I open PDFs with Firefox. If I open one on an empty Windows 10 desktop, but some other desktop has a Firefox window open, that window will open a new tab for my PDF and Windows will switch to it immediately.

I would like to open the PDF in a new window instead. But if there is a Firefox window on the currently selected desktop, I would like the PDF to open in a tab in that window.

How can I do this?

1 Answer

If you are opening PDF files from Explorer or another application, then opening Firefox's about:config and setting:

browser.link.open_newwindow.override.external 2

should cause these files to open in a new window on the current desktop. See How to prevent firefox from opening new window/tab for discussion of related options.

With this setting, the only way I know to open a file from Explorer in an existing Firefox window is to drag the file onto the tab bar background or [+] button. Or you could drag it onto an existing tab to open in that tab.

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