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Can't get new tab url to open with home page (Google).

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After upgrading I can't get rid of the 12 boxes (Facebook, Youtube, etc) on new tab or make it open with my home page (Google). I have tried two different newtaburl add-ons, uninstalling and reinstalling Firefox, and following all the directions re: about:config, browser.newtab.url, etc. I can't even get a blank page trying that approach. I can only get the 12-bar blues.

After upgrading I can't get rid of the 12 boxes (Facebook, Youtube, etc) on new tab or make it open with my home page (Google). I have tried two different newtaburl add-ons, uninstalling and reinstalling Firefox, and following all the directions re: about:config, browser.newtab.url, etc. I can't even get a blank page trying that approach. I can only get the 12-bar blues.

Chosen solution

Okay, I realize I'm repeating something you've read before, but just for the sake of completeness (and also I suspect it's not Firefox's built-in page):

(1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter. Click the button promising to be careful.

(2) In the search box above the list, type or paste newtab and pause while the list is filtered

(3) Double-click the browser.newtab.url preference and enter your preferred page:

  • Page thumbnails (default) => about:newtab
  • Blank tab => about:blank
  • Built-in Firefox home page => about:home
  • Any other page => full URL to the page

Press Ctrl+t to open a new tab and verify that it worked. Fixed?

Some gotchas:

If Firefox won't let you edit this setting: you may have something called SearchProtect on your system.

If Firefox lets you save your change but ignores it: one of your extensions may be overriding it. You can review, disable, and/or remove extensions on the add-ons page. Either:

  • Ctrl+Shift+a
  • "3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Add-ons

In the left column, click Extensions

If the change works during your session, but at the next startup is back to the unwanted page: you might have a user.js file in your personal Firefox settings folder (your Firefox profile folder). This article describes how to track down and remove the file: How to fix preferences that won't save.

Any luck?

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All Replies (5)

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Chosen Solution

Okay, I realize I'm repeating something you've read before, but just for the sake of completeness (and also I suspect it's not Firefox's built-in page):

(1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter. Click the button promising to be careful.

(2) In the search box above the list, type or paste newtab and pause while the list is filtered

(3) Double-click the browser.newtab.url preference and enter your preferred page:

  • Page thumbnails (default) => about:newtab
  • Blank tab => about:blank
  • Built-in Firefox home page => about:home
  • Any other page => full URL to the page

Press Ctrl+t to open a new tab and verify that it worked. Fixed?

Some gotchas:

If Firefox won't let you edit this setting: you may have something called SearchProtect on your system.

If Firefox lets you save your change but ignores it: one of your extensions may be overriding it. You can review, disable, and/or remove extensions on the add-ons page. Either:

  • Ctrl+Shift+a
  • "3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Add-ons

In the left column, click Extensions

If the change works during your session, but at the next startup is back to the unwanted page: you might have a user.js file in your personal Firefox settings folder (your Firefox profile folder). This article describes how to track down and remove the file: How to fix preferences that won't save.

Any luck?

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Can you attach a screenshot?

  • Use a compressed image type like PNG or JPG to save the screenshot
  • Make sure that you do not exceed the maximum size of 1 MB

Can you open the about:blank in a new tab by creating a bookmark with the location set as about:blank and middle-click that bookmark?

Can you post your troubleshooting data?

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Thank You! Yes, I was following those directions to edit the settings to no avail. It was the extension that I didn't download voluntarily called Vosteran. Two versions of it were added to my add-ons. Not sure how they got there. Once I removed it from the add-ons, it all worked as it's supposed to. I couldn't find it in Programs to uninstall so apparently that's the only place it was. I was going nuts and it didn't occur to me that it could have been something like that.

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The first reply was the answer to my problem, but thanks for the suggestions!

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I'm glad you were able to identify it. Sometimes there are bundled items that keep pushing bad add-on back into Firefox, so if that happens, you can cast a critical eye on the Windows Control Panel, Uninstall a Program. After the list loads, click the "Installed on" column heading to group the infections, I mean, additions, by date. You may be able to spot unknown items that way which escaped notice when viewing programs in alpha order.