when I start Firefox the Firefox windows order changed from previous session
I have an ongoing problem with Firefox (not sure when it started happened, possibly started a few months ago)
My computer died so I started using my roommate's laptop (a Macbook Pro using OS X), and the problem is: when I start Firefox (with or without shutting down the laptop in between sessions) the order of the Firefox windows seems to get randomized each time (except for the first windows which is all my about-Firefox tabs)
example: my previous session the top windows were 1) tabs about Firefox 2) IRC 3) TV 4) comix 5) comix-2 6) comix databases 7) libraries
when I opened my current Firefox session, the order of those windows (and others) had been changed
2) comix (from window 4 to window 2) 6) TV (from window 3 to window 6) 7) comix-2 (from window 5 to window 7) 16) comix databases (from window 6 to 16) 17) IRC (from window 2 to window 17) 25) libraries (from window 7 to window 25)
For weeks (or months) I've been manually moving entire windows-worth of tabs so at least some windows will be in the order i want (but it is tiring), What other solutions are available?
One potential fix would be to add a "Change Order" feature to Firefox's drop-down "Windows" Menu. That "Windows" menu is currently just: 1) "Minimize ⌘M", 2) "Zoom", and 3) the list of Firefox windows.
Thank you.
(other topic: would like to be able to choose FirefoxAccounts usename https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1300342 )
All Replies (5)
Is this about the order you see in the Mac Window menu ?
The order in this menu might be ordered by most recently used windows.
Thanks for the reply.
It is about the order i see in Firefox's Window menu. (that is happening on a Mac laptop) But if they were all sorted by recent use that wouldn't explain why the window of about-Firefox tabs stays at the top. (I only use it some sessions, but it always starts on top) (I looked at preferences again and don't see option for changing how windows are sorted)
BTW, Firefox preferences say "Version 78.2.0esr (64-bit)" and "Firefox is up to date".
cor-el said
Is this about the order you see in the Mac Window menu ? The order in this menu might be ordered by most recently used windows.
additional info on windows not getting sorted by latest use: (from latest Firefox sesssion)
window 2: (2+ weeks?) specific costume-biz tab Firefox moved to window 2 (2nd from top), but i hadn’t done anything with that window for at least 2 weeks.
window 3: (2+ weeks?) events window got moved to window 3, but I haven’t done anything with that window for at least 2 weeks.
window 4: (3 days ago) comix-2. Previous use 3-days ago (Wednesday)
window 5: (1 day ago) science-fiction publications window, used 1-day ago (Friday)
window 6: (1 day ago?) window of tabs about TV. Not sure when latest use was (yesterday?)
window 7: (2 weeks ago?) Not sure when latest use was (2 weeks ago?)
window 8: (ZERO days ago) window of tabs about HTML. Previous use was in previous session (TODAY/Saturday). Firefox moved from window 2 to window 8.
(switching to mostly shorter lines)
window 9 to 12: (i forget when last used)
window 13: (ZERO-1 day(s) ago) previous use today or yesterday.
window 14: (probably 2 weeks ago) Jesus-related tabs
window 15: (ZERO or 1 day(s) ago). Artists-1 window. Previous use today or yesterday.
… yadda, yadda … (skipping downward)
window 31: (ZERO days ago) Meanwhile the IRC window, which i used in previous session (TODAY/Saturday) got bumped from window 3 to window 31.
window 33: (1 day ago) window of library tabs. Previous use was yesterday (Friday). (yesterday it was amongst the top10 windows)
window 37 (last window): (ZERO days ago) games window, which i used in previous session (TODAY/Saturday) (in previous session probably was window 12 or thereabouts)
(RELATED request: In addition to adding feature allowing us to easily change order of windows, it would be helpful if had option of getting Windows list to include window-number at start of line: ie. Would prefer Firefox’s “Window” drop-down list (menu): display “1: Firefox.htm” instead of just “Firefox.htm” and “2: Portal:Coronavirus disease 2019” instead of just “Portal:Coronavirus disease 2019”. etc etc.)
So when i started up Firefox around 8pm (an hour ago), the top windows were:
window1: tabs about Firefox (used recently)(the tab that seems to keep it at top is https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/welcome/4/ , don’t worry … my Firefox is up to date … i’ve just happened to keep that tab around) window2: tabs about Covid (used a few days ago) window3: misc-3 (i forget when last used) window4: Jesus-related tabs (few weeks since latest change) window5: single tab of specific artist (month since latest change) window6: PeacePepeDatabaseofLove.com window7: Tuca & Bertie
Meanwhile windows that i used more recently are scattered around in lower windows a) used comix-1 window yesterday and is window 8 b) had IRC window as window2 yesterday and Firefox moved it down to window10.
I manually moved all the IRC tabs to window2
(and manually moved all the Covid tabs down to window10)
Then i Quit Firefox, waited a few minutes and started Firefox up again.
window1 still: Firefox window2 now: misc-4 (haven’t used misc-4 window for a few weeks, and in previous session it was probably window30 or so) window3 still: misc-3 window4 now: games tabs (haven’t used for a few days) etc window7 now: comix-1 tabs (used yesterday) etc window10 now: Tuca & Bertie (was window 7 in previous session) etc window37 now: Jesus-related tabs (changed window size in previous session) etc window55 now: IRC (was window-2 in previous session)(fiddled around with IRC tabs in above session)
(RELATED request: In addition to adding feature allowing us to easily change order of windows, it would be helpful if had option of getting Windows list to include window-number at start of line: ie. Would prefer Firefox’s “Window” drop-down list (menu): display “1: Firefox.htm” instead of just “Firefox.htm” and “2: Portal:Coronavirus disease 2019” instead of just “Portal:Coronavirus disease 2019”. etc etc.)
So when i started up Firefox around 8pm (an hour ago), the top windows were:
window1: tabs about Firefox (used recently)(the tab that seems to keep it at top is https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/welcome/4/ , don’t worry … my Firefox is up to date … i’ve just happened to keep that tab around) window2: tabs about Covid (used a few days ago) window3: misc-3 (i forget when last used) window4: Jesus-related tabs (few weeks since latest change) window5: single tab of specific artist (month since latest change) window6: PeacePepeDatabaseofLove.com window7: Tuca & Bertie
Meanwhile windows that i used more recently are scattered around in lower windows a) used comix-1 window yesterday and is window 8 b) had IRC window as window2 yesterday and Firefox moved it down to window10.
I manually moved all the IRC tabs to window2
(and manually moved all the Covid tabs down to window10)
Then i Quit Firefox, waited a few minutes and started Firefox up again.
window1 still: Firefox window2 now: misc-4 (haven’t used misc-4 window for a few weeks, and in previous session it was probably window30 or so) window3 still: misc-3 window4 now: games tabs (haven’t used for a few days) etc window7 now: comix-1 tabs (used yesterday) etc window10 now: Tuca & Bertie (was window 7 in previous session) etc window37 now: Jesus-related tabs (changed window size in previous session) etc window55 now: IRC (was window-2 in previous session)(fiddled around with IRC tabs in above session)