Windows

Jun 22, 2008

My Digital Life Editorial Team

19 Comments

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Disable or Enable Backspace as ‘Go Back’ Page Browsing Function in Firefox

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In Firefox in Windows operating system, when pressing the backspace key, the web page active in the window or tab will be going back one page, an action that similar to when the both Firefox and IE browser’s “Back” button, while Shift+Backspace will go forward. The backspace key is mapped to “Back” function in Firefox for Windows is for consistency with Internet Explorer.

On the other hand, Firefox in Linux by default does not map the backspace key to “Go Back” function to improve consistency with other applications running on Linux. Instead, the page will scroll up or down (when pressing Shift+Backspace key together).

The backspace as Back button feature can be easily turned on or off depending on user preference. Thus, Firefox for Windows users can disable the back function mapping to backspace key, and Firefox for Linux can enable the backspace to map to Back function easily, by using the following Firefox pref.

Type about:config in Firefox Location Box, and then confirm the warning message. Then locate the following preference name:

browser.backspace_action

Change the “browser.backspace_action” to one of the following values to reflect your intention on how the Backspace key should behaves:

0: Pressing [Backspace] will go back a page in the session history and [Shift]+[Backspace] will go forward. (Default in Windows)

1: Pressing [Backspace] will scroll up a page in the current document and [Shift]+[Backspace] will scroll down. Except Camino that does not implement any behavior for the value 1, which is unmapped. (Default in Linux builds before 2006-12-07)

Any other integer number: Any other integer value will simply unmap the backspace key. In Linux builds after 2006-12-07, the default is 2.

Related posts:

1. Disable FireFox Tabbed Browsing Scroll Arrows and Scrolling Tabs Feature
2. Change the Position of FireFox Tabs Close Button (or Revert Back to FireFox 1.5 Style at the End of Tab Strip)
3. Disable (or Enable) Tabbed Browsing in Internet Explorer 7 (IE7)
4. Disable Firefox 3 Auto Save Tabs on Close to Prompt for Choice
5. Disable Automatic Opening or Saving of Downloads (Re-enable Always Ask Before Check Box)

19 Comments

• 
  GoatseRealm July 3, 2011 at 9:06 am

  That worked AWESOME!!!

  THANKS!!!

  I always hated that stupid nerdy ass old school shortcut.

  Reply
• 
  Andrew February 15, 2011 at 3:26 pm

  THANK YOU! I have HAD IT with Firefox navigating back a page half way through an email and losing EVERYTHING I typed…

  Reply
• 
  Nora January 18, 2011 at 4:19 pm

  Please give directions for Internet Explorer. This has been a real problem, especially because of the horrible touch mouse on my HP Mini; it sometimes pops the cursor outside of the text box so that when I use backspace to correct a typo, the backspace key instead takes the browser back a page.

  HELP. I keep losing lengthy emails because of this.

  Reply
• Is there a way to turn off key functions? - darkmesa November 17, 2010 at 9:33 pm

  [...] browser? Firefox: Disable or Enable Backspace as ‘Go Back’ Page Browsing Function in Firefox My Digital Li… __________________ teh [...]

  Reply
• 
  Dan May 25, 2010 at 7:22 pm

  It should be disabled by default.. I'm betting 99% of people view it as an annoyance rather than a feature. Glad I finally looked into disabling it, thanks for this.

  Reply
• 
  Jenessa May 3, 2010 at 8:21 am

  wtf is the "firefox location box"?

  Reply
• 
  ClintToo April 21, 2010 at 2:58 am

  Thanks! The guy below is wrong, what an idiot…

  Reply
• 
  Clint April 21, 2010 at 2:56 am

  Your settings are wrong. Setting to 1 causes scroll and setting to 0 enables go back.

  Reply
• 
  Rob Stanford April 20, 2010 at 9:55 am

  Thanks! I use firefox in ubuntu and NOT being able to simply click the backspace button to go back was driving me crazy!

  Reply
• The One Night Stand and its Complex Aftermath - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community March 2, 2010 at 1:58 pm

  [...] Originally Posted by Wes Mantooth PS I hate when I hit backspace and for some reason my browser goes to the previous page and I lose everything I just typed…GRRR! I hate it too, so I disable it. (assuming you're using firefox?) Disable or Enable Backspace as ‘Go Back’ Page Browsing Function in Firefox [...]

  Reply
• Menonaktifkan fungsi tombol “backspace” sebagai “go back” pada firefox « Mikha Valerint October 31, 2009 at 10:20 am

  [...] (Sumber asli dari sini) [...]

  Reply
• 
  mikejonesey August 28, 2009 at 3:08 pm

  thankyou!

  Reply
• 
  Michael B August 21, 2009 at 4:46 pm

  Thanks! I find that every now and then, via some bug, I lose an entire form post that I'm typing because it does the back-browse on backspace!!!

  Reply
• List of about:config Hacks Customization for Firefox » My Digital Life July 27, 2009 at 1:23 am

  [...] Disable or enable backspace as ‘Go Back’ page browsing function in Firefox [...]

  Reply
• 
  Brian Shacklett July 22, 2009 at 10:22 am

  This has always driven me crazy. Thank you.

  Reply
• 
  David March 1, 2009 at 9:38 pm

  Thanks! Now does anyone know how to do the same for Internet Explorer?!

  Reply
• 
  John Quillen February 8, 2009 at 5:40 pm

  Thank you! I lost 45 minutes worth of typing in a wysiwig javascript editor yesterday because focus on the edit box was lost and I tried to erase a character!

  Reply
• 
  Thaddaeus January 29, 2009 at 8:47 am

  Thank you so much! That was driving me INSANE!

  Reply
• things to look at (November 25th - December 2nd) | stimulant - changing things around. . . December 2, 2008 at 9:01 pm

  [...] Disable or Enable Backspace as ‘Go Back’ Page Browsing Function in Firefox » My Di… [...]

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