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Firefox "Print Preview" has disappeared from the File menu in 84.0.2

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  • 17 have this problem
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  • Last reply by Chris Ilias

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Firefox "Print Preview" has disappeared from the File menu in 84.0.2; all I have now is "Print", which brings up a Microsoft Edge style print dialog. Is this an upgrading error, or is it just the way Firefox will be now?

Firefox "Print Preview" has disappeared from the File menu in 84.0.2; all I have now is "Print", which brings up a Microsoft Edge style print dialog. Is this an upgrading error, or is it just the way Firefox will be now?

Modified by firefox1202

Chosen solution

The new print experience is in testing and not everyone is getting it every time. For future reference, this is the preference to switch between the old and new styles:

(1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter/Return. Click the button accepting the risk.

(2) In the search box in the page, type or paste tab_mo and pause while the list is filtered

(3) Double-click the print.tab_modal.enabled preference to switch between the new experience (true) and the classic experience (false)

(4) If there is another preference named app.normandy.startupRolloutPrefs.print.tab_modal.enabled you can double-click that one to switch it to false as well. If you do not have that one, no need to create it.

Since you are setting to false, it will look roughly like this:

Read this answer in context 👍 9

All Replies (20)

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Reinstalled FF, problem resolved now.

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Chosen Solution

The new print experience is in testing and not everyone is getting it every time. For future reference, this is the preference to switch between the old and new styles:

(1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter/Return. Click the button accepting the risk.

(2) In the search box in the page, type or paste tab_mo and pause while the list is filtered

(3) Double-click the print.tab_modal.enabled preference to switch between the new experience (true) and the classic experience (false)

(4) If there is another preference named app.normandy.startupRolloutPrefs.print.tab_modal.enabled you can double-click that one to switch it to false as well. If you do not have that one, no need to create it.

Since you are setting to false, it will look roughly like this:

Modified by jscher2000 - Support Volunteer

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Thanks, jscher2000!

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The new print experience is in testing and not everyone is getting it every time. For future reference, this is the preference to switch between the old and new styles:

(1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter/Return. Click the button accepting the risk.

(2) In the search box in the page, type or paste tab_mo and pause while the list is filtered

(3) Double-click the print.tab_modabt all I get in the firefox "file" menu

    I DID  !! now what?
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I DID  !! now what?

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This is the first time i have used this support system and quite frankly I have no idea how it works . As an 81 year old ---- I give up!!! I don't type fast enough it seems for the responses !! I followed the initial response which does not include "trash" That's it

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app.normandy.startupRolloutPrefs.print.tab_modal.enabled true print.tab_modal.enabled true prompts.tab_modal.enabled true


These were my choices the first went from false to true there is a trash can following this line So am I supposed to trash that line? I really don't know --- I was born in 1939! So please have patience. Thank you

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Hi, you only need to change the second preference. However, this change doesn't affect currently open windows until you close and re-open Firefox. I forgot to add that to the original reply and will it add it now for future reference.

Please ignore that second sentence, that is for a different change.

Modified by jscher2000 - Support Volunteer

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Note that the presence of the first app.normandy pref means that you participate in a shield study that enabled this modal print dialog.

  • app.normandy.startupRolloutPrefs.print.tab_modal.enabled

You can check this via the about:studies page.

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Why did Firefox change to a new Printing experience? I used to use the Print Preview every day - now it's gone!

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lilrascal1 said

Why did Firefox change to a new Printing experience? I used to use the Print Preview every day - now it's gone!

Yes, we all used Print Preview every day. Unifying print and preview into one overlay is the more modern approach you see in other programs, and Firefox is catching up. When you compare how the new preview works with your previous experience, what do you consider to be better and worse features of it?

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jscher2000,

Thank you very much. I use the print preview everyday also. They should give people a choice or at least a warning before they change things. I hate this new version and could not get the full page to print in the right size. With the print preview you can choose the % of the page size and /or shrink to fit. Thanks to your answer I am back to the old version with the print preview.

Amylogamy.

PS: Why are some of the thing in this page in another language?

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Hi Amylogamy, you can adjust the scaling in the new "overlay" preview, but you need to expand the "More settings" section (screenshot attached).

Regarding --

PS: Why are some of the thing in this page in another language?

-- if you opened the link from, say, Google, they might have indexed the site with a different language/locale code in the URL than your preferred language/locale (the part of the URL between https://support.mozilla.org/ and /questions/).

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Hi jscher2000

Than you so much for the screen shot. Just in case I decide to try this new one. Now I know how to do it.

Is there a way for me to see these questions and answers in my USA profile? I tried to look them up but they are not there.

Amylogamy

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Amylogamy said

Is there a way for me to see these questions and answers in my USA profile? I tried to look them up but they are not there.

You have two profiles? The URL should be the same. To change the locale code, scroll to the bottom of the page and look for "Language" on the right side.

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jscher2000

Got it. Thank you. Now everything is in English. Now for my last question/comment.

cor-el said: Note that the presence of the first app.normandy pref means that you participate in a shield study that enabled this modal print dialog.

This was directed to another member but I don't remember signing up myself for any studies and I got this new print version /format today.

I am also and older person so anything new throws me off specifically when it comes to technical stuff. When I get used to something I don't want to change it. I was freaking out this morning trying to print something I needed for today.

Amylogamy

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Hi Amylogamy, Normandy is a system for updating Firefox between formal releases. It also is used to send surveys and conduct small tests. Usually the changes are pretty small, but occasionally they generate a lot of support questions.

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Thank you, thank you, thank you.

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Thanks jscher2000 -

I have 4 FF profiles & my wife said the Print Preview was missing but it used to be there. However I didn't have any problem. Turns out 2 profiles are missing Print Preview & Page Setup and 2 profiles have these features. Why would 2 be different than the other 2, especially since they’re on the same PC?

FWIW both of the problem profiles do have: app.normandy.startupRolloutPrefs.print.tab_modal.enabled true

You mentioned “Unifying print and preview into one overlay is the more modern approach you see in other programs, and Firefox is catching up. When you compare how the new preview works with your previous experience, what do you consider to be better and worse features of it?”

So far I don’t see this “Unified” approach in any other programs I have.

You also mention “you can adjust the scaling in the new "overlay" preview, but you need to expand the "More settings" section”. That means it takes 2 steps to access the scaling when it used to be done in one. Sounds like a step backwards.

I did some reading about "normandy" and there seems to pros & cons about keeping it on your PC. A negative being that FF can change your settings without notifying you or asking permission, just as it did for my wife's profile. Will any security updates be missed If it's removed?

Thanks again.

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A big reason I have used and continue to use FireFox vs other browsers is DUE to the print preview facility. Without it you take away one of the better features. By allowing a page to simplify it cut out lots of web page garbage and did not destroy the article. It would have been nice to have been asked whether I wanted to test that feature, rather than me trying to fix it with the 84 update and now the 85 update what a PITA and waste of my time no to mention the absolute frustration. No more auto-update.

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