Please do the following:

• Update to Firefox 30 Update Firefox to the latest release
• Update to Flash Player 14. http://www.mozilla.org/plugincheck/
• Upgrade your graphics drivers to use hardware acceleration and WebGL

I did as suggested. First, I ran Windows updates. There were no updates for my graphics card but I installed whatever was there anyway. The additional updates was just Microsoft's Bing Bar, which I don't want.

I then downloaded the latest version (version 14) of Adobe Flash Player.

I re-started my PC. When Windows loaded again I went to my PC's manufacturer, sought, and found its own upgrade app, which I then also ran but no, new updates for my graphics card were available.

Guess what? When I finished, the exact same thing happened again. I'm now back to where I was before. I'm able to open new Windows only but not new tabs. I must run System Restore yet again.

):

I wanted to add that when I use Mozilla's Menu Bar and attempt to open a new tab that doesn't work either. All ability to open new tabs is gone - only new windows.

Start Firefox in Safe Mode {web link} While you are in safe mode; Press the <Alt> or <F10> key to bring up the tool bar. Followed by;

Windows; Tools > Options Linux; Edit > Preferences Mac; application name > Preferences

Then Advanced > General. Look for and turn off Use Hardware Acceleration.

Poke around safe web sites and see if there is still a problem. Then restart.

Why would I want to always run Firefox in Safe Mode? The issue is being unable to open new tabs but able to open new windows. If I must always run Firefox in Safe Mode just to perform as routine a function as opening a new tab this defeats the purpose of using Firefox at all in my view. It would be nice finding anyone who's ever experienced the same, exact problem answering my quandary. Perhaps this is an issue of a command function or keystroke combination that produced a command function disabling tab creation? If so, learning what such command/keystroke combination was would be helpful.

Someone I know suggested that I download a special version of Adobe Flash Player designed to work with browsers other than Internet Explorer, to solve the issue of Flash crashing whenever I am on news aggregating sites but I've not attempted this yet but even so, I don't suspect Flash crash has anything to do with my loss of tab function.

Why would I want to always run Firefox in Safe Mode? Who said anything about "always run Firefox in Safe Mode?"

From the Mozilla.org help files;

Safe Mode is a special Firefox mode that can be used to troubleshoot and fix
problems. Safe Mode temporarily resets some settings and disables add-ons
that might be causing problems. By comparing Firefox behavior in normal
mode to its behavior in Safe Mode you may be able to pinpoint the cause
of the problem.

That Safe Mode is suggested to solve my technical quandary by default suggests to always use this mode when running Firefox.

How many others have to run Firefox in Safe Mode to use tabs?

Safe mode is only a temporary fix to help us figure out the problem. you aren't going to have to use it forever so don't worry ;)

Let's try resetting Firefox shall we? Refresh Firefox - reset add-ons and settings

After doing that, start Firefox up normally (not in safe mode)