Technology Firefox - Maximize window has changed on 3 monitor setup

[Apollyon]

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This is what I posted on Mozilla.com without an answer (which it seems like is with most questions). Any help would be appreciated!

I have a 3 monitor setup - 3 x Dell 2410. Windows XP, and goes through a TripleHead2Go digital box. Vid card is nVidia GeForce 8800 GTS. Up until FF 4, no problems. Since 4, and now into 5, have had problems with windows. I hate tabs, so I open new windows. I do NOT want "just use tabs". I HATE THEM. They decrease my window size. I do NOT use them. I WILL NOT.

I have my windows in the center monitor. When I maximized, it maximized in this center monitor (which is an artificial construct, due to the TH2Go adapter) - not 3 monitors wide. When I opened a new window, if maximized, it opened in the same middle monitor. If I used "restore down", the window would be the same size, but moved over to the right a distance of the size of the FireFox icon on the absolute upper left of the blue bar on top.

Since Firefox 4, many web sites have messed with the new window setting. Most common is a new window opening maximized in a window the same size, but on the leftmost panel. When I used restore down, the window goes to a very small window at the upper left, which I can move, and I do, to the middle, and resize the size I want (monitor sized), and then maximize, which restores it the way I want. Another is a window opening in the entire size of the screen (3 monitors wide), but in the "restore down" setting, and not maximized. I can drag the lower right corner to the left to resize this to one monitor wide, move the whole window to the middle, then hit maximize. This is frustrating, but only mildly, and I take it as a consequence of using FF. However, this evening, a new thing happened. When I maximized, the FF window went to the entire size of my screen (3 24" widescreen monitors wide). When I restored down, it went to the way of FF3 and before - the window in the middle, then successive windows offset to the Right, offset a distance equal to the FireFox logo in the upper left.

All I want is the first window to open maximized in the middle panel, and other opened windows to open maximized overlying the prior ones in the same space, not offset to the right. I have searched and searched, and not found an answer, and do not know where are the sizing options in the settings of FF. I did try safe mode and restore original settings, and it did not change anything. I did not install any updates before this happened. After FF5 gave me the option to upgrade, I did, and the browser worked as it had before, without changing.

Thank you for any help!

I've found a workaround, but it's just that. I can do a Norton GoBack restore, and that will return the settings. That's lame, though.

 

[godless]

I have dual monitors and I use UltraMon. Once you maximize a window to full screen you can move it from monitor to monitor with a little arrow that they provide next to the minimize, restore, close buttons. It can also convert one application to completely cover all monitors (and restore from that).

The downside is that they have a paid version and a older free version but if you have more than one monitor i think you have to have UltraMon.

I hope this helps.

Here is their website: http://www.realtimesoft.com/ultramon/

 

[1UP]

Firefox 4, and 5 by extension, use a number of technical tricks with regard to the windowing subsystem in order to make it look slick in XP. Unfortunately, this causes minor/major issues on non-standard display devices. There is most likely nothing you can do to make it perform how you want it to. You would most likely need some kind of custom add-on that would control window behaviors, but it would have to be built from scratch. You could probably hire an Indian programmer on contract to make it for you.

 

[bubbachuck]

here are some suggestions:

1) Try Chrome. I've been a Firefox user for probably 8 years but now I use Chrome 90% of the time. It's noticeably faster/snappier with Flash applications. It's even more minimalistic than Firefox by default (though I'm sure Firefox can be configured that way), which sounds like something you prefer. If it wasn't for the fact that Firefox had more/better extensions I would use Chrome 100% of the time.

2) You mentioned you hate tabs because they decrease your screen size...so I'm guessing you mean the fact that tabs take up some space at top. I'm then assuming then that you view everything "full screen" (i.e., F11) then? One less than optimal workaround is to use Ctrl-Tab to switch tabs in full screen mode. Also, there's a plugin called FoxTab (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/foxtab/) that will allow you to bring up an "alt-tab" like layout for your tabs.

If you think Triple2Go is the problem... (not too familiar with it)

3) Given that have three DisplayPort monitors, you could drive them all on separate signals with an ATI card that supports Eyefinity. If you want to go this route, make sure that the card has three outputs that support 1920x1200 (your native resolution). For example, I don't think HDMI will support higher than 1080P even on an Eyefinity card. I can clarify this further if you want.

4) Install another video card to give you the ability to power your third monitor. On Windows 7, it's very straightforward. You can mix and match nVidia and ATI cards even.

 

[justaregularmed]

Apollyon - How did the monitors turn out?

 

[Apollyon]

The monitors themselves are great - however, I still have SO much junk on my desk, and the monitors make the glass desktop bow a bit, so it's not perfect, and I'm too lazy to clean it up to take a picture. However, Age of Empires III and Need For Speed - Hot Pursuit do really well. StarCraft II is not supported for widescreen gaming.

 

[Apollyon]

So, I had discovered a workaround - to just roll back the drive to a time earlier in the day when the browser was unaffected. However, that failed today. It might be an XML or CSS setting.

I did discover a clickable setting on Firefox where one can disable Javascript allowing websites to resize windows.

I also realized that I can just unplug the TripleHead box and plug one monitor right into the video card. That will give me a maximized window of the right size. Then, I plug all three monitors back in. We'll see if that works.

And it seems like Mozilla help forums don't ever get any response from any developers. At all.

 

[Stroganoff]

Can you upgrade to Win7?

Just seems so nonstandard to go with some 3rd party system for a virtual triple monitor instead of, say 2 video cards that you can plug 3 monitors directly into for a true triple monitor setup.

I so want a dual 30" setup someday (or something equivalent...)

Here's what I currently use at home:

It's no triple 24" Dells, but it does the trick and really helps my por productivity.

 

[Apollyon]

The Matrox triple head boxes are far from "nonstandard". I've gone over the idea of the Matrox unit vs. two video cards over at wide screen gaming forums, and there is certainly nothing "nonstandard" about it. They have many threads about SLI vs Crossfire and those vs Matrox triple head, espousing each on its merits.

edit: and the unplug the box and just plug in the monitor didn't work, nor did rolling back to FF 3.6.

 

[movax]

The Matrox triple head boxes are far from "nonstandard". I've gone over the idea of the Matrox unit vs. two video cards over at wide screen gaming forums, and there is certainly nothing "nonstandard" about it. They have many threads about SLI vs Crossfire and those vs Matrox triple head, espousing each on its merits.

edit: and the unplug the box and just plug in the monitor didn't work, nor did rolling back to FF 3.6.

Yeah, triple-head isn't non-standard, but I still prefer tossing physical videocards at the problem. I run my 30" off a GTX 460, and my 2 22"s off a cheap GT210, does the job very well (Desktop obviously)