The answer to your question (title) is to replace

document.getElementById('about').href = '#';

with

$('#about').attr('href','#');

I have no idea if this will actually help you solve your problem, though, since I really don't know what you are trying to do. Based on your comments and code sample, it appears that you are trying to do some sort of wizard, but I have no idea how it would actually work given what you've posted.

Update:

Maybe something like:

<a href=link.php?test=true onclick=request(this) target=_blank class='request'></a>



<a id=step2 href=next.php>Step 2</a>



<script language=javascript>

    $(function() {

       var requests = 16;

       $('#step2').click( function() {

           alert('Not finished');

           return false;

       });

       $('.request').click( function() {

           var $this = $(this); // save jQuery reference to element clicked



           // swap indicator image source

           $this.find('img:first').attr('src','images/clear.gif');



           // if the number of flipped indicators equals the number of requests

           // remove the click handler from the step 2 link

           // this removes the alert and allows the user to proceed

           if ($('.request img[src=images/clear.gif]').length == requests) {

              $('#step2').unbind('click');

           }



           ...do something with the href for this request via ajax???



           // replace this handler with one that simply returns false

           // and remove the href since we're done with this request

           $(this).unbind('click').attr('href','#').click( function() { return false; } );



            // stop the default action for the request

           return false;

    });

</script>