That's not normal. Let's break this down.

You're on a new tab, so the address bar starts out blank. Is that right, or are you deleting the current page address first?

And when you tab at that point, where does the cursor go?

But if you type even one character in the address bar, the tab key is ignored and the cursor stays in the address bar?

Do you use any extensions that affect how the address bar works? I'd normally suggest to test in Firefox's Safe Mode. In its Safe Mode, Firefox temporarily deactivates extensions, hardware acceleration, and some other advanced features to help you assess whether these are causing the problem.

If Firefox is not running: Hold down the Shift key when starting Firefox.

If Firefox is running: You can restart Firefox in Safe Mode using either:

• "3-bar" menu button > "?" button > Restart with Add-ons Disabled
• Help menu > Restart with Add-ons Disabled

and OK the restart.

Both scenarios: A small dialog should appear. Click "Start in Safe Mode" (not Refresh).

Any improvement?

I am starting from a new tab with a blank address bar. As long as there is nothing in the address bar the cursor tabs as it is designed to do. But if I put just one letter/number in the address bar my cursor is locked. Of course I can use the mouse to "free" it from it's abductor, but I am used to using the tab button to move my cursor. I certainly haven't added anything since I "updated" my Firefox. I checked in add-ons and I have ZERO extensions. So no, there is not an extension preventing it from moving. I started Firefox in safe mode and got the same response. My idea at this time is to uninstall Firefox, reinstall Firefox, and hope that this resolves the issue. I am running Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. I am painfully aware of the fact that the miscreants at Microsoft are adamant about my switching to Windows 10, which has absolutely no privacy. So it wouldn't surprise me if this is a planned incompatibility issue. Either that or Meltdown or Spectre have invaded my computer. I am open to any other ideas that you may have but at this point uninstall/reinstall is the best I can come up with. Having the cursor "locked" in the address bar is not acceptable.

Thanks for your input. Have a great day

[Profanity removed by moderator. Please read Mozilla Support rules and guidelines, thanks.]

Is there a way to separate the search engine from the address bar? That seems to be the root of the problem. If under Options>Privacy and Security>Address Bar I check the boxes next to Browsing History, Bookmarks, Open Tabs (I have an EXTREME disdain for auto-complete) then when I hit tab is the address bar it simply moves my cursor down to the multitude of inaccurate/unwanted suggestions. If I uncheck all of the boxes, after typing simply one character, hitting tab does absolutely NOTHING. I refuse to tolerate this. AS much as I hate it, I will either find another browser or grit my teeth and use Internet Explorer.

Way to go Mozilla. You have messed up another wet dream.

[Profanity removed by moderator. Please read Mozilla Support rules and guidelines, thanks.]

WTFeatme said

Is there a way to separate the search engine from the address bar? That seems to be the root of the problem. If under Options>Privacy and Security>Address Bar I check the boxes next to Browsing History, Bookmarks, Open Tabs (I have an EXTREME disdain for auto-complete) then when I hit tab is the address bar it simply moves my cursor down to the multitude of inaccurate/unwanted suggestions.

Yes, if you have suggestions, in order for tab to move to the next focusable element (e.g., search bar or body of current page), you have to press Esc to close the drop-down. Then tab should work.

However, it should work with the drop-down completely disabled (all boxes unchecked) and any amount of text in the address bar. I can't think of what setting we might have set differently.

When you press Tab, where do you expect the cursor/focus to move to? If you want to move it to the page, a temporary workaround would be to press the F6 function key (switches between document and address bar), but that is a long reach on the keyboard.

You can also modify the value of this pref (0 or -1) on the about:config page to disable the drop-down list.

• browser.urlbar.maxRichResults = 0

You can open the about:config page via the location/address bar. You can accept the warning and click "I accept the risk!" to continue.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/about:config

'THIS IS NOT SOLVED. COR-EL'S SUGGESTION DIDN'T WORK. I ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE WRONG BUTTON AND HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO WAY TO CORRECT THE MISTAKE.

[Profanity removed by moderator. Please read Mozilla Support rules and guidelines, thanks.]

I'm having trouble understanding your description of the problem, but you could try refreshing Firefox. Your bookmarks, history, passwords, cookies, and other essential information will be kept intact, but you'll reset your add-ons.

1. Click the menu button , click help and select Troubleshooting Information. A new tab containing your troubleshooting information should open.
2. At the top right corner of the page, you should see a button that says "Refresh Firefox". Click on it.
3. Firefox will close. After the refresh process is completed, Firefox will show a window with the information that is imported.
4. Click Finish and Firefox will reopen.

