The bookmarks would be opening in the sidebar because you check marked the item "Load this bookmark in the sidebar" when you bookmarked the page. Which is not your fault because it probably did nothing (because Mozilla had purposely already broken it) by the time you check marked the item. Now it works again, but only from a bookmark in a bookmark location not by opening the bookmark with a keyword shortcut, and not from using the AwesomeBar feature of the location bar. Most of my bookmark usage is from other than by clicking on a bookmark. I don't know of any method to do a mass removal of the indicator that you already have, you might install the following so that you can at least see the indicator (option) on an individual bookmark. It is a very desirable extension anyway. *Add Bookmark Here ² (60.4KB) :: Add-ons for Firefox *:https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/add-bookmark-here-2/ *http://dmcritchie.mvps.org/firefox/addbookmarkhere2.txt I almost always open bookmark in a new tab anyway with a mouse shortcut, hardly ever with the context menu (right-click menu). Either with "Ctrl+click" or "Ctrl+Shift+click". Read the comments, and you will want to make your bookmarks open in the same manner as your links match your links) by changing your configuration variables. *Firefox and other Browser Keyboard Shortcuts (Comparison Table) *: http://dmcritchie.mvps.org/firefox/keyboard.htm *: http://dmcritchie.mvps.org/firefox/keyboard.htm#newtab A mouse shortcut is like a keyboard shortcut, but it involves the mouse. A keyboard shortcut strictly involves the keyboard. References: * [https://support.mozilla.com/questions/872320 How do I get rid of a &quot;sidebar&quot; (a extra tabless website on the left of the screen) which is still there after restarting Firefox and even cold booting the computer? | Firefox Support Forum | Firefox Help] *:-- toggling a different side bar in then out may be faster to dismiss the sidebar than with the sidebar "x". * [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=215175 Bug 215175 – bookmark keyword cannot be used to open bookmark in sidebar] * [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=215658 Bug 215658 – Quick Search Bookmarks won't load in Sidebar when using keyword] * [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=560305 Bug 560305 – Remove &quot;Open in Sidebar&quot; feature] * [http://burad.blogspot.com/2007/04/open-webpages-in-sidebar.html Burad's Blog: Open webpages in sidebar] *: example of usage, with explanation of feature. Simpler and more direct than the cheatsheet below * [http://dmcritchie.mvps.org/firefox/google_cheatsheet.htm cheatsheet] *:-- this was my own use, this used to open cheatsheet in the sidebar (killed by Bug 215658 in 2003) from a keyword bookmark. * [http://dmcritchie.mvps.org/firefox/search.htm Search and Substitution Shortcuts especially for Firefox users] *:-- this one includes the cheatsheet summary written into the webpage. <br><small>Please mark "Solved" one answer that will best help others with a similar problem -- hope this was it.</small>

You can middle-click a bookmark with the mouse scroll wheel to open the bookmark in a new tab, just like you can with other links.

Unless you believe middle-click is yours and don't like it being usurped, mine is set globally to "Enter".

Thank you dmcritchie, your reply to my bookmarks problem solved it.

You're welcome. "If you want to see the extent that you have such bookmarks export your bookmarks to a bookmarks.html file then view source and use find for WEB_PANEL="true" -- I have the "Find All" extension, so I can see how many times that string occurs, and where." *https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/questions/872320

Thanks cor-el, middle-clicking is a useful quick fix. Never thought of it before.

You're welcome You will still have to check the bookmarks for opening in the sidebar. <br /> Opening in the side bar is the default for bookmarks that are created via a link or button on a website.<br /> You can check the Properties of a bookmark via the right-click context menu in the side bar (Ctrl+B; Cmd+B on Mac).<br /> In the Bookmarks Manager (Bookmarks > Show All Bookmarks) you can click the More button in the Details pane at the bottom right.<br /> Make sure that "Load this bookmark in the side bar" is not selected.