Ok this is driving me absolutely mad... random Firefox tab issue.

Richdog · 16 Aug 2009 at 10:48

For some reason Firefox has suddenly started opening an already existing tab in a seperate window when I click on it. So i'll be on another tab browsing away, then for example i'll go back to my OCUK tab which has been happily sat there fine for half an hour or so, and all of a sudden for no reason with no set pattern (its completely random) it will just open itself in a seperate unique window, sometimes with a blank page. I then need to drag the tab back to my original window.

Firefox is fully updated and also did this in the version before the update, and this has been going on for a couple of weeks now. Has anyone else experienced this and have any idea how to fix it? :confused:

tolien · 16 Aug 2009 at 11:36

Is it when you click the tab, or just randomly?

HangTime · 16 Aug 2009 at 12:00

Are you 100% sure that you are actually just clicking on the tab, and not dragging it?
That caught me out a few times, if you're a bit casual with your tab selection you might move the mouse down a tad into the main window while clicking on the tab, which by default will create the new window.

I'm tempted to disable it actually as that's not a feature I ever use and it's got me a few times.

tolien · 16 Aug 2009 at 12:03

AFAIK there's no way to trivially disable tab dragging.

Richdog · 16 Aug 2009 at 12:33

tolien said:
Is it when you click the tab, or just randomly?

HangTime said:
Are you 100% sure that you are actually just clicking on the tab, and not dragging it?
That caught me out a few times, if you're a bit casual with your tab selection you might move the mouse down a tad into the main window while clicking on the tab, which by default will create the new window.

I'm tempted to disable it actually as that's not a feature I ever use and it's got me a few times.

That's it... mystery solved. My mouse surface is causing the mouse to make tiny, near-imperceptible movements that when combined with clicking on a tab have the effect of making a micro-drag which then moves the tab to a new window. Mouse mat time I guess...

Thanks for that guys, at least I know what the problem is now.