I hadn't tested my above suggestion about the browser.urlbar.maxRichResults pref and can confirm that it doesn't effect the Tab key.

If the location bar drop-down list is open then the Tab key cycles through the shown suggestions. I can close the drop-down list with the ESC key and then the Tab key works for me. The Tab key also works if I disable all suggestions including showing search suggestions (Options/Preferences -> Search).

Yes, if I hit the Esc key (In my mind an unnecessary, unwarranted, unwanted, obtrusive, and burdensome extra step) which requires me to visually confirm and removes my left hand from its normal keyboard position, tab works the way that it should be working the whole time. My extreme anger is that because some fetid monkey with superior intellect (extreme sarcasm) shoved what THEY wanted down my throat, my computer no longer responds the way that it should and that I had become accustomed to. I don't give a rat's behind what happens, I will NEVER update this again. If they want their computer to operate/respond in that fashion more power to them but they should have either 1.) made it optional or 2.) offered a way to disable the stuff. In other words, pressing the Esc key releases my senselessly kidnapped cursor, but I will NEVER be happy that my computer was working exactly how it had for over a decade and now, due to someone else's idea of what THEY want and completely beyond my control, I am forced to live with something that irritates me. I paid for this computer. It is MY computer, not theirs or anyone else's. But now it is infected forever with their stench. The most irritating thing about it is that I gave them my trust by updating the browser and they betrayed me by forcing their will on me. In a civilized and intelligent society ( I realize that America is neither) that should NEVER happen. I also realize that this is the best I can do, but I will NEVER consider this solved until they change the program and remove the putrid curse. I do appreciate your attempts to help me solve this issue and probably would not have realized without your help that, due to the will of some brain dead coder, there is not and never will be a solution.

[Profanity removed by moderator. Please read Mozilla Support rules and guidelines, thanks.]

Thanks for NOTHING Mozilla/Firefox. I'm betting that you are all self-proclaimed very stable geniuses.

I NEVER had to use the Esc key before. This issue makes a cesspool smell like roses. Way to go you "AWESOME" guys with your "AWESOME" bar. Don't break your arms patting yourselves on the back. Is there ANY WAY to revert back to the old version of Firefox and avoid this ?

[Profanity removed by moderator. Please read Mozilla Support rules and guidelines, thanks.]

Here's the behavior I see in Firefox 57:

• When you start entering text, Firefox "selects" the top line in the autocomplete drop-down (typically "Visit" or "Search")
  • When there are results in the drop-down, Tab cycles among them
  • When the drop-down is suppressed by unchecking all suggestion types (or setting browser.urlbar.autocomplete.enabled=false in about:config), the Tab key never enters the drop-down and works to exit the address but, but the Enter key is broken (doesn't submit the address bar)

• When Tab is cycling in the drop-down, you can move the focus out of the address bar using various less convenient methods:
  • Pressing Esc, Left Arrow, or Right Arrow (and possibly others I didn't notice) will close the drop-down, freeing the Tab key to exit the address bar
  • Pressing F6 will move the focus to the content area
  • Pressing Ctrl+e will move the focus to the search bar if it is displayed

WTFeatme said

I NEVER had to use the Esc key before. ... Is there ANY WAY to revert back to the old version of Firefox and avoid this?

This does not appear to be a new issue, since the same behavior occurs in Firefox 52 ESR. It might be a result of the major changes made in Firefox 48 (but I'm not testing any other versions myself.)

In order for going back to a previous version to be helpful, you probably also need to run whatever extension you were using to change the behavior of the address bar in Firefox 52-56.

• Firefox ESR (it's not just for corporations any more): https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/organizations/faq/
• Other versions: Install an older version of Firefox (any version before 56 may not be able to read your current history database)

My desktop NEVER did this before and my Windows 10 laptop does not/did not do it. I have changed autocomplete to false, keyword.url to false, in Options unchecked offer suggestions. My settings for Firefox on the laptop are basically the same as on the desktop. I can't understand why they behave differently.

Is there a way to disable this drop down menu in the Address Bar? It currently does not offer any suggestions yet it STILL drops down at the first character entered in the address bar. This is a typical computer complaint. You have EVERYTHING set up in terms of settings/preferences and because you were stupid enough to download an "ADVISED FOR SECURITY update the whole thing goes down the toilet without you lifting a finger.

WTFeatme said

Is there a way to disable this drop down menu in the Address Bar? It currently does not offer any suggestions yet it STILL drops down at the first character entered in the address bar.

If you set browser.urlbar.autocomplete.enabled to false then it definitely should not be dropping down. But with that setting, the Enter key doesn't work in the address bar. Does your other computer have both Tab and Enter working at the same time?