One of the main reason why Firefox has been so successful, is that you can tweak it to match your needs. Though there are another 12 million Firefox users out there, still you can make your Firefox installation unique, matching your personality.
This short guide gives you a myriad of options that can be tweaked in Firefox 3. Read along.
What other tricks and tips have you found on Firefox 3? Share with us in the comments.
This short guide gives you a myriad of options that can be tweaked in Firefox 3. Read along.
- Auto complete in the address bar as you type an address.
Majority of the people out their seems to have a love-hate relationship with the Firefox3's new address bar (that Mozilla likes to call as the awsome bar). In a humble attempt to tame this address bar we give you some hacks that can reform the smart bar to become the real smart bar.
- Enter
about:configinto the address bar and hit enter. - Click on "I'll be careful, I promise!" button.
- Enter
browser.urlbar.autoFillinto the Filter text box. Double click on that preference value and change the value totrueto enable autofill.
- Enter
- Enabling spell check in text-fields
By default Firefox does spell checking only in multi-line text boxes. If you want the Firefox to spell check the single line text entry fields too, this hack is for you:- Enter
about:configinto the address bar and hit enter. - Click on "I'll be careful, I promise!" button.
- Enter
layout.spellcheckDefaultinto the Filter text box. Double click on that preference value and change the value to2.
- Enter
- Tweaking the full screen mode
By default Firefox 3 hides the location bar and tab bar when you enter the full screen mode. Here is how to disable this behavior.- Enter
about:configinto the address bar and hit enter. - Click on "I'll be careful, I promise!" button.
- Enter
browser.fullscreen.autohideinto the Filter text box. Double click on that preference value and change the value tofalseto disable hiding of location and tab bar. - If you just want to disable the hiding animation, set
browser.fullscreen.animateUpto0.
- Enter
- Turn On Color Profile Support
The Good news is that (unlike Firefox2) Firefox3 contains a built-in advanced color profile support, which makes Firefox 3 compete easily with any desktop image viewers/editors in terms of color support. The bad news is that this mode is disabled by default. This is what you should do to enable the color profile support.- Enter
about:configinto the address bar and hit enter. - Click on "I'll be careful, I promise!" button.
- Enter
gfx.color_management.enabledinto the Filter text box. Double click on that preference value and change the value totrueto enable color profile support.
- Enter
- Always display the go button
By default Firefox 3 displays the Go button only when you are editing the address in the location bar. This is how you can display it always.- Open userChrome.css file in your profile directory using notepad.
- Add the following line to the end of the file:
#go-button { visibility: visible !important; } - Restart Firefox.
- Make the location bar display only typed addresses
Dont want the location bar to show entries in your bookmark or history? Here is what you should do.- Enter
about:configinto the address bar and hit enter. - Click on "I'll be careful, I promise!" button
- Enter
browser.urlbar.matchOnlyTypedinto the Filter text box. Double click on that preference value and change the value totrue.
- Enter
- Change the number of suggestions displayed in the Location bar menu
By default Firefox 3 displays upto 12 results in the drop down list as you type an address. Here is how to change this number.- Enter
about:configinto the address bar and hit enter. - Click on "I'll be careful, I promise!" button.
- Enter
browser.urlbar.maxRichResultsinto the Filter text box. Double click on that preference value and change the value to any positive number.
- Enter
- Hide RSS feed icon from the location bar
If you feel that little rss icon is taking up your precious screen real estate, you can easily disable it.- Open userChrome.css file in your profile directory using notepad.
- Add the following line to the end of the file:
#feed-button[feeds] { display: none !important; } - Restart Firefox.
- Hide the star icon from the location bar
You may be a keyboard junkie or you may be too used up to the old ways that you'll never use the star icon sitting up in the location bar. If you never use it, why let it be there? Here is how to remove the star icon from location bar.- Open userChrome.css file in your profile directory using notepad.
- Add the following line to the end of the file:
#star-button {display: none !important;} - Restart Firefox.
- Disable single-click-select-all in the location bar.
One of the real pain in the neck feature of Firefox is that it automatically selects the entire address in the location bar if you click anywhere near it. You just wanted to correct a typo in the address, but instead of putting the cursor at the clicked location, Firefox selected the entire address. Without looking into the screen, you corrected the typo and now the entire address is gone. Now buddy, start typing again, says Firefox. Here is how to make the behavior more 'humane'.- Enter
about:configinto the address bar and hit enter. - Click on "I'll be careful, I promise!" button.
