Hello Sandy. Although possibly not related to your problem, I have to remind you that the version of Firefox you are using at the moment has been discontinued and is no longer supported. On top of this, it has known unpatched bugs and security problems. I urge you to update to the latest version of Firefox, for maximum security, stability, performance and usability. You can get it for free, as always, at [http://www.getfirefox.com getfirefox.com]. As for your problem, make sure your instructing Firefox to open the link in a new tab. For example, middle-clicking (pressing the mouse wheel or the central button of the mouse) the link will open it in a new tab. If that doesn't help, it's possible that you are having a problem with some Firefox add-on that is hindering your Firefox's normal behavior. Have you tried disabling all add-ons (just to check), to see if Firefox goes back to normal? Whenever you have a problem with Firefox, whatever it is, you should make sure it's not caused by one (or more than one) of your installed add-ons, be it an extension, a theme or a plugin. To do that easily and cleanly, run Firefox in [http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Safe+Mode safe mode] (don't forget to select ''Disable all add-ons'' when you start safe mode). If the problem disappears, you know it's from an add-on. Disable them all in normal mode, and enable them one at a time until you find the source of the problem. See [http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Troubleshooting+extensions+and+themes this article] for information about troubleshooting extensions and theme and [https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Troubleshooting+plugins this one] for plugins. If you need support for one of your add-ons, you'll have to contact its author.

same problem, except with safari!