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Single page windows don't disappear after moved to multi-tab windows

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Since probably FF94, i can't remove single page windows (like popup) by turning them into a tab anymore.

Before when a popup window appeared i moved it to the already opened main window to turn it into tab to not have ton of "recently closed windows". But since FF94, when i move a window, instead of disappear after become a tab, firefox only duplicate the webpage (i have the new tab and the identical webpage window). Until now the only way i have to remove the annoying windows is to kill firefox app with windows task manager and uncheck them in the tab recovery.

How i can have firefox able to really move windows into tab like before instead of copy them? Or have a way to permanently delete unwanted windows i don't use anymore in the "recently closed windows" list without killing the task.

Also moving tab from a firefox window to another work normally (no duplicate), the problem occurs only when FF windows has a single tab.

Since probably FF94, i can't remove single page windows (like popup) by turning them into a tab anymore. Before when a popup window appeared i moved it to the already opened main window to turn it into tab to not have ton of "recently closed windows". But since FF94, when i move a window, instead of disappear after become a tab, firefox only duplicate the webpage (i have the new tab and the identical webpage window). Until now the only way i have to remove the annoying windows is to kill firefox app with windows task manager and uncheck them in the tab recovery. How i can have firefox able to really move windows into tab like before instead of copy them? Or have a way to permanently delete unwanted windows i don't use anymore in the "recently closed windows" list without killing the task. Also moving tab from a firefox window to another work normally (no duplicate), the problem occurs only when FF windows has a single tab.

All Replies (5)

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You can possible choose to open the pop-up in a tab instead of in a stand-alone window via prefs on the about:config page.

You can open the about:config page via the location/address bar. You can click the button to "Accept the Risk and Continue".

Normal Links (3; 1 is not available via Settings):

  • browser.link.open_newwindow
    1:current tab; 2:new window; 3:new tab;

JavaScript Links (0; all not available via Settings):

  • browser.link.open_newwindow.restriction
    0:divert always; 1:divert never; 2:divert no features

WARNING: modifying prefs directly via the about:config page can sometimes break Firefox or cause strange behavior, and there is no guarantee that this will keep working in future Firefox releases. You should only do this if you know what you're doing. The prefs I mentioned above should be OK as they have always been there.

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Usually, popup windows that aren't moved to a new tab automatically do not have a tab bar and do not have a normal toolbar. How are moving the (hidden) tab from the popup window to the tab bar of a regular window?

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jscher2000 a écrit

Usually, popup windows that aren't moved to a new tab automatically do not have a tab bar and do not have a normal toolbar. How are moving the (hidden) tab from the popup window to the tab bar of a regular window?

Yes, but once closed and opened again, these bar-less windows usually have the bar appear again and can be moved. Also it is not only popup, even normal webpage opened in new windows (ex right click on a link and by accident choose open a new windows instead new tab ) have the same problem. whatever, if the FF window has only a single tab, the tab will be copied and window closed (means appear in the recently closed windows list) instead of being totally removed like it did before (or like any other browser do). I search a way for single pages windows totally disappear when the tab is moved without appearing in the closed window list.

I tried to install firefox in another computer, the windows drag works perfectly during the very first session after the installation or reparation, but once firefox is closed and reopened, the window problem come back. So the problem come from programmation, hope it will be solved.

If there is currently no solution to solve the window drag problem, would like a way to easily clear the recently closed windows without having to kill the app or lose the current session.

I tried to put the sessionstore_max_windows_undo to '0' in about:config to remove the closed window, but seems firefox doesn't like, the '0' act like if i it was '1'

Diubah oleh thor94

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no permanent solution, beside forcing the tab recover with task manager kill?

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thor94 said

jscher2000 a écrit

Usually, popup windows that aren't moved to a new tab automatically do not have a tab bar and do not have a normal toolbar. How are moving the (hidden) tab from the popup window to the tab bar of a regular window?

Yes, but once closed and opened again, these bar-less windows usually have the bar appear again and can be moved.

If I open a popup window, close it, then restore it using Ctrl+Shift+N or History > Recently Closed Windows, it does not have a tab bar. There is something unusual about your configuration.

Also it is not only popup, even normal webpage opened in new windows (ex right click on a link and by accident choose open a new windows instead new tab ) have the same problem. whatever, if the FF window has only a single tab, the tab will be copied and window closed (means appear in the recently closed windows list) instead of being totally removed like it did before (or like any other browser do). I search a way for single pages windows totally disappear when the tab is moved without appearing in the closed window list.

I see this now -- if I move the last tab in a window to a different window, Firefox allows re-opening the window with that URL, and with that tab's history. It's like "Duplicate Tab to New Window".

I don't know why Firefox is doing that. I don't think it was intentional. I suspect it is related to a set of changes several versions ago that added a long requested feature to session restore, but caused other complications, and the fixes to make that work without data loss. You could file a new bug: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/home

If there is currently no solution to solve the window drag problem, would like a way to easily clear the recently closed windows without having to kill the app or lose the current session. I tried to put the sessionstore_max_windows_undo to '0' in about:config to remove the closed window, but seems firefox doesn't like, the '0' act like if i it was '1'

Firefox has an API for add-on developers to remove a closed window from session history:

https://developer.mozilla.org/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions/API/sessions/forgetClosedWindow

I don't know whether any add-ons implement it -- that kind of detail is not possible to search, as far as I know, and searching for session cleaner or closed windows (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/extensions/) didn't lead to an immediate solution.

A search across Github code repositories -- a common place to find code of Firefox add-ons -- turns up 144 references to the API. However, many of them appear to be stored code examples and I don't know how to identify which ones might relate to a currently available public add-on:

https://github.com/search?q=browser.sessions.forgetClosedWindow&type=code

Seems like an interesting project for someone with time...