The Mozilla developers have added private browsing to the Firefox web browser since version 3.5. This basically allows a Firefox users to switch to a mode where no records of the web browsing session will be stored on the computer system. The way it is implemented is different from the incognito mode in the Google Chrome web browser. Firefox users can only use the private browsing mode if they agree to close all open windows and tabs in the web browser which means that there is not a way to work with a normal Firefox session and one private browsing session in another window.
This behavior is changed by the Firefox add-on Private Browsing Window which – as the name suggests – provides the means to launch a private browsing session in a new window without closing the standard session first.
The extension adds a Private Browsing Window link to the Firefox Tools menu and to the status bar of the browser. A click on the link or button will launch a new Firefox window in private browsing mode. The extension will display an add-on installation dialog upon first usage that tries to install the Private Browsing Window Helper extension. This extension is not required for the core functionality. It does however improve interaction between non-private and private windows. It specifically adds an option to open links in the non-private or private browsing windows.
Private Browsing Window makes it a tad easier to work with the private browsing mode in Firefox. The extension is available for Firefox 3.6 only and can be downloaded from the official Mozilla Firefox add-on gallery website.
Update: The Firefox add-on has been discontinued as it is not necessary anymore. The Private Browsing Mode can be launched via the Tools > Start Private Browsing menu or with the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-Shift-p.
Related Articles:
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Firefox Private Browsing Mode ByPassed By Add-Ons
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May be some research on your part is in order?
Last year, NSS Labs tested the five leading browsers–Apple Safari 4, Google Chrome 2, Microsoft IE 8, Mozilla Firefox 3 and Opera 10–and to the surprise and horror of Microsoft hater’s everywhere, IE easily outperformed its competition in one test, and tied with Firefox for first place in another.
NSS tested the applications for their ability to detect and block web sites pushing socially engineered malware and phishing. Phishing sites capture sensitive personal and financial data by masquerading as legitimate sites. Socially engineered malware tricks users into clicking on a link or attachment that delivers a malicious payload.
The results: IE 8 blew away the others in the malware tests, blocking 81 percent of live threats. Firefox 3.0.11 was closest at 27 percent, with Safari 4 at 21 percent, Chrome 2 at 7 percent and Opera 10 beta at 1 percent. NSS Labs says that they confirmed that this protection is identical in Firefox 3 and 3.5, as well as Opera 9 and 10.
The phishing results were closer: IE 8 and Firefox 3 “were statistically tied in providing the best coverage at an 83 percent and 80 percent block rate respectively.” Opera scored 54 percent, Chrome got 26 percent, and Apple Safari 4 just 2 percent.
“Improve Firefox Private Browsing With Private Browsing Window Add-on”
One more reason for people to switch to the safe Firefox 3.6.
I installed this addon yesterday. I want to get rid of if. The stop option is grayed out under Tools, and Extensions does not show it. All of my bookmarks are gone, Gmail is screwed up.
Please advise on removing as it has taken over my browsers and I don’t need this sh..!
I have never had such a ad experience with a FF extension.
Thanks,
fallsoff
that was “…a BAd experience….” in the lkast line.
fallsoff
I have the same problem. I’ve lost the Firefox setups I’ve used for years. Help!
Hi,
I emailed the dev a week ago and not a peep mfrom him/her(?). I am discouraged. I lost 2 FF setups on the same desktop to this maniacal add-on, and I cant retrieve a damned thing from them as I can’t access any menus.
What else is new today??