Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

The links on the New Tab page don't update until I restart Firefox.

  • 4 replies
  • 3 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by cor-el

more options

If I clear my history and open a new tab, there'll be nothing there as expected. But then, I can go to a dozen sites, open a new tab, and they'll still be nothing there. Links won't appear in a new tab until I restart Fx.

This may tie into another issue I have, where I get logged out of half of my websites after restarting Fx.

If I clear my history and open a new tab, there'll be nothing there as expected. But then, I can go to a dozen sites, open a new tab, and they'll still be nothing there. Links won't appear in a new tab until I restart Fx. This may tie into another issue I have, where I get logged out of half of my websites after restarting Fx.

Modified by user446680

All Replies (4)

more options

Hello,

Try Firefox Safe Mode to see if the problem goes away. Safe Mode is a troubleshooting mode, which disables most add-ons.

(If you're not using it, switch to the Default theme.)

  • On Windows you can open Firefox 4.0+ in Safe Mode by holding the Shift key when you open the Firefox desktop or Start menu shortcut.
  • On Mac you can open Firefox 4.0+ in Safe Mode by holding the option key while starting Firefox.
  • On Linux you can open Firefox 4.0+ in Safe Mode by quitting Firefox and then going to your Terminal and running: firefox -safe-mode (you may need to specify the Firefox installation path e.g. /usr/lib/firefox)
  • Or open the Help menu and click on the Restart with Add-ons Disabled... menu item while Firefox is running.

FirefoxSafeMode

Once you get the pop-up, just select "'Start in Safe Mode" Safe Mode Fx 15 - Win

If the issue is not present in Firefox Safe Mode, your problem is probably caused by an extension, and you need to figure out which one. Please follow the Troubleshoot extensions, themes and hardware acceleration issues to solve common Firefox problems article for that.

To exit the Firefox Safe Mode, just close Firefox and wait a few seconds before opening Firefox for normal use again.

When you figure out what's causing your issues, please let us know. It might help other users who have the same problem.

Thank you.

more options

See also:

The thumbnails on the about:newtab page are generated from the cache, so if the page is not in the cache or otherwise can't or won't (secure pages) be rendered as a PNG image then you will get an empty box.

  • Do not use Clear Recent History to clear data like the cache and the history when you close Firefox

If there is no history then you get an about:newtab page with empty boxes (no URLs).

more options

The problem persists in safe mode.

The issue is not that thumbnails do not appear, rather, that links do not appear at all until I restart Fx.

more options

Do the links appear when you open a new window?


About your other problem:

Details like websites remembering you (log you in automatically) are stored in a cookie.

  • Create a cookie 'allow' exception to keep such cookies, especially in case of secure websites and when cookies expire when Firefox is closed.
  • Tools > Options > Privacy > Cookies: Exceptions

In case you are using "Clear history when Firefox closes":

  • do not clear the Cookies
  • do not clear the Site Preferences

Note that clearing "Site Preferences" clears all exceptions for cookies, images, pop-up windows, software installation, and passwords.

Clearing cookies will remove all specified (selected) cookies including cookies with an allow exception that you would like to keep.