- Enter
browser.urlbar.clickSelectsAllinto the Filter text box. Double click on that preference value and change the value tofalse.
- Enter
- Reduce the size of the back button
This may not be that evident at first, but will soon reveal to be a no-brainier once you know it. This is all you have to do: Right-click on Firefox's toolbar, and choose Customize. In the dialog box, select "Use small icons."
- Disable blinking text
Sorry, Mr. Blinking Text, you are not welcome. Here is how to stop all blinking text:- Enter
about:configinto the address bar and hit enter. - Click on "I'll be careful, I promise!" button.
- Enter
browser.blink_allowedfalse.
- Enter
What other tricks and tips have you found on Firefox 3? Share with us in the comments.
While there is a checkbox to check to get rid of the "I'll be careful, I promise" warning, I tend to forget to check it until it's too late. So I kept getting that annoying warning. But checking it add this string to about:config
general.warnOnAboutConfig and setting the value to false gets rid of the warning.
It is much easier to just check the box, but as I said, I'd forget to check it until it was off screen. So, knowing what to add while you're already in about:config might be helpful to others like me.
I can't find 'userChrome.css' anywhere !!!
atoztoa,
In Windows, it will be in C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\[default-profile]\chrome
In Linux it will be in
/home/[username]/.mozilla/Firefox/Profiles/[default-profile]/chrome
If the file doesn't exist, you can create one their.
Don't forget to bookmark About:config, by clicking the star, so it comes up next time when you start to type it.
I really really like crank but I don't see anything that will help me here? Is this some sort of joke?
I really didn't find anything useful here, or anything I didn't already know.
Those are some good ones. I didn't know about the color profile support. I've got one about the bookmarks menu here:
http://www.0092ff.com/software/firefox3-bookmarks-menu
My old FF was doing just fine.I download FF3 and my computer is a freaken paper weight.Why screw up a good thing?
Guy above me needs a new computer imo
FF3 is working great on my end
Guy probably rides a bike to work and has rolls of pennies............................
This post is worthless. All the tweakers I know sold their computers for meth long ago.
To the person before this: You really should start drinking out of the glass that is half full not empty!
Anoop Engineer ... THERE not their.
When I tweaked "gfx.color_management.enabled" my FF3 windows background went light yellow.
Ugly!
Had to untrue it again...
"The Ultimate Tweaker's Guide To Firefox3"... Bit grandiose, don't you think?
@last post
UNTRUE IT?!
LMAO. untrue is not a verb >_<
Every since I upgraded to 3, my computer runs like a 3-legged dog. It has totally messed up my computer and so far no one has been able to help me fix it.
Word of advice: If you haven't upgraded, don't until the bugs are out!!!!!
Type about:robots into the address bar, enjoy!
about:robots. Why must the computer science nerds bloat software with this useless crap. It's no wonder software that should take 350kb takes 9GB.
haha this totally sounds like it's about how to make meth
I ff3 how do you turn off the browser history?
Thats the reason, I am in love with FIREFOX...
Man, I thought I could find out some more about meth here. I love that pink stuff, man, nobody in the trailer park does more than me.
effin speed, man
firefox firefox burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies 5
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?
And what shoulder and what art
Could twist the sinews of thy heart? 10
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand and what dread feet?
What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? What dread grasp 15
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
When the stars threw down their spears,
And water'd heaven with their tears,
Did He smile His work to see?
Did He who made the lamb make thee?
Firefox firefox, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
How do you get to display the tabs to the bottom?
i switched from safari to firefox years ago b/c i found it more user friendly. i kept up with the firefox updates, including this one, ver.3. i DL'd it, and low and behold it is just like safari! wtf? luckily i kept a copy of version 2, with all my settings and addons. i immediately deleted v3 and went back to 2. ahhh...all i can say is, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
You know, there's a reason why color management is not enabled by default: "Without a properly calibrated monitor and a correct color profile, color management may actually make colors look worse." From: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Gfx.color_management.enabled
To the anonymous who would like to take the Firefox tab to bottom, please see this link:
http://saveday.blogspot.com/2007/09/how-to-move-firefox-tabs-from-top-to.html
@William Blake,
what would you like to call this poem? Fyrefox? :)
Thanks for the tweaks. I also love the about:robots and ff3 works just fine!
type about:config, say you'll be careful, then scroll down to gfx.color_management.display_profile and change the value to any color profile you want (I chose e-sRGB) then change the entry below that, gfx.color_management.enable to true. Now you'll be able to see all the beautiful colors the web has to offer.
