Hello,

The Reset Firefox feature can fix many issues by restoring Firefox to its factory default state while saving your essential information. Note: This will cause you to lose any Extensions, Open websites, and some Preferences.

To Reset Firefox do the following:

1. Go to Firefox > Help > Troubleshooting Information.
2. Click the "Reset Firefox" button.
3. Firefox will close and reset. After Firefox is done, it will show a window with the information that is imported. Click Finish.
4. Firefox will open with all factory defaults applied.

Further information can be found in the Refresh Firefox - reset add-ons and settings article.

Did this fix your problems? Please report back to us!

Thank you.

That would work for reenabling a feature that had been accidentally disabled. That is not what I was talking about. What I need is an easy way to disable or lock private browsing on Firefox so it can never be opened. If you had read my entire post, that much should have been obvious!

Oh, sorry. Guess I should have submitted this as a suggestion. Kind of confusing, wasn't it?

Two ways that you can make that request.

1. Submit feedback to Mozilla using the Help > Submit Feedback menu item.
2. File an RFE (Request for Enhancement) Bug at Bugzilla.

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/

https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Bug_writing_guidelines

Can anyone give me step by steps instructions to disable Private Window options that appear in menus and buttons. Thanks.

A New Private Window can also be opened via the keyboard, so hiding the various menu items and "buttons" isn't a complete solution.

May I ask what you are trying to accomplish by hiding Private Browsing menu items and buttons?

Or what you think Private Browsing does and doesn't do?

That said, there is this extension - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/disable-private-browsing/ - but it isn't a complete solution.

There is also the -private command line switch and the (no restart) Private Tab extension.

• Private Tab: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/private-tab/

Note that disabling menu items by editing Firefox files can lead to problems if there is code that relies on them.

gmgallegos, most of the various menu, keyboard, and button options can be disabled by first opening omni.ja in a zip utility, then finding browser.xul in that archive, then searching for the relevant tags and adding the attribute disabled="true" to each appropriate tag, then saving the file back to the archive and recompressing it. It's a good idea to run your zip utility as an administrator because the archive may not save successfully otherwise. It's also a good idea to back up omni.ja to another location before attempting to change it, so you can recover if you make a mistake. I am not aware of any way to successfully disable -private-window in the command line. Also, this solution will only persist until your next automatic update; after that, you will have to repeat these steps.

the-edmeister, aren't you aware that Private Browsing has been nicknamed the Porn Mode because it makes it possible for people to cover their tracks when viewing sites that they shouldn't see? Why should it be odd to you that some men or parents might want to block it in order to facilitate accountability?

That is why I asked gmgallegos about his perception of Private Browsing.

Not odd at all, but there are better ways to accomplish it. The best way to keep kids from viewing inappropriate material is to use a "net nanny program" to keep that garbage from being loaded in a browser - any browser used on that particular PC, including "portable" versions on a USB Flash drive. Also, browsing history is easy to clear, completely or partially.

Beyond the browser level and the individual PC level, the internet router can be used to view browsing history via a program called Wall Watcher (Windows only). I have used WW in the past when I needed to "watch" what was being downloaded from a PC on my home LAN, but development has stopped and there isn't a version for Win8.

Hacking browser.xul in the omni.ja file does work, but more than likely the procedure has to be repeated every time Firefox is updated. I think there is much better way - such as blocking that garbage from entering your home to begin with.