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Firefox 98 - PDF Dowload and view

roxpec
Making moves

Managing PDF downloads and viewing has become a big problem with version 89. I am a programmer who has been working on healthcare applications for a few years and there are scenarios where it is convenient to download and in others where it is convenient to preview the document. These scenarios vary from application to application, but also within the same application. So these types of behaviors should be left to whoever designs the application, not to the browser. Today I have a lot of pissed off customers because it is no longer possible to download a PDF file without previewing.

88 REPLIES 88

sifuchar
Making moves

The main reason we use Firefox at my company is that it would open PDFs in Acrobat using the temporary folder to hold the downloaded file.  We use A LOT of PDFs throughout the day that are downloaded through our web-based records system.  Chrome-based browsers do not have a good workaround for this, and end up junking up the download folder and requiring the user to go through and manually delete them.  Now with version 98 of Firefox, it does the same thing.  I have used the about:config to set browser.download.improvements_to_download_panel to false in order to give us a temporary reprieve, but I hope that Mozilla will reconsider this change or at least allow an opt-out in the settings.

  • I understand that viewing a PDF necessarily downloads it, my problem is that the download used to go to a temporary folder that the OS cleans out periodically.
  • Firefox built-in PDF viewer does not have full functionality, particularly when the PDF has forms, so we are forced to use Acrobat to open the PDFs.
  • I know you can change the download location to the temporary folder, but then all the things you WANT to download go there.
  • Some PDF files do need to be downloaded, so it would not be useful to use an extension or other option which changes just where PDF files are saved without regard to whether the user chose to "open" or "download" them.
  • I do not understand the need for this change.  Why is it important to force the user to download all files to the download folder instead of the way it was done before?

To me, this is like forcing the user to download all webpages and images to the download folder before displaying the HTML page.  It's a frustrating and unnecessary waste of time and resources.

Thanks to the dev team for all the improvements, but I hope you reconsider this one.  🙂

Same issue, same problem. Please revert to 'user choice'.

yes, same here, under linux my home folder was getting stuffed full of pds that I didn't want
please revert to 'user choice'
Thanks though! keep up the good work!!

 

My understanding is that the change from saving downloads in the Windows Temp folder for "Open with [relevant application]" to saving them in your default downloads folder addressed problems with data loss for users who could not re-download files they forgot to save after they were removed from the Temp folder.

Firefox 98 did add a new clean-up option: a "Delete" item on the right-click context menu for items on the Downloads list. That deletes the file from disk and leaves a notation on the list that the file is missing/removed (the next time it is updated). You can use that to remove files you do not want to keep. But yes, it's an extra step and you have to remember which were which.

I really have no idea whether Firefox will return to using the system Temp folder. Why aren't other browsers doing it anymore?

----

You already hinted at the workaround I'm using, but in more detail:

(1) Change the default download folder to a "temp" folder I created
(2) Set Firefox to always ask where I want to save a file so I can choose a real folder when I want to keep the file

On the Settings page, it looks like this:

Thank you for trying to help - I am grateful for any assistance or suggestions.  I am aware of the work-around you proposed, but it really is a way to trade problems and still requires the user to manually sort and dispose of files.  Someone suggested on here that the reason for the change was that some users were forgetting to save PDF documents they later wanted.  Perhaps that might warrant a default option to automatically download PDF files, but I cannot wrap my head around the drive to force everyone (even those of use that know how to save a file) to do it.  It might make more sense if the Firefox built-in PDF viewer was full featured, but it isn't.  I only dabble in programming, but it would seem a simple solution to make this an option in the settings.  As evidenced by the number of posts on this thread, I am not alone in the need for this feature.

Again, I appreciate your kind assistance and the work of the devs, but I really hope they will reconsider on this.

I too am angry over Firefox doing this with PDF files.  I had to clean out 25 PDF files this morning, and now, I don't want to even VIEW a PDF file as FF will download it regardless what settings I have.  This is the DUMBEST update they've done in a while!

Seem to think Google and Apple own Firefox now!

I just cleaned  dozens of PDF files from my download folder because the ignorant developers thought it would be FUN to forces us to download every PDF file we open.   WHY?

When we WANT to just VIEW a PDF file like we used to be able too, it would hold that file in a Temp folder under Acrobat's folder.  If we WANTED to download a PDF we have that option.  Now, the brain dead developers take that "choice" away from you and force you to download every PDF file you view.

Firefox is getting to be as bad as Explorer, Chrome, and whatever that win10 garbage is and I'm sick of it!

GIVE US THE CHOICE TO SAVE OR ONLY VIEW PDF FILES!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can set Portable Document Format (PDF) files to "Open in Firefox" in your Firefox settings under Applications.  This will display the file but it will not save it to your computer.  For more information, see https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/view-pdf-files-firefox-or-choose-another-viewer

If you need more help, please ask a question on the Mozilla Support forum for desktop Firefox. You can use this link: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/new/desktop

 

Actually, since version 98, it has now started saving files even when we use "Open in Firefox" option. This is what other people are complaining about. It used to be the way you explained it, but recently it not like that anymore


@donnie wrote:

Actually, since version 98, it has now started saving files even when we use "Open in Firefox" option. This is what other people are complaining about. It used to be the way you explained it, but recently it not like that anymore


Okay, this is going to sound picky, but there are two different places where you'll find "Open in Firefox" and they work completely differently.

(1) Setting PDFs to "Open in Firefox" on the Settings page

Unless the site does something tricky to work around it, Firefox will open the PDF in a tab in the built-in viewer. The URL in the address bar will be the http or https address of the file online. The file will be stored in the web content cache with web pages and other embedded files.

If you want to open the PDF in an external viewer from the built-in viewer, there are multiple steps because first you need to use the viewer's download/save button to save the file to your computer, and then you can open it: on the Downloads list, right-click > Open in [relevant application].

(2) Setting PDFs to "Always Ask"

Firefox will handle the file as a download. The change comes with "Open in Firefox" or "Open with [relevant application]":

  • Before Firefox 98: The file was saved in the system Temp folder on Windows and Linux
  • Starting in Firefox 98: The file is saved in the default downloads folder (the one next to "Save files to:" on the Settings page)

(3) Setting PDFs to "Use [relevant application]"

Firefox will handle the file as a download:

  • Before Firefox 98: The file was saved in the system Temp folder on Windows and Linux
  • Starting in Firefox 98: The file is saved in the default downloads folder (the one next to "Save files to:" on the Settings page)

----

Firefox 98 does have a new context menu item to remove downloaded files one by one: right-click > Delete (this is permanent and bypasses the Recycle Bin)

Fx98-downloads-context-delete.png

At some point after the deletion, the text on the list will change to indicate that the file was moved or is missing. I'm not aware of any way to do this in bulk.

One Workaround

What I'm doing for now is this