When I Open a New Tab in Firefox It Always Redirects Me
If Firefox redirects you to a new website when you open a new tab, there is a piece of software on your computer that is affecting its default behavior. This software could have been something that you installed yourself, or it may be an unwelcome intruder. By learning about Firefox Safe Mode and how Firefox plugins work, you can learn to identify and disable the offensive software.
Other People Are Reading
-
Default Behavior
-
Firefox's default behavior when you open a new tab is to present you with a blank page. When you open a new tab, you should see the message "Go to a website" appear briefly in your address bar. Take note of the URL that is appearing in your address bar when you open a new tab. It may help you to identify the software that is causing Firefox to deviate from its default behavior.
Safe Mode
-
One form of software that can change Firefox's default behavior are third-party plugins. These are plugins that you install to perform a specific function that Firefox by itself cannot. However, plugins can also perform actions behind the scenes that you may not be aware of. To see if your redirection issue is caused by plugins, start Firefox in Safe Mode. To enable Safe Mode, click the orange Firefox button, "Help," and then "Restart with Add-Ons Disabled." When the "Firefox Safe Mode" dialog box opens, click "Disable all Add-ons" and then click "Continue in Safe Mode." Open a new tab and note whether the problem persists.
-
Locating Problematic Plugins
-
If the problem does not persist while Firefox is in Safe Mode, you can be confident that one of your plugins is causing it. To troubleshoot this issue, you will need to disable your plugins one by one, testing for the problem each time. To do this, click the orange "Firefox" button, and then click "Add-Ons." Once the Add-Ons Manager loads, click the blue "PlugIns" button. Select the first plugin in the list and then click "Disable." Next, open a new tab and observe Firefox's behavior. Continue this process until you have disabled every plugin. If Firefox opens a new tab correctly after you disable a plugin, you have found the culprit.
Malware
-
If you find that a plugin is not causing your errant Firefox behavior, it is likely that your computer is infected with malware. Some viruses are capable of corrupting your Firefox installation, changing files and behaviors along with them. To check for these malicious programs, you should scan your computer with a reputable antivirus program. If possible, perform a boot-time scan. This type of scan will check your hard drive for viruses before Windows loads, leaving viruses no way to defend themselves from deletion.
-
