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When Firefox starts show about:newtab

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When FF opens I want it to show the newtab page with the tiles like it used to. But my only options now in settings are Show Homepage, Show Blank Page & Show Your Windows And Tabs From Last Time.

When FF opens I want it to show the newtab page with the tiles like it used to. But my only options now in settings are Show Homepage, Show Blank Page & Show Your Windows And Tabs From Last Time.

Chosen solution

jscher2000 said

The "address" of the new tab page is about:newtab so you can either make that your home page or you can modify your desktop shortcut to launch the new tab page when you use the shortcut. (1) Home page: How to set the home page (2) Shortcut: You can modify your Firefox desktop shortcut with one or more startup URLs. To try that:
  • Desktop shortcut: right-click the icon, choose Properties
  • Pinned taskbar icon: right-click the icon, right-click Mozilla Firefox, choose Properties
Windows normally will select the Shortcut tab. If not, go ahead and click the Shortcut tab. You'll see the Target highlighted. That's usually: 32-bit Firefox on 64-bit Windows:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" Other combinations:
"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" To have the shortcut launch specific pages, you can add them to the end, for example: 32-bit Firefox on 64-bit Windows:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -url "about:newtab" -url "https://example.com/" Other combinations:
"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -url "about:newtab" -url "https://example.com/" After OK'ing the Properties dialog, you can test right away to confirm that Firefox now launches a window with those tabs. Either:
  • double-click desktop shortcut
  • right-click pinned taskbar icon, click Mozilla Firefox
Does that do what you want?

I edited the properties of the taskbar icon by right clicking the taskbar icon then right clicking the Mozilla Firefox icon right above the Unpin from taskbar icon and added -url "about:newtab" to the end of the Target, so it read "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -url "about:newtab" and that worked out perfect, Thank you.

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All Replies (5)

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What is your homepage set to at the moment?

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The "address" of the new tab page is about:newtab so you can either make that your home page or you can modify your desktop shortcut to launch the new tab page when you use the shortcut.

(1) Home page: How to set the home page

(2) Shortcut:

You can modify your Firefox desktop shortcut with one or more startup URLs. To try that:

  • Desktop shortcut: right-click the icon, choose Properties
  • Pinned taskbar icon: right-click the icon, right-click Mozilla Firefox, choose Properties

Windows normally will select the Shortcut tab. If not, go ahead and click the Shortcut tab.

You'll see the Target highlighted. That's usually:

32-bit Firefox on 64-bit Windows:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe"

Other combinations:
"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe"

To have the shortcut launch specific pages, you can add them to the end, for example:

32-bit Firefox on 64-bit Windows:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -url "about:newtab" -url "https://example.com/"

Other combinations:
"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -url "about:newtab" -url "https://example.com/"

After OK'ing the Properties dialog, you can test right away to confirm that Firefox now launches a window with those tabs. Either:

  • double-click desktop shortcut
  • right-click pinned taskbar icon, click Mozilla Firefox

Does that do what you want?

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Does the about:newtab page work and shows the tiles if you open this page in a new tab?

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Chosen Solution

jscher2000 said

The "address" of the new tab page is about:newtab so you can either make that your home page or you can modify your desktop shortcut to launch the new tab page when you use the shortcut. (1) Home page: How to set the home page (2) Shortcut: You can modify your Firefox desktop shortcut with one or more startup URLs. To try that:
  • Desktop shortcut: right-click the icon, choose Properties
  • Pinned taskbar icon: right-click the icon, right-click Mozilla Firefox, choose Properties
Windows normally will select the Shortcut tab. If not, go ahead and click the Shortcut tab. You'll see the Target highlighted. That's usually: 32-bit Firefox on 64-bit Windows:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" Other combinations:
"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" To have the shortcut launch specific pages, you can add them to the end, for example: 32-bit Firefox on 64-bit Windows:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -url "about:newtab" -url "https://example.com/" Other combinations:
"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -url "about:newtab" -url "https://example.com/" After OK'ing the Properties dialog, you can test right away to confirm that Firefox now launches a window with those tabs. Either:
  • double-click desktop shortcut
  • right-click pinned taskbar icon, click Mozilla Firefox
Does that do what you want?

I edited the properties of the taskbar icon by right clicking the taskbar icon then right clicking the Mozilla Firefox icon right above the Unpin from taskbar icon and added -url "about:newtab" to the end of the Target, so it read "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -url "about:newtab" and that worked out perfect, Thank you.