HOW CAN I GET NEW LINKS TO OPEN IN THE EXISTING TAB?

Normally links open in the same tab unless a site has coded the link to open in a new window. Firefox has the option to allow the new window or divert it to a new tab in the current window.

There is no built-in feature to force links targeted to a new window back into the current tab. There might be an add-on that does this. See edit below

Is there a particular site where you have this problem? Note that on Google results, you can click the "gear" icon and change your search settings to keep your results in the same tab (uncheck the box to open in a new window).

Edit: I was wrong in paragraph #2 above. There is a hidden preference for this as noted in cor-el's links below.

In a new tab, type or paste about:config and press Enter. Click the button promising to be careful.

In the filter box, type or paste link.o and pause while the list is filtered.

Double click this preference and set the value as desired:

browser.link.open_newwindow

3 = divert new window to a new tab (default) (checked*)
2 = allow link to open a new window (unchecked*)
1 = force new window into same tab

* First checkbox in Options > Tabs

Note: This affects links in external programs as well, unless you also change the following preference:

browser.link.open_newwindow.override.external - for links in other programs

-1 = apply the setting under (A) to external links (default)
3 = open external links in a new tab in the last active window
2 = open external links in a new window
1 = open external links in the last active tab replacing the current page

Apologies for the oversight.

Your Firefox reported itself as version 17. Firefox has since updated to version 20 and, to get the latest security fixes, you should to. You can use

Help > About Firefox > "Check for Updates" button

to get it.

If something is holding you back from updating, let us know what it is. We might have a workaround for you.

See also:

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/browser.link.open_newwindow
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/browser.link.open_newwindow.restriction

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/about:config

As of five minutes ago, every single link I click opens in a new tab. This includes clicking the refresh button.

Did you try to close and restart Firefox?

You can try to open a new window to see if that window works better.

Hi annahaugen, it sounds as though Firefox thinks the Ctrl button is held down. Just in case it's confused about that, can you tap the Ctrl button several times and try a different link?

You might also try exiting and restarting Firefox. (You can use History > Restore Previous Session to get back to your previous windows and tabs.)

It's the Ctrl key, and nothing I've tried has got it to unstick. And the tutorials on Youtube about unsticking laptop keys have convinced me that this isn't something I want to try on my own--wish there was some way to go in and tell it "just ignore anything from a particular key."

Did you check the mouse driver settings in the Control Panel?

Try to reboot the computer.

Yes, I checked the settings in the control panel; it wasn't the mouse, it was that the ctrl key was stuck.

Rebooting did help.

Thank you!