Can't open web links on some sites, unless I right-click and "open in new tab"
I've started having a strange issue with both Firefox for Windows and Android. On some news websites, and sports websites, I can no longer open articles just by clicking on them, but right-clicking works. If this sounds strange - it is!
The issue is exactly as it sounds like. I can hower the mouse over the title of an article and Firefox will recognize that it's a link, showing me the path at the very bottom left of the browser. But when I click it, it simply won't do anything. My mouse works fine before you ask. It's only when I right-click the same article and choose "open in new tab" that the article opens. This is happening on some major sites as well, like the BBC.
At first I thought this was Windows-specific, but I have also had the same issues with my Firefox for Android. And again, long-pressing on the article and selecting open in new tab will open the link, but not normal tapping.
I have restared Firefox in Troubleshooting mode to disable any addons but the problems persist.
Anyone else having the same issue or is there a known solution?
Chosen solution
TSS_uk Amateur user of Firefox I had this problem. the site was giffgaff.com, which provides mobile phone services in UK using the "O2" network.
1 - The text you see when hovering over a link is the text the site owner wants you to see and may bear no relation to the link you will get when you left click. 2 - The site owner may redirect you through other external sites for his own purposes. This may be other of his sites, or external providers sites. These may include analytics sites that provide him with information about users of his sites, or may provide the other site owners with details from your computer. He may pay for these services or perhaps he may be paid to let the other sites launder information from you. 3 - I went to Firefox - open application menu (the three horizontal bars) - settings - privacy and security - and changed from "strict" to "standard". That solved the problem. 4 - When you watch carefully (when you get it to work again) you can see the various sites through which you are being redirected by looking at the bottom left. 5 - If you use Chrome or another browser it may not assert the "strict" setting as Firefox does. I presume that Firefox does not assert the same level of security when you right click and then select "open in new Tab". I hope this helps.
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Is this with all websites/pages, some, a few?
You are pressing the mouse middle button, yes?
Many site issues can be caused by corrupt cookies or cache.
Warning ! ! This will log you out of sites you're logged in to. You may also lose any settings for that website.
- How to clear the Firefox cache {web link}
If there is still a problem,
Start Firefox using Troubleshoot(Safe) Mode {web link}
A small dialog should appear. Click Start In Troubleshoot(Safe) Mode (not Refresh). Is the problem still there?
While you are in Troubleshoot(Safe) mode;
Try disabling graphics hardware acceleration in Firefox. Since this feature was added to Firefox it has gradually improved but there are still a few glitches.
How to disable Hardware Acceleration {web link}
FredMcD said
Is this with all websites/pages, some, a few? You are pressing the mouse middle button, yes?
A few websites by the looks of it. And no, this isn't for the middle mouse button - that works fine, now that I tried it. I'm talking about the left mouse button not working on website links, the one you would usually use to click on links.
I see. When I am surfing the web; If I find something I want to check out, I always open it in a new tab or window. This way, when I am done, I close that and am back where I started from.
Not responding to a left click is odd for a webpage.
Can you provide a few links where this happens? Please provide a public link (no password) that we can check out. No Personal Information Please !
FredMcD said
I see. When I am surfing the web; If I find something I want to check out, I always open it in a new tab or window. This way, when I am done, I close that and am back where I started from. Not responding to a left click is odd for a webpage. Can you provide a few links where this happens? Please provide a public link (no password) that we can check out. No Personal Information Please !
I do that sometimes, but other times I want to just open the link, as I've been able to. I'm thinking since this is recent, and it's happening on my phone and PC (Firefox is synced between the two) could there be a setting causing both issues that's syncing between the devices?
As for websites, here's three that come to mind:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/ https://www.walesonline.co.uk/ https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/
Modified by nucnik
And you tried clearing cache, cookies, and Troubleshoot(Safe) Mode? https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1348940#answer-1439337
I called for more help.
I tried several versions of Firefox and had no left-click issues.
FredMcD said
And you tried clearing cache, cookies, and Troubleshoot(Safe) Mode? https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1348940#answer-1439337 I called for more help.
Sorry for the late reply.
I tried all the steps now, so I opened Firefox in Troubleshooting mode, disabled Hardware acceleration and then cleared Cache (and cookies etc). Here's the fun part: I then went on one of those link I posted, the WalesOnline one, and tried clicking on a news article, and it worked, but only once. So, I could click one article normally, and after that nothing else would work on a left click. Even if I went back and tried clicking on the same article is still wouldn't work.
Any ideas?
Modified by nucnik
I called for more help.
Still have the problem, but just to update, I have tried completely removing the Adblock extension to see if that would solve it - it didn't. Only other extensions running are OpenH264 Video Codec and Widewine Content Decryption that were there already.
I bet it will be something entirely simple in the end but right now it's a mystery.
Here's another update: had an unfortunate problem today when trying to book parking online. It's on ncp.co.uk, one of the major parking providers in the UK, and I saw some occasional issues when navigating the site, but still managed to get to bookings.
I filled in all details, but when it came time to pay it failed to connect to the payment gateway, so the payment got stuck mid-way. I could see the spinning graphic in the payment insert as if it was confirming my details but went no further than that.
Had to use Chrome to log-in to that same website to finish my booking. Any advice on the matter would be appreciated!
Use these links to create a new profile. Use this new profile as is. Is the problem still there?
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-run-firefox-when-profile-missing-inaccessible
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox#Navigating_to_the_profile_folder
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-and-remove-firefox-profiles
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/back-and-restore-information-firefox-profiles
Type about:profiles<enter> in the address bar.
Chosen Solution
TSS_uk Amateur user of Firefox I had this problem. the site was giffgaff.com, which provides mobile phone services in UK using the "O2" network.
1 - The text you see when hovering over a link is the text the site owner wants you to see and may bear no relation to the link you will get when you left click. 2 - The site owner may redirect you through other external sites for his own purposes. This may be other of his sites, or external providers sites. These may include analytics sites that provide him with information about users of his sites, or may provide the other site owners with details from your computer. He may pay for these services or perhaps he may be paid to let the other sites launder information from you. 3 - I went to Firefox - open application menu (the three horizontal bars) - settings - privacy and security - and changed from "strict" to "standard". That solved the problem. 4 - When you watch carefully (when you get it to work again) you can see the various sites through which you are being redirected by looking at the bottom left. 5 - If you use Chrome or another browser it may not assert the "strict" setting as Firefox does. I presume that Firefox does not assert the same level of security when you right click and then select "open in new Tab". I hope this helps.
Solved by suggestion from tss612tss.
I did the following test: I went to settings, privacy and security, then played around with custom settings. All four options were selected for blocking (Cookies, Tracking Content, Cryptominers and Fingerpritners) and I varied the settings of the first two. Here are the findings, in case someone has the same issue.
This list shows which content was blocked and the results:
Cookies: Cross site tracking cookies - includes social media cookies Tracking content: In all windows Result: Not working
Cookies: Cross-site cookies - includes social media cookies Tracking content: In all windows Result: Not working
Cookies: Cross site tracking cookies - includes social media cookies Tracking content: In private windows Result: Working on PC and mobile!
So there we have it, Tracking content must be allowed outside Private windows.