254697 - as default browser wont open new browser window when clicking URL from email

Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 231984

(SeaMonkey :: General, defect)

Description

[Craig Prosser]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.7.2) Gecko/20040803
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.7.2) Gecko/20040803

Since the first Netscape 7 release and all Mozilla versions on 4 different PC's
I've experienced the same problem. When I first open the browser (yes, it is the
default browser on all the PC's) and then go to email and click a link it will
take over the browser window I'm currently using not opening a new one. I've
found a work around which is to go into the preferences under the advanced area.
If I just click on every item under the advanced area and make no changes and
press OK to close the preferences window it will now open new browser windows
every time I click a link from another application in Windows. This will
continue to work as long as I don't close Netscape/Mozilla. If I do I have to
repeat the above again and it works as expected. This has bugged me for every
build and I can't believe it isn't logged as a bug or fixed by now.

Reproducible: Always
Steps to Reproduce:
1. Open the browser
2. Click a link from an email note or MS Word, or Acrobat
3. Browser takes over the existing window you have open rather than opening a
new one which is preferred

Actual Results:  
Browser takes over the existing window you have open rather than opening a new
one which is preferred.

Expected Results:  
Open a new browser window with the expected page you clicked through to.

Comment 1

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

As I recall, this was a conscious design decision.... there have certainly been
other reports of this.

Comment 2

[Jesper Hertel]

I'm having the same problem, and it is a big problem, as you can lose data, when
you are filling in a form (you could be writing a very carefully thought text,
like this ;o) ).

I really like your workaround :-D! It's funny, and it works!

Well, until recently, I did not have the problem, after I added these lines in
my user.js:

user_pref("advanced.system.supportDDEExec", false);
user_pref("browser.always_reuse_window", false);

But recently this stopped working. I didn't notice the exact time, but it could
be after I installed version 1.7.2.

Comment 3

[cal32]

when i click on an URL in a email, a blank page just comes up and it says it's
done. it won't go to the website of the URL

Comment 4

[Craig Prosser]

I noticed in the latest Firefox browser it works as expected. Any links clicked
in email open a new brower window. So this must not have been be design. I
havn't tested but I will hope Netscape 8 works like firefox and is fixed as
well. Can Mozilla comment? I know the latest build of Mozilla doesn't fix this yet.

Comment 5

[irongut]

You can fix this by setting the advanced prefs listed in bug 231984

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 231984 ***

Comment 6

[irongut]

Forgot to remove DUPEME flag, oops. :)