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

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Firefox may repeatedly open new, empty tabs or windows after you click on a link, forcing you to close Firefox. The same untitled tabs or blank windows may open the next time you start Firefox if the previous session is restored.

This usually happens because you chose Firefox as the program to always use for a particular action, such as opening a certain type of file or launching an application to send mail.

Note: The Refresh Firefox feature can fix many issues by restoring Firefox to its factory default state while saving your essential information. Consider using it before going through a lengthy troubleshooting process.

Start a new Firefox session

You may be forced to close Firefox if it is repeatedly opening multiple tabs or windows. Firefox includes a Session Restore feature that can restore your windows and tabs from the previous session after a crash or unexpected close.

The same multiple tabs or windows may start opening when you next start Firefox, forcing you to close Firefox again. If you see a Restore Session ("Well this is embarrassing ") page when you restart Firefox, click the Close button to start a new session and then follow the instructions given below to fix the problem.

Change the action for a content type

You may be able to fix the problem by finding the content type that is set to use Firefox and then changing the action, using these steps:

  1. Click the menu button New Fx Menu and choose Options.Preferences.
  2. Select the Applications panel.In the General panel, navigate to the Applications section.
  3. If you know which item in the Content Type column is causing the problem, select it. Otherwise, in the Search box, type Use Firefox. The list will display only items that are set to "Use Firefox".
    Applications - Use Firefox 38 Fx56GeneralApplications-UseFirefox
  4. For each problematic content type, select a new action from the menu in the Action column. If you're not sure which action to pick, choose Always ask.
  5. Close the about:preferences page. Any changes you've made will automatically be saved.

For general information on content types, see Change what Firefox does when you click on or download a file.

Reset actions for all content types

If the preceding steps didn't fix the problem, or if you can't find the problematic item in the Applications list, you will have to reset the actions for all content types by manually deleting the file that stores these settings.

This will remove all customized content type actions, not just the one that is causing the problem. You will have to make those changes over again after taking these steps.

  1. Open your profile folder:

    Click the menu button New Fx Menu , click help Help-29 and select Troubleshooting Information. The Troubleshooting Information tab will open.

    • Under the Application Basics section, click on Show FolderOpen FolderShow in FinderOpen Directory. A window with your profile filesfolder will open.
    Note: If you are unable to open or use Firefox, follow the instructions in Finding your profile without opening Firefox.

  2. Close Firefox. Click the menu button New Fx Menu and then click ExitQuit Close 29 .
  3. Delete the file named mimeTypes.rdfhandlers.json.
  4. Restart Firefox.

Check for malware

If the problem is still not solved, or if Firefox is opening multiple tabs or windows with unwanted content, consider that your system may be infected by malware. For more information, see Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware.

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