Safari 6.0

New to mac forums. Not too computer savvy. Ever since I updated to Safari 6.0 my back button is gray after clicking on a link. I have to close out the page and start all over. I spent 10 hours downloading Mountain Lion yesterday (we have slow internet) hoping this would help. Still have the problem. One thread said to empty cache which I did. This did not work. Any advice would be appreciated.

Welcome to Mac-Forums

Is the link opening the same tab or a new tab? The back button being gray indicates that you have nothing to go back to.

Love my Patriots!! example, reading ESPN and click on a link from another site. Once I have read the link, I can't go back to ESPN. I have to start all over.

As Raz0rEdge asked, is the page being opened in a new tab or window? If so, this would explain why you can't go back.

Don't know what you mean by tabs and windows. I am clicking on a link and opening a new website. I am not good with the terminology, sorry.

k2dk said:

Love my Patriots!! example, reading ESPN and click on a link from another site. Once I have read the link, I can't go back to ESPN. I have to start all over.

Click to expand...

Pats Rule!

So when you click on the link in ESPN, does it replace the current content you are reading or do you have to switch to another window or tab to read the content of the link you pressed? If the former, then you should be able to use the back button to return to the previous ESPN page, if the latter then that the expected behavior and you should close the tab or window to return to where you were..

Look at the image below which shows two Safari tabs. One titled Apple and the other Mactoids.

Just looked in my Lion dummy book. I think I know what tab vs window is. I believe I am opening a new window. Should I be opening a web page in a tab to avoid this problem? I never had this problem before Safari 6.0.

When I click on the link from ESPN e.g., it replaces the current content. The ESPN page disappears. The back button on the new page is gray, I can't go back and have to close the page and start all over.

k2dk said:

Just looked in my Lion dummy book. I think I know what tab vs window is. I believe I am opening a new window. Should I be opening a web page in a tab to avoid this problem? I never had this problem before Safari 6.0.

Click to expand...

No, that won't behave differently.

k2dk said:

When I click on the link from ESPN e.g., it replaces the current content. The ESPN page disappears. The back button on the new page is gray, I can't go back and have to close the page and start all over.

Click to expand...

In that case, something is wrong. It should allow you to go back if a new tab or window was not opened. I suppose you'll want instructions like above. I'm not at a Mac, and I don't do images anyway. Two thing to try: a different user account, a different Safari plist file.

Instructions with illustrations, anyone?

Thank you all for your help. I am dumbfounded as to what is causing this. Will be away from my computer until this evening. I'll have my husband take a look at your advice and see if he can fix this problem. So far, he is dumbfounded too. Any more suggestions would be appreciated.

You might also try Chrome/Firefox/Opera to see if this occurs there as well, isolating the problem just to Safari or a particular website will help get an answer..

I will try that, thanks.

The same thing happens on Firefox. I can't even do the finger swipe to go back a page. When I closed Firefox it said "you are about to close 2 tabs" so I guess I have tabs open.

OK, so that at least shows same behavior meaning it might be how you are doing things. Do you just click on links or click with CMD button pressed?

I have always just clicked on links and don't use CMD button. When I am on a website and click on a link the original page closes and I am now on a new page. There is no way to go back. I have to start over. Could it be something in preferences?

k2dk said:

I have always just clicked on links and don't use CMD button. When I am on a website and click on a link the original page closes and I am now on a new page. There is no way to go back. I have to start over. Could it be something in preferences?

Click to expand...

Sounds like your Safari is set to 'open link with new window'. When you say your original window 'disappeared' are you sure that it has 'closed'... or simply being covered by a new maximized window that you have clicked for the link.

A new window for the link would explained the grey out 'back' button because there's nothing to go back to since it's a new window.

k2dk said:

Ever since I updated to Safari 6.0 my back button is gray after clicking on a link.

Click to expand...

I've noticed this behaviour too, primarily when carrying out a Google search. Once I have the search results I can click on a link which opens the page in the same tab and window and then promptly grays out the back button as if I've gone to the page directly as the first in the tabs history. When I discover that I really needed to look at another page in the search results I either have to carry out the search again or reload the page from the history - not very productive!

Generally speaking though this doesn't occur when just chasing ordinary links through websites which leads me to conclude that there is something odd with the way Safari 6 has implemented searches. Unfortunately I haven't got a solution yet, although I will be questioning Apple support later.

Tom

Quin, the original window closes, it is not behind the new window.

Tom,sounds like you are having the same problem. It is very frustrating. Please let me know if Apple Support can help you out.

Thanks

Exact same problem!

I have the exact same problem as Tom. I have Safari 6.0 on my 27" iMac, and Safari 5.1.7 on my MacBookPro. Only on the 6.0 do I have these issues. When I click a link or click on the download view button in Gmail the page opens in the same tab and window. It greys out the back button and gives you only 2 options to bo back. Either go to History to restore where you were or click X to close the window which closes Safari completely and you start over. Not productive at all. Apple, where are you?, this bug needs to be addressed soon.

Clicking on link/Can't go back

k2dk said:

I have always just clicked on links and don't use CMD button. When I am on a website and click on a link the original page closes and I am now on a new page. There is no way to go back. I have to start over. Could it be something in preferences?

Click to expand...

I am having the same problem after downloading Lion a few days ago.