Do you mean searches that you start via the Google search bar on the Navigation Toolbar or searching do you do via the about:home page or the Google website?

You can middle-click or Ctrl left-click a link on a web page to open the link in a new tab.

You can set the Boolean pref browser.search.openintab to true on the about:config page to open the search results page in a new tab.

For the Google website you can set your preferences on the Google.com page via the gear icon at the top right, click that button to open the menu list and select Search settings

Results Window: Open search results in a new browser window.

I'm sorry to be so clueless but I need an answer that takes into account that I have no idea what you are talking about. I used to be able to type in something in any search engine --Google, bing, etc and it would give the results in a new tab. FF8 installed and now it will not do that anymore. I have no idea what the "boolean" of which you speak is or where the "about:config" page is. Obviously, I am geek challenged. I have gone to the settings for the google search and set for a new window to be opened when searching then set the FF options to open new windows in a new tab, but it all seems pretty moot since it did not do either thing that I set it for. But thank you for trying to help me. I really appreciate your answering my question.

To open the about:config page, type about:config in the location (address) bar and press the "Enter" key, just like you type the url of a website to open a website.
If you see a warning then you can confirm that you want to access that page.

• Use the Filter bar at to top of the about:config page to locate a preference more easily.
• Preferences that have been modified show as bold (user set).
• Preferences can be reset to the default via the right-click context menu if they are user set
• Preferences can be changed via the right-click context menu: Modify (String or Integer) or Toggle (Boolean)

Use the Filter at the top of the page to locate this pref: browser.search.openintab

If the value of the browser.search.openintab pref is false then toggle the value to true with a double click on that line.

See also http://kb.mozillazine.org/about:config

Wow, okay. I did exactly as you said and changed the preference to true. It worked just as you said--however, my searches continue to open the results in the same tab I am working in. Any other suggestions? or am I just up the creek without the paddle?

You're welcome

If you've changed the settings on the Google search options (http://www.google.com/preferences?hl=en) then links should open in a new tab if you left-click them. You can always middle-click a link to open the link in a new tab.