Firefox download help

[whitbey]

After a recent Firefox update the settings for downloads changed.
I prefer to open a file from my email, then choose to save or just look at it.
Firefox change the settings to save.
I think most are back now but I have a problem with PDF files. I do have the better Adobe PDF maker program.
It is set to use that program and not save. So it acts like that, however it saves a file every time you open a PDF from email with the name it was sent. Then it will do the save as I choose.
Any idea how to fix this?
I might need to go back a version. Pain.

[hyperbolica]

Do you mean Thunderbird? Thunderbird is Mozilla's email. Thunderbird recently changed some of the ways it handles attachments. It's better the new way. The settings for attachments are from the Menu, Tools>Preferences then scroll down to the bottom, and you'll see Files & Attachments. You can control where and when attachments are saved, and also default applications for viewing different formats.

[Doug Elliott]

Firefox and Chrome both have the same options. Click the three lines (or dots) in the top right corner, select Settings, scroll down to Downloads, select Save files to... or Always ask you where to save files.

[jorymil]

Yours sounds like a fairly tricky problem for a plaintext post in a trombone-focused forum. The first thing to ask: what operating system and version are you using? Different operating systems associate file types with applications in different ways.

[whitbey]

Window 10 Pro Version 21H2
Firefox 98.0.1 (64-bit)

I go to the web mail page with Firefox. I do not use Thunderbird.

Seems whatever the file is, it saves as I open it. It will resave with a new name when I change the name.

Happens with PDF file always. Happens with other files most of the time. Not consistent.

[brassmedic]

I am having the same issue. I didn't realize it was Firefox doing this until I saw this thread. I checked and Firefox updated itself a couple days ago, which seems about when I started having the problem. When reading webmail, I used to be able to click on an attachment and a dialog box would open asking if I wanted to open or save the attachment. If I chose to open it, I could choose which program to open it with. Now it only gives the option to save it. Not only that, if it's a PDF it will automatically save and then open the attachment without asking me where I want to save it, even though I have the "Always ask you where to save files" option selected in settings. It just defaults to my Downloads folder. This is super annoying.

[RichC]

This has happened before with other updates, here's the fix -

In Firefox, type
about:preferences
in the address bar.

scroll down to Applications, look for PDF and click on the pull down menu and change the 'action'

[whitbey]

This has happened before with other updates, here's the fix -

In Firefox, type
about:preferences
in the address bar.

scroll down to Applications, look for PDF and click on the pull down menu and change the 'action'

Sadly; as wonderful of an idea as this is, it still just goes to the saveas window.

I also tried Dissenter and it is doing the same.

I think doing a roll back on Firefox is the only choice and stopping updates. Not happy about that.

[RichC]

Sorry it didn’t work for you. Guess I’m just lucky it did for me including the latest update this week.

[whitbey]

I hit the FIrefox link to submit feed back that is in the about Firefox window.

Looks like a lot of people have the same issue. Wonder if they will change it back with all the other browsers doing the same.

[jorymil]

This is Firefox-specific, right? If you try Chrome, Chromium, Brave, Edge, etc., do any of those work better for you?

[brassmedic]

I was able to get the dialog box back with option to save or open pdfs in preferences, but that doesn't work for .doc or .docx files because those aren't in the list of file types it lets you set preferences for.

[whitbey]

This is Firefox-specific, right? If you try Chrome, Chromium, Brave, Edge, etc., do any of those work better for you?

Chrome cashed some real estate SW and I do not trust it.

I am going to try Brave

[jorymil]

Chrome cashed some real estate SW and I do not trust it.

I am going to try Brave

I generally don't use Chrome, either, but I'll use the open-source Chromium as a secondary browser. No idea how well it works on Windows 10, though: I'm pretty well Linux-only these days since it's what I do for a living.

[whitbey]

Brave did not work. And there are not any settings beyond a PDF that did not work.

I tried Edge. It worked.

So I tried importing bookmarks. Problem. You cannot select, copy or paste more then one bookmark at a time. I was trying to import my bookmarks, most of them are in the favorites/bookmarks toolbar. Other that one at a time, the way is foiled.

I might just use Edge for my real estate and FF or something else for other pages.

[RichC]

So, for Firefox...you can try this to get it back to NOT downloading automatically -

Open Firefox and type “about:config” in the address bar. Then click on “Accept the Risk and Continue” button.

1. Type improvements in Search filter box and look for following preference in the window:

browser.download.improvements_to_download_panel

The preference value is set to true by default, which means the new automatic download behavior is activated and enabled in Firefox.

2. Deactivate and disable the new behavior and restore classic download prompt feature by double-clicking on the browser.download.improvements_to_download_panel preference and set it to false

[whitbey]

So, for Firefox...you can try this to get it back to NOT downloading automatically -

Open Firefox and type “about:config” in the address bar. Then click on “Accept the Risk and Continue” button.

1. Type improvements in Search filter box and look for following preference in the window:

browser.download.improvements_to_download_panel

The preference value is set to true by default, which means the new automatic download behavior is activated and enabled in Firefox.

2. Deactivate and disable the new behavior and restore classic download prompt feature by double-clicking on the browser.download.improvements_to_download_panel preference and set it to false

THIS IS A FIX!!! Thank you!!!