, I have to adjust the initial window size and then at least 1 more new window. I am using 65.0.2 64 bit on a Windows 7 machine. I was reading and saw a suggestion to use the command line switches to set the window width and height. So I made a shortcut with the target line as "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -height 850 -width 1800. This doesn't work. So what am I doing wrong or is there an easier way to accomplish this? I am very surprised that there is nothing in the about:config that would allow this type of customization. I also am baffled at what window size is presumed by FF. Thanks for your help in advance!

All Replies (20)

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When you first do clean install of firefox it has standard default windows browser set and if you change from that setting and close and reopen it will be that new windows browser matching what it was closed as. So did it not do that the first time?

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Hi WE,

I did a clean install just a few weeks ago. As you say it had some window size set and I adjusted them to fit my needs, closed FF and reopened. The windows were close to where I had set them but not what I had set. In fact the top of the window was above the top of my screen. Then I grabbed it and moved it down the bottom was still off.

I would believe that FF stores the screen size values someplace and if so are can I edit the location?

Thanks for thinking about this!

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We you said clean install that had no firefox previously correct? If it did what you should've done is uninstall all firefox and deleted the mozilla folder and then restart and reinstall the latest firefox version to insure there is no install issues. Also backup any bookmarks to import them back as well.

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Installed as you said still same issues.

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RHB10 said

Every time I open FF, I have to adjust the initial window size and then at least 1 more new window.

I have my FF windows manually stacked. I dragged the bottom-right corner to max (vs clicking on the Max Size Box next to the X on the upper-right) my FF windows. I open and Close FF and all its browser windows. (Sessions Remembered.) If you are 'X-ing' out of FF, closing the the last browser window is the size that's remembered for all FF browser windows.

Attached is a pic of my Windows 7 Windows Properties. Yours should be set like this if you're doing what I'm doing, and not Cascading or Side-By-Siding windows.


~Pj

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Firefox is supposed to save the last used window size and position for the last time that Firefox was used. That information is stored in the xulstore.json file which is located in your Firefox Profile folder. It seems that with Fx 65.0 we have seen an increase is issues that are related to that file, but most user complaints are with the positioning of WebExtension icons not being remembered from one session to the next. Personally, I haven't seen a xulstore.json problem myself with 2 different Profiles that I have for Fx 65.0.2 ; one that is very modified with extensions and other modifications, and the other which is basically a default Profile.

You could try deleting the xulstore.json file when Firefox is closed, and then see if that window position issue is resolved the second time that you launch Firefox.

You can open your Profile folder via the Help > Troubleshooting Information. Scroll down to Profile folder and use the Open Folder button. Then close Firefox while the Profile folder is open in the Windows Explorer window, then delete that xulstore.json file, which will be at the bottom of the list of files in that Explorer window.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profiles-where-firefox-stores-user-data

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Followed your suggestion, looked OK and then FF window start size grew after second opening and closing.

I think I am going to try to edit the xulstore.json file and see if I can set the default there, however, from what has been said it sounds like FF changes this file every time it is closed.

Sure sounds like someone at FF needs to look into this and provide a real method to set the startup screen size and always use that size when opening.

All other ideas are appreciated!

Thanks

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RHB10 said

I think I am going to try to edit the xulstore.json file and see if I can set the default there, however, from what has been said it sounds like FF changes this file every time it is closed. Sure sounds like someone at FF needs to look into this and provide a real method to set the startup screen size and always use that size when opening.

Good luck with editing that. I suspect that Firefox won't hold your setting; IOW, Firefox will resume using the last setting as when Firefox was closed.

Going back a few years to Firefox 28 & earlier, there was an extension (Custom Geometry) that allowed the user to set the window size and position for launch, and it provided a toolbar button to manually set the user's defaults at will. That extension died when Australis was released in April 2014; I was able to 'hack' that extension to keep it working (but with a few lost features) to keep it working thru the run of Australis or at least theu the Firefox 47 version. IMO, am API needed to make such an extension work in Quantum isn't available. One reason among the many that has kept me from using a Quantum version ...

