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Using the current version (3.5) of the Tor Browser Bundle, how can we switch to a new circuit without losing all tabs and activity?

I understand the reason of "New Identity" means everything is closed, for if you wish to change to a new activity completely separated from the former.

But this is not the only reason to want change to a different circuit. Some times we may have to change when a circuit is slow, or if it does not allow certain traffic on policy. To lose all tabs for this is a huge burden.

Before losing Vidalia we could use this to change circuit easily. Now I cannot find a way.

Does anyone know how to fix this?

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  • Another old question. For the new users, please note that there already an "New Tor Circuit for this Site" option right below the "New identity" in the TorButton drop down menu in later versions of the Tor Browser.
    – m894v5n74v539nm8
    Commented Sep 12, 2016 at 9:14

3 Answers 3

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You can download a standalone version of Vidalia if you are on Linux or Windows.

For Windows the extension is .exe and for Linux it is .tar.gz for Vidalia. .asc is the signature file to check the integrity of the standalone Vidalia bundle.

Then you have to extract the Vidalia bundle to some folder you can write to. It is not recommended to use the folder of the TorBrowserBundle.

First you always have to start the TorBrowser and after it successfully launched you can start Vidalia. There should be "Start Vidalia" like the TorBrowserBundle contains "Start Tor Browser".

Then you can use Vidalia like you did before; this includes invoking a new identity.

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The TBB closing all tabs, clearing all cookies, etc. when you ask for a new identity is a feature. The TBB itself does not support getting a new circuit just because you want one -- that's not one of its goals.

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  • Thank you Peter I recognise you do good work in this project and respect your answer. Is there a way it could ever be a goal or some other thing that makes it a goal else where? I am not a technical expert and I am afraid to build my own bundle myself . But I help to run a news-link service , and some sites (even Startpage) have some exits banned for others abuse. If tor goes 10 minutes on dirty circuit and goes to a new circuit behind-the-scene, and that new one is banned, I must lose all sessions, over and over. The use of TBB just collapse in half for me. I can not be the only one?
    – Marahai
    Commented Dec 29, 2013 at 17:49
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New tor circuit for this site under the "Onion icon on top left" on Browser Bundle 5.0.5 gives you a new exit IP for a given domain, which might be enough for some use cases.

Tested with TBB + two IP checking domains like http://checkip.amazonaws.com/ and http://www.howtofindmyipaddress.com/

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