Also, not a new trick but Firefox supports multiple profiles which you can switch between if you run firefox with the -p command (such as opening the run dialogue and typing 'firefox -p'). Great to know if you mess with the chrome files and FF won't run.
@all those who wishes to downgrade to Firefox 2,
see this post: Downgrading from Firefox 3 to Firefox 2
@Anoop Engineer: Thanks, but, as of now, TabMixPlus does not work with Firefox 3... or does it?
In Firefox 3 the organize favorites sucks. It has more bugs then a pill bottle. Bookmarking a page sucks to. If you try to put a page in a different folder it will not let you. Firefox 2 is much better
Can new versions not be writen to install in new folders (eg. Firefox 3) ? This would allow one to evaluated with out older versions being trampled. It would be a matter of choosing the version one wishes to run.
Look at the software industry, XP - Vista, what was wrong with 3.1? (Attempt at humour).
I have myself upgraded software only to regret such a move. MSN MESSenger upgrades to MSN Live (steaming pile of compost).. Maybe a restoration/installation addon?
I love Firefox v3.0, for me I don't have any problem as above like organize favorites or sort favorites etcetera, we need to googling to fine the solution's.
For Tab Mix Plus Firefox 3.0 :-
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1122
Google will help you. trust me. Thanks all for great tips.
Love it! Stumbled.
I don't need most of the tweaks, and I think the back button gives FF3 some attitude... I'll bookmark it when FF3 gets annoying :p
I really loved Firefox before this latest update, but now my computer is running slow and has frequent crashes.
My question is, if I revert back to Firefox2 what will I lose as far as bookmarks etc.?
Thanks,
@above post,
see Downgrading from Firefox 3 to Firefox 2
Wow. Youtube comments are more helpful than these.
*pisses in an ocean of piss*
Wow, people need to stop complaining about how FF3 sucks, crashes computers, and kills little puppies. Was it not YOUR CHOICE to download FF3? If you do need to fix something, or find out how to downgrade from FF3 to FF2, USE GOOGLE! Actually think for yourselves once in awhile, jeez. Obviously FF3 is working well enough for you to visit this site and comment on the post, so I'm pretty sure you could look something up on Google without your computer exploding.
Whoever thinks that the about:robots bit is what's bloating software from 350kb to 9GB needs to calm the heck down and take a reality pill. Unless you still believe that "640k ought to be enough [ram] for anyone", you'd realize that the software we use today is almost infinitely better than the stuff we were using ten years ago (which was still bigger than 350kb, for the record).
By all means though, if you think you can write a fully-functional full-featured web browser in 350kb of code, please feel free to do so! I'm absolutely certain that it will become the browser of choice universally - and I honestly mean that (provided it doesn't suck, of course).
As for the "computer science nerds" you're so eager to show your superiority to, you may want to thank them for creating web browsers - and, indeed, the web itself! - in the first place so that you could use their creations to (unsuccessfully) try to mock them.
In the past I have had problems with Firefox updates, I can't be specific because my mind is gone. I have had no problems with this here version and I like the big back button. The larger, roundness of it makes it more easy to push on with the clicker and it makes it easier to see the difference from the other Button...it's seems to be shaped in another way.
Hey, that's great, but the userChrome.css file is not loaded by default. How about explaining where those entries would go in the userChrome file?
Firefox has always been the best browser for me.. but the firefox 3 keeps crashing for some reason... Wonder when will it become stabel.
Thanks for the great tips. I've just put these into place.
FOR REMOVING THE BOOKMARK STAR:
usually you can just rename the existing UserChrome-example.css and/or UserContent-example.css files under:
C:\Documents and Settings\"your name"\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\"some folder"\chrome
after erasing the content and renaming the UserChrome-example file by opening it with notepad. Then add the code:
#star-button { display: none !important; }
and save, restart firefox and you should immediately see the change!
Sounds like too much hard work to me - I will stick with the basics.
I'm sticking with my FF2 version for awhile yet. I like the themes I have that won't work with FF3 and by the sound of it there is still bugs to be worked out on FF3. Good to read what others have to say about it.
