5 Cool Firefox About:Config Hacks To Make Browsing Smoother

There’s no doubt in anybody’s mind that Mozilla Firefox is one of the best browsers out there. It also has the honor of being the biggest rival to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.

Part of the reason behind Firefox’s success is the fact that there is an awesome team of individuals behind it, who work around the clock to make it live up to the stringent quality standards, which are a hallmark of Mozilla.

However, there is a second, almost equally important reason as to why each version of Firefox is a runaway success. There’s virtually no limit to the amount of customization you can apply to Firefox. Most of these come in the form of extensions (small add-ons, which add to the functionality).

However, today we are going to talk about another, more covert way of customizing Firefox. All the different settings of Firefox can be accessed from one convenient location using the Firefox “About Config” hack. By typing about:config in the address bar, one can bring up a page listing all the different options. Once on that page, it’s simply a matter of double-clicking and editing those settings to make your browsing experience even better.

Here’s a list of the best, most useful Firefox about:config hacks. All these hacks can be enabled by going into about:config. In case a setting doesn’t show up in the search, just right-click and select New to create it.

Make Firefox Free Up RAM When Minimized:

Unless you have a RAM behemoth for a rig, you will know that RAM is a precious commodity. Simply put, RAM is like a container into which all applications are thrown when they are first run. The applications carry out all their processing in the RAM and then leave the RAM when they are done.

The problem arises in the way Firefox handles RAM. Most programs return unused RAM when they are minimized. Firefox, on the other hand does not do so. So, the Firefox ninjas around the world found an about:config workaround for it:

• In the “Filter” search, type: config.trim_on_minimize

• Right click on the setting and click “toggle” so that the Value turns to “true“.

From now on, Firefox will act like any other Windows app and return all unused memory when minimized.

Stop Websites From Blinding You With Blinking Text:

Some webmasters have this crazy habit of making text on their pages blink. Maybe it’s their idea of looking cool, but in reality, it’s nothing more than a major irritation. Coupled with that is the fact that it really tires your eyes. Here’s how you can change about:config to disable blinking text:

• In the “Filter” search, type: browser.blink_allowed

• Right click on the setting and click “toggle” so that the Value turns to “false“. This disables the blinking.

Paste Text With The Middle Mouse Button:

Linux users will vouch for how awesome pasting with the middle mouse button is. Now, Windows users can get the same functionality within Firefox. You guessed it! You need to go to about:config to do the following:

• In the “Filter” search, type: middlemouse.paste

• Right click on the setting and click “toggle” so that the Value turns to “true“.

Open Search Results In A New Tab:

Every now and then I come across a term on a website that I really need to research. I quickly hit Ctrl+K (the Search Box shortcut), type the keywords, and hit Return, only to remember at the last instant that the search will take me away from my current page. Using the following about:config hack, I configured Firefox to open all searches in a new tab.

• In the “Filter” search, type: browser.search.openintab

• Right click on the setting and click “toggle” so that the Value turns to “true“.

Make Firefox’s Menus Load Faster:

Sometimes, the delay caused while opening a Menu is just a major headache. Here’s how to do away with it using about:config.

• In the configuration window, right click and choose New -> Integer

• Name it ui.submenuDelay and set it to 0

And that’s all that there is to it! It’s simply amazing how a few configuration changes here and there can make your surfing experience so much smoother. About:config hacks really make Mozilla Firefox all the more awesome. No wonder it is one of the most popular browsers in the world.

What about:config hacks are your favourites?