Safari loses it's "back" button sometimes

alienappliance · 06-27-2005, 03:10 PM

I've been having strange trouble with Safari and the back button (or 'previous page' button, if you'd rather). On some sites, when I click a link, the back button is grayed out like it's the first page in that browser window's life although it is not. I've noticed it sometimes on Slashdot for example. Other times, that behavior doesn't happen. When it does happen, the history does not show that the previous page existed either. It's really strange.

To make it stranger, it's happening in two places, on my work computer running Panther and on my home system running Tiger. Any ideas how to stop this behavior or even a clue to what's happening?

hayne · 06-27-2005, 03:35 PM

I think this happens if the link opens a new browser window with that page.
I.e. it is something that is under the control of the web page designer.

alienappliance · 06-27-2005, 03:49 PM

So that I understand you, do you mean that the site could be opening a link in a new window but it appears that there's no new window?

hayne · 06-27-2005, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alienappliance


	So that I understand you, do you mean that the site could be opening a link in a new window but it appears that there's no new window?

Yes - the web page could open a new window and close the original window.
This sort of thing can be done with JavaScript. It isn't generally considered socially acceptable - but you might still see it done.

Irene · 06-27-2005, 04:35 PM

That reminds me of a different issue I have with that pesky Safari back burron. Sometimes it takes me back as I feel it should. Other times it shows me a menu--perhaps I'd searched Google for guru and was on guro.com/personalhistory

It'll show:
guru.com
google search: guru
my home page where I began before going to Google.

This annoys me since I use back because I want to go one back. If I want one of the other choices I expect to go back and back again, or use History.

hayne · 06-27-2005, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irene


	That reminds me of a different issue I have with that pesky Safari back burron. Sometimes it takes me back as I feel it should. Other times it shows me a menu

It shows the menu if you click and hold down the mouse button.

alienappliance · 06-28-2005, 06:15 AM

I've been doing more investigating and I've narrowed the problem. The behavior I'm seeing has something to do with Gmail. For example when I am reading an email there and click on a link to open up a thread in, say, Slashdot, the window that pops up displays Slashdot, but if I click a link on that page to take me one level lower to see a complete threaded discussion, the back button doesn't work and the history doesn't show me having visited the top level discussion. You mentioned something about Javascript causing this problem and I do think Gmail uses Javascript to open windows from email. I still don't know what to do exactly to stop the behavior, but it's getting clearer at least. :-)

hayne · 06-28-2005, 07:36 AM

Try doing Command-click on the links in your gmail messages. That will open the web page up in a new tab and leave your gmail page as is. Perhaps then the usual navigation controls will be work as usual.

alienappliance · 06-28-2005, 07:39 AM

Thanks for the tip. That helps the situation.

mbonifa · 10-09-2007, 11:19 PM

In order to do so just go to <view> and select <customize address bar> then just drag the default bar on top of the current one, and you will have back and forward buttons again!

enjoy

Silver Flipflop · 05-03-2009, 06:37 PM

I was perplexed and thank the previous posters for insight. I went to View and updated the toolbar to reestablish the back button...YEAH! Thanks!

06-27-2005, 03:10 PM	#1
alienappliance Prospect Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 6	Safari loses it's "back" button sometimes I've been having strange trouble with Safari and the back button (or 'previous page' button, if you'd rather). On some sites, when I click a link, the back button is grayed out like it's the first page in that browser window's life although it is not. I've noticed it sometimes on Slashdot for example. Other times, that behavior doesn't happen. When it does happen, the history does not show that the previous page existed either. It's really strange. To make it stranger, it's happening in two places, on my work computer running Panther and on my home system running Tiger. Any ideas how to stop this behavior or even a clue to what's happening?

06-27-2005, 03:49 PM	#3
alienappliance Prospect Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 6	New window? So that I understand you, do you mean that the site could be opening a link in a new window but it appears that there's no new window?

10-09-2007, 11:19 PM	#10
mbonifa Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1	You can easily get the back button.... In order to do so just go to <view> and select <customize address bar> then just drag the default bar on top of the current one, and you will have back and forward buttons again! enjoy

05-03-2009, 06:37 PM	#11
Silver Flipflop Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 1	Back Button lost and now its found I was perplexed and thank the previous posters for insight. I went to View and updated the toolbar to reestablish the back button...YEAH! Thanks!

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06-27-2005, 03:35 PM	#2
hayne Site Admin Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Montreal Posts: 31,938	I think this happens if the link opens a new browser window with that page. I.e. it is something that is under the control of the web page designer.

06-27-2005, 04:35 PM	#5
Irene MVP Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Tucson, Arizona Posts: 1,124	That reminds me of a different issue I have with that pesky Safari back burron. Sometimes it takes me back as I feel it should. Other times it shows me a menu--perhaps I'd searched Google for guru and was on guro.com/personalhistory It'll show: guru.com google search: guru my home page where I began before going to Google. This annoys me since I use back because I want to go one back. If I want one of the other choices I expect to go back and back again, or use History.

06-28-2005, 06:15 AM	#7
alienappliance Prospect Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 6	I've been doing more investigating and I've narrowed the problem. The behavior I'm seeing has something to do with Gmail. For example when I am reading an email there and click on a link to open up a thread in, say, Slashdot, the window that pops up displays Slashdot, but if I click a link on that page to take me one level lower to see a complete threaded discussion, the back button doesn't work and the history doesn't show me having visited the top level discussion. You mentioned something about Javascript causing this problem and I do think Gmail uses Javascript to open windows from email. I still don't know what to do exactly to stop the behavior, but it's getting clearer at least. :-)

06-28-2005, 07:36 AM	#8
hayne Site Admin Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Montreal Posts: 31,938	Try doing Command-click on the links in your gmail messages. That will open the web page up in a new tab and leave your gmail page as is. Perhaps then the usual navigation controls will be work as usual.

06-28-2005, 07:39 AM	#9
alienappliance Prospect Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 6	Thanks for the tip. That helps the situation.