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I don't want Safari to re-open all windows from last session; can't make it stop. Set Safari preferences to new window and new tab open with blank page, but it won't.

P.S. Also cleared cache and History. Running OS 10.7.4 and Safari 5.1.7.

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8), 2.2 GHz Core i7, 4 GB 1333 MHz DDR3

Posted on Jun 1, 2012 3:06 PM

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Posted on Jun 1, 2012 3:46 PM

Hold down the shift key as you launch Safari.

24 replies

Jun 20, 2012 7:26 PM in response to Saundra Curry

I hate this "feature", and it is another example of Apple taking functionality (and choice) away from the user. In this article:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4550

there is a description of it.


Resume in OS X Lion

When you open Safari in Lion or restart the Mac, Safari automatically restores the open windows and tabs from your last browsing session, so you can continue right where you left off.

Tip: To open Safari without resume, hold down the shift key (⇧) as you open Safari. Safari will then open with the options you selected in the "General" tab of Safari preferences, options like your homepage.

In Mac OS X v10.6 and Microsoft Windows, you can choose to have Safari automatically restore your windows in the "General" tab of Safari preferences.

99 times out of 100, I DON'T want to restore all the windows from my last browser session. It makes zero sense for them to take the checkbox out of the General tab of the Safari Prefs.

Jun 21, 2012 1:49 AM in response to Saundra Curry

I don't get it,

Mac is a sophisticated computer, able to give the users all the options we need to make for our own settings that suites our choices. So why does it become more and more limited and force us into pre-settings we don't really like? What is the philosophy behind that? It should have been the other way around, more choises and more freedom for individual settings! Hope it will change in the future, although I have serious doubt about it. After 2 months on Lion, it still bugs me every day! So what can be done to make Apple take more notice of the users? Or perhaps the larger consumer group don't ask these questions, and are perfectly happy with their iPhones and iPads!

Jun 21, 2012 5:28 AM in response to Hovden2day

Hovden2day wrote:


I don't get it,

Mac is a sophisticated computer, able to give the users all the options we need to make for our own settings that suites our choices. So why does it become more and more limited and force us into pre-settings we don't really like? What is the philosophy behind that?

My opinion: Apple philosophy is minimalization. That is, not providing a gazzillion user-selectable settings; keeping things simple. The preset of "open all windows that were open when you quit last time" is meant to help you get back to doing whatever it was you were doing. I don't like this particular preset but my solution has been to clean up before I quit. I typically did this anyway, but not always.

Jul 12, 2012 1:34 PM in response to dthree

dthree wrote:


I hate this "feature", and it is another example of Apple taking functionality (and choice) away from the user. In this article:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4550

there is a description of it.


OMG - right there in black and white - if you run WINDOWS, the preferences are honored. If you're running Lion, we know better than you and the clear preferences are NOT HONORED.


Really? I should move to windows to keep control of simple settings? ;-)


Very frustrating. I personnaly HATE this feature, I often browse in fresh windows/tabs till saturation or hang - a quick quit and restart was a nice way to solve that.


Or used to be.

Jul 12, 2012 2:06 PM in response to mtrcycllvr

I was going to try out an Applescript to see if I could get around this "shift key" thing but I noticed that Safari on my Mac does not open the previous windows when Safari is re-started. I think I followed some advice I found a long time ago:


System Prefernces/General. Uncheck the box that says "Restore windows when quitting and re-opening apps". This turns it off globally.


Hope that helps.

Jul 12, 2012 4:05 PM in response to Badunit

I remembered this from previous OS X's, so looked in in 10.7.4 System Preferences and didn't find it, which was the impetus for my question. After reading your post, I checked again and still can't find it. What system are you using? (I took a a screen shot of my System Preferences, but was unable to either paste it in my reply, or attach it in any other way).

Jul 13, 2012 4:03 AM in response to Hovden2day

Oh my gosh...I looked at this screen more than 3 times and never saw that box to uncheck. Thank you so much!


BTW, I just skimmed the Working Mac section in the August 2012 Macworld which has an article entitled Tame Lion's Resume Options. It has your answer, along with many other ways to accomplish not opening up everything that was open when you last shut down. It does caution that unchecking this option affects all your apps (not just Safari), you can't pick and choose.


Thanks again!

I don't want Safari to re-open all windows from last session; can't make it stop. Set Safari preferences to new window and new tab open with blank page, but it won't.

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