Hi iceguy, Ctrl+click still should open links in a new tab. It hasn't been removed (certainly not on purpose).

Could you test for a possible extension conflict? First, you could check for updates here:

orange Firefox button (or Tools menu) > Add-ons > click the "gear" button > Check for Updates

If the problem persists after that, could you try Firefox's Safe Mode? That's a standard diagnostic tool to bypass interference by extensions (and some custom settings). More info: Diagnose Firefox issues using Troubleshoot Mode.

You can restart Firefox in Safe Mode using

Help > Restart with Add-ons Disabled

In the dialog, click "Start in Safe Mode" (not Reset)

Any difference?

I should have asked: what happens when you Ctrl+click a link now?

• Nothing
• Opens in same tab
• Opens in a pop-up window

I'll try your suggestions and let you know what I find out.

Right now ctrl-leftclick opens the link in the current tab, even if it's an app tab.

Okay, since I'm at 24.0, a check for updates produces "No updates found."

Okay, ctrl-leftclick does NOT work in safe mode either.

Hi iceguy, thank you for testing, the "gear" button Check for Updates checks the extensions you installed from the Mozilla add-ons site; Firefox might not always update those when it updates, although it will check any that are incompatible.

What happens when you Ctrl+click a link now?

• Nothing
• Opens in same tab
• Opens in a pop-up window

Does the Ctrl key work with keyboard shortcuts such as:

• New tab: Ctrl+t
• Print: Ctrl+p

My add ons are up to date.

Ctrl-t and ctrl-p work fine, bringing up a new tab and the print dialog respectively.

Ctrl-leftclick still opens the link in the same tab.

It does that in safe mode, too.

To see whether it's something specific to your accumulated settings, or something that occurs with any Firefox settings, could you do a two-minute experiment?

Create a new Firefox profile

It will have your system-installed plugins (e.g., Flash), but no themes, extensions, or other customizations. It also should have completely fresh settings databases and a fresh cache folder.

Exit Firefox and start up in the Profile Manager using Start > search box (or Run):

firefox.exe -P

Any time you want to switch profiles, exit Firefox and return to this dialog.

When creating a new profile, I recommend using the default location suggested, and to avoid data loss, not re-using any existing folder. Before deleting unneeded profiles, I suggest making a backup first in case something were to go wrong.

Does Ctrl+click work in the new profile? If not, some program file might be corrupted, or Firefox may be having a problem with a device driver (e.g., mouse driver).

Did you check the settings in the mouse driver (Control Panel)

Can you try a different mouse?

Boot the computer in Windows Safe Mode with network support (press F8 on the boot screen) as a test to see if that helps.

I will try the new profile and let you know the result.

Please note that ctrl-leftclick (my mouse is configured for my right hand so that's the primary mouse button) works exactly right on bookmarks in the bookmarks toolbar, opening the bookmarked page in a new tab, while a simple leftclick opens the bookmarked page in the current tab.

I think that proves conclusively that there is no problem with my mouse or with the interaction between Firefox and the mouse driver.

Has anyone out there tried ctrl-leftclick on a link in Firefox 24?

Hi iceguy, you asked:

Has anyone out there tried ctrl-leftclick on a link in Firefox 24?

All day long!

Okay. I created a new profile and found that ctrl-leftclick still did not behave correctly.

And then it dawned on me that I was using the same website to run the test every time.

So I tried it on another website and found that it worked just fine there. I tried another, and it worked there, too.

The site with links it for which ctrl-leftclick doesn't work is realclearpolitics.com. It must have something to do with their HTML. Somebody try it for me, please.

Thanks for the help, and I apologize for all the trouble I put you through.

Yes, this is caused by their click tracking script. When you hover over a link, it looks normal, but:

<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57607188/no-deal-yet-government-shutdown-debt-limit-talks-continue/" onclick="return lc_trackclick(event,'9848', 'No+Deal+Yet%3A+Talks+Continue');">No Deal Yet: Talks Continue</a>

We've seen another site with this issue in the past, but it only affected a few links at the bottom of the page so it wasn't as annoying.

Besides the two workarounds you're using (right-click, middle-click), you could strip those click trackers. Three possible approaches:

(1) Find an extension that works on that site

(2) Remove the tracking manually using a bookmarklet (a script you save to your Bookmarks Toolbar as a button)

(3) Remove the tracking automatically using a userscript (a script that runs in the Greasemonkey extension or the Scriptish extension)

Since anti-tracking extensions are pretty common now, you might check those. Please note that if they aren't coded carefully, they could stop links on some sites from working correctly.

If you decide you're interested in a more tailored solution, you could request a userscript to be developed on this forum: Ideas and script requests - Userscripts.org. Please note that the site does NOT check scripts before they are posted, and takes forever to remove bad ones, so protect your personal information by not installing anything that touches Facebook and cast a skeptical eye on reviews.