multiple tabs disappear

Recently my browser started to repeatedly lose the ability to support multiple tabs. In Internet Explorer 8, I click on the drop-down menu arrow on the right side of the Command Bar's Home button, select Add or Change Home Page from that drop-down menu, and then select "Use the current tab set as your home page" in the Add or Change Home Page dialog box. Then I launch another instance of the browser and close the original one. Then I've got multiple tabs. Sometimes they'll still be there the next time I boot up, but after a couple times, they're gone again. I have an installation of Windows that’s only a few weeks old (so I doubt any files are corrupted), and all my antivirus and antimalware software tells me I’m as clean as a whistle. How do I fix this?

BTW, here is what's selected in IE | Tools | Internet Options | General tab | Tabs | Settings:

Enable Tabbed Browsing
Warn me when closing multiple tabs
Enable Quick Tabs
Enable Tab Groups
Always open pop-ups in a new window
A new tab in the current window

 

Launch Internet Explorer in No Addons mode. To do so, click Start --> All Programs --> Accessories --> System Tools --> Internet Explorer (No Addons)

This will disable all 3rd party (and native) extensions to Internet Explorer that may be causing your issue.

Do you still have a problem in this mode?

 

Attention, Mada_Milty:

Right now I can't tell if this had any effect or not because I had already gotten multiple tabs enabled in the way I described above, so for the moment multiple tabs work both when Internet Explorer is in No-Addons mode and when it's in "regular" mode. What you're saying certainly sounds plausible to me though. Do you know how I can find out what Internet Explorer Addons I have, and where the 3rd-party ones came from?

 

I would point you to the MS Article, Internet Explorer add-ons: frequently asked questions.

Generally, my first step in troubleshooting a browser is to try disabling addons and extensions. It allows you to divide issues with the browser (less likely) from issues with addons (more likely). If your problem disappears with addons off, then you can begin re-enabling them one at a time until you find the one causing your issue, and repair it specifically.

 

Never mind - I found the browser add-ons via:

IE | Tools | Internet Options | Program tab | Manage add-ons

but the only add-ons shown were:

Name: Adobe PDF Link Helper
Publisher: Adobe Systems, Incorporated
Status: Enabled
File date: Wednesday, June 11, 2008, 11:33 PM
Version: 9.0.0.332
Load time: 0.02 s

Name: RealPlayer Download and Record Plugin for Internet Explorer
Publisher: RealNetworks, Inc.
Status: Enabled
File date: Wednesday, February 24, 2010, 2:21 PM
Version: 12.0.1.188
Load time: 0.03 s

Name: Diagnose Connection Problems...
Publisher: Not Available
Status: Enabled

Name: Windows Messenger
Publisher: Not Available
Status: Enabled

Name: Discuss
Publisher: Not Available
Status: Enabled
Version: 6.0.2900.5512

Just a guess, but I don't think any of these are causing the problem. Any comments or suggestions?

 

Okay, just to confirm that I understand the issue: You choose a set of tabs as a home page, and then, sometime in the future, cause unknown, the homepage set is lost?

Is it only after a reboot, and never on launching/relaunching IE8 on a single Windows session?

What is your homepage set to when this happens?

Is it possible that any of your security applications are overzealously protecting from a homepage hijack? (ie. Have you tried temporarily disabling any homepage protections in your security programs?)

 

No, the homepage set is not lost. The problem is that the browser loses its ability to have multiple tabs in a single browser window. Consequently, when I launch IE8, only the first webpage in the homepage set is displayed. Clicking on the Home button shows all 3 of the webpages in my homepage set, but only one can be opened at a time. And I can't open in a new tab any other webpage by right-clicking either an item in the Favorites list or a link - I have to open it in the current tab or in a new window. So, what I want to achieve: I want to be able to navigate among multiple webpages, all simultaneously loaded into the same browser window, but each one in its own tab. Simple as that.

To tell the truth, I'm not sure, but I think as long as I have open at least one IE8 window, I'm fine, but SOMETIMES the problem will come back after closing all IE8 windows and relaunching IE8, but sometimes only when I reboot.

My home page set is:

http://www.dogpile.com
http://mail.lycos.com/lycos/Index.lycos
http://news.myway.com/index/id/mideast|ap.html

I'd say that's a safe bunch. Plus this set hasn't changed in well over a year, and this problem just started happening.

I don't think so. I have the free versions of SUPERAntiSpyware and Malwarebytes' AntiMalware. I never had "Protect home page from being changed" selected in SUPERAntiSpyware's Hi-Jack Protection's Home Page Protection, and I don't see any analogous available setting in Malwarebytes.