Great tips. The only thing is, Firefox 3 is so good right out of the box that the only changes I'm making are installing extensions like StumbleUpon, del.icio.us, and Web Developer.
Thumbs up on StumbleUpon, though!
Since upgrading to FF3, my background turned white and no theme will display. This is frustrating as I cant see text directives etc. Anybody out there know a fix for this? Before I
lose it!
Thanks for the tips.
I have been running FF3 for the last few weeks and it is running just fine no hassle no sweat. its probably not the program that is causing all the difficulties but conflicts and systems that are becoming unstable in any case... its a thought at least! after all most of the time you have to do a complete reinstall of windows minimum once a year to stay stable and safe... I have a backup which I simply copy back in every six months... as we all know Windows is really flexible and lets you put all sorts of stuff on your PC unlike other OS's but therein is its Achilles heal. Also because like FF2, FF3 is tweakable, you can also simply screw things up be tweaking too much.
have a look at
http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/firefox3.asp
I followed some tweaks on FF2 and my computer has never been the same. It sometimes slows down till nothing will work and I frequently have to use recovery and searches on the internet in the safe mode to try and figure out how to fix it.
> @last post
> UNTRUE IT?!
> LMAO. untrue is not a verb >_<
It is now!
I don't have any problems with FF3 and my omputer's shit (or, at least, the one I'm currently using is since my actual computer can't connect to the internet at the moment.. This is the family's computer).
I see othing different from any problems I would just normally have with this over-sized scrap heap of a paperweight.
Hello!
These actually helped me and FF3 works great for me :D
There is a UserChrome tweak to hide the foreward button unless there is something to go forward to, but I don't remember what it is. I think it looks alot better with just the little circle than the whole keyhole thingy
I have a dell laptop with just 800px vertical resolution so i did this trick to get more space. right click on nav bar , choose customize now you will see a small dialog box. you can now drag all the buttons on the nav bar and position them on the menu bar. once you have all the usefull buttons on the menu bar you can hide the nav bar - no more two bars taking up the space - just the menu bar.
haha... i spent much of my afternoon screwing many of these up... trial and error as such. thanx for posting.
Great set of tweaks, disable blinking text definitely is one of the best. Be gone annoyances :).
Well, almost a good web page except that you use an image host and I can't see any of them because you exceeded your bandwidth. Very lame, I will never visit here again, but good idea though.
Dear Anonymous reader,
I have upgraded the image hosting account. Thank you for pointing out that it was not working. Hope you will enjoy the site now.
FF# works fine for me and always has. I dont understand the point of upgrading it though. It looks the same as FF2. It runs the same as FF2 (excluding bookmarking which is now shit) and the awesome bar really isn't all that awesome. I mean we all know that google is a .com so we don't need help there. But it never knows about the more obscure websites.
^It learns after a while though. That's why it's awesome.
But am I the only one who rarely comes across blinking text? Methinks it's a Myspace thing, and I don't have a Myspace account.
So I'm happy. Robots ftw.
to make firefox use less ram type about:config,then new-boolean-type:config,trim_on_minimize then true
mindset, when you spend enough time on 4chan/7chan, blinking text can become extremely annoying and almost synonymous with any internet experience.
Tell the July 4 guy he has my sympathies.My mind was gone once too,but then it came back.
firefox 3 sucks, no way to delete history
Firefox 3 rocks, it's easy to delete history, maybe you just haven't used it more than 5 minutes. Maybe look around some more. Thanks for the awesome tweaks! everything did what you said, and I enjoy the color tweak as well...nice!
How do you delete old email address listed under stumble.######.c.2 or 3 or 4 and the same for a contactid......
I love Firefox 3! I always used Internet Explorer until about a month ago. I can't believe all the add-ons and other features! My computer is also running unbelievably better since I switched to Firefox! I used to only be able to keep about 1 or 2 IE windows open with just a couple tabs each. Now I can have 5+ windows and 5+tabs in each and still have no problem with my comp.. I'm quite surprised because my laptop is pretty old and out dated - 512 RAM 30GB hard drive 1.8GHZ.
I'd like to know how to remove the history button on the tabs. I had firefox 3, and earlier version and now that i've downloaded this one, I can't remember how to change it and remove the button altogether.
These tips are really awesome! It's interesting that I found a way to reduce the buttons' size.
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