Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

How do I open link in private window?

  • 3 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 2 views
  • Last reply by Matt

more options

I want to open a link in a message in a Private Firefox Window. The only information I found was to create the entries described in this web page: kb.mozillazine.org/Changing_the_web_browser_invoked_by_Thunderbird

It works great if Firefox is not running, bringing up a private window. But if Firefox is already running, it does not bring up the window/tab as private.

I have many years of Unix and PC experience.

I have been using Thunderbird for as long as I can remember.

Running on Win 7 Pro with the latest patches

Thunderbird 38.5.1

I want to open a link in a message in a Private Firefox Window. The only information I found was to create the entries described in this web page: kb.mozillazine.org/Changing_the_web_browser_invoked_by_Thunderbird It works great if Firefox is not running, bringing up a private window. But if Firefox is already running, it does not bring up the window/tab as private. I have many years of Unix and PC experience. I have been using Thunderbird for as long as I can remember. Running on Win 7 Pro with the latest patches Thunderbird 38.5.1

All Replies (3)

more options

Those handlers come in many flavors HTTP, HTTPS, FTP etc..

Are you using the -private-window URL command line switch with the invoking of Firefox? I would assume in windows that URL should be replaced with %1. but I have not really looked into it.

more options

Matt said

Those handlers come in many flavors HTTP, HTTPS, FTP etc.. Are you using the -private-window URL command line switch with the invoking of Firefox? I would assume in windows that URL should be replaced with %1. but I have not really looked into it.

You probably missed the fact that I mentioned that it WORKS but only if Firefox is not open first. Let me expand on it to make it clearer:

So If I close Firefox (or not open it), click on a link in TBird (http or https - tried both), the link opens in a Firefox private window just like the referenced article says. On the other hand, if I open Firefox THEN, in TBird, click on that same link, it does not open in a private window.

As to how I did it, I copied the information just as it was presented, rather than assuming the %1 would work. I used cut and paste for both the item as well as the data.

I appreciate your reply.

more options

No I did not miss your statement that it works the first time.

I also assumed you would do something else than copy what was in that article as it was clearly invoking a new tab and not a new window and all your talk of is a new window.

Logic would say that you can not open a new private tab in an existing non private session. Everything in Firefox talks of opening a link in a new window. So it sounds like the -private command line parameter is working exactly as it should.

Now how about using -new-window to invoke a window instead of something that can not work correctly unless Firefox is closed, by definition.

Regardless, the issue is not Thunderbird, but how Firefox reacts to startup parameters. So if your unable to get the thing going with the correct command line switch, I will pass this to Firefox support. I would guess in the context of the protocol handler that the URL can be assumed to be added by Thunderbird when it invokes Firefox.