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Hi,

Well I edited the file after FF was closed but as you say FF ignored my settings when I reopened it. SO there has to be another place where the values are stored.

I agree Quantum has some great improvements but it is the little things like this that raise my interest in other browsers. I am not sure if Chrome has these issues but maybe I will give it a try.

Thanks for your help and advice!

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IE, Edge, Opera.. all this browsers have no issues remembering my window size. only Firefox!!!

i tried all suggested here and they don't work.

Windows version is irrelevant.

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@ RHB10 and myPalabok,

Would you please do this :

Type in the address bar about:config and press Enter (promise to be careful, if asked)

Type in the search bar and look for the preference :

privacy.resistFingerprinting

make sure its value is set to false (= default).

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

Also see : https://www.ghacks.net/2019/04/24/firefox-not-remembering-the-last-window-size-this-may-fix-it/

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Hi McCoy,

I opened about:config and found the setting already set to false. Just for grins I changed it to true and restarted FF. The window was small. I stretched it and shutdown and restarted FF but it opened with the same small size. Switched setting to false and back where I started.

One thing I have noticed is that the opening FF windows grows to the upper left of the screen until it is off screen and then after several starts grows to the bottom right until it is off screen.

This feature is in need of help! I would gladly settle for a 'switch' that I could set in the options that would override anything else and remember how I have my windows sized.

For being a great browser this is very poor.

I appreciate your help!

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Hello RHB10,

Changing the value of that preference worked for others and I was so hoping that it would work for you as well ...... (but thank you for trying)

The only thing I can think of now is to ask you to try the second solution in this article :

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/changes-toolbars-and-window-sizes-are-not-saved

(you already tried the first solution to no avail .... )

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Hi McCoy,

I tried that solution some time ago but all it did was cause me work to get things back the way I wanted them and the window size issue was still there.

I believe this is a basic problem caused by poorly written code in FF. Other browsers remeber window sizes with no issues, however, FF is a failure.

Thanks for your help!

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RHB10 said

I tried that solution some time ago but all it did was cause me work to get things back the way I wanted them and the window size issue was still there.

So sorry you had to go through all that trouble .....

I will forward this to another contributor, and hope that they will come to your rescue.

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Awaiting the lifesaver, maybe you could answer these questions that may be relevant :

  1. How do you close Firefox ?
  2. Do you use session restore ?
  3. Have you tried starting Firefox in Safe Mode ?
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McCoy said

@ RHB10 and myPalabok, Would you please do this : Type in the address bar about:config and press Enter (promise to be careful, if asked) Type in the search bar and look for the preference : privacy.resistFingerprinting make sure its value is set to false (= default). If you had to change the value, then close and restart Firefox. Also see : https://www.ghacks.net/2019/04/24/firefox-not-remembering-the-last-window-size-this-may-fix-it/

that workaround worked BUT what happens now to my resist fingerprinting? there should be a permanent fix that would not expose me to fingerprinting.

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for testing, i toggled privacy.resistFingerprinting to true again and my window size problem came back.

this is dangerous. seems quality control for the browser is lagging.

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McCoy said

Awaiting the lifesaver, maybe you could answer these questions that may be relevant :
  1. How do you close Firefox ?
  2. Do you use session restore ?
  3. Have you tried starting Firefox in Safe Mode ?

Hi McCoy,

I close all open tabs until get to the initial tab opened and then click the white X in the red box at upper right.

Session restore is active but I only use it if the system has crashed. So I do not use session restore to restart FF.

I have done that some time ago but not recently. I will try it later today.

Thanks for your help.

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myPalabok said

for testing, i toggled privacy.resistFingerprinting to true again and my window size problem came back. this is dangerous. seems quality control for the browser is lagging.

The value of "false" is the default value .....

But would you please check your settings here :

Options => Privacy & Security => Content Blocking You could choose "Custom" and check "Fingerprinting".

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