Internet Explorer About:Tabs Config

To change behavior of about:tabs follow:

  1. Click Start
  2. In ‘Start Search’ type regedit, press Enter (provide administrative credentials if prompted)
  3. Navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\AboutURLs
  4. Right-click Tabs, then click Modify…
  5. Change the “Value data:” to: res://ieframe.dll/tabswelcome.htm
  6. Click OK

Now go back into Internet Explorer and make sure that under Tabs settings and under the category “When a new tab is opened, open:” you have it set for “The new tab page”.

Source: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/ie/forum/ie8-windows_other/when-opening-a-new-tabmy-abouttabs-page-has-been/375045b6-d59c-44a4-a3c1-87b8fa472f83