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How can I stop the hundreds of tabs from opening when I try to download something.

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  • 1 has this problem
  • 2 views
  • Last reply by AliceWyman

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When I attempt to download a new recipe or crochet pattern and a couple others, when I click that "Download" button the tabs start opening and won't stop till I exit everything. How can I stop this from happening?

When I attempt to download a new recipe or crochet pattern and a couple others, when I click that "Download" button the tabs start opening and won't stop till I exit everything. How can I stop this from happening?

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Sometimes a problem with Firefox may be a result of malware installed on your computer, that you may not be aware of. Check your add-ons for any suspicious extensions:

  • Tools (or New Fx Menu) > Add-ons > Extensions

Check your list of install programs in Windows - Control Panel > Programs and Features. Usually malware comes bundled with other applications, so if you sort by date and see several applications installed at the same day, it may be easier to find suspicious applications that way.

You can try these free programs to scan for malware, which work with your existing antivirus software:

Further information can be found in the Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware article.


If you are still having issues, did you download Firefox from the official Mozilla site? Sometimes if you search on Google or any search provider, they sometimes have "Advertised links" which are sometimes Firefox bundles that have been slightly modified.

If you did download from a different website and believe that to be the cause, you can report the link here:

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

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Could you post an example link or two, so we can see what types of files this is happening with?

I'm thinking you might have selected Firefox as the application to open these files and you are having the problem described here:

Firefox repeatedly opens empty tabs or windows after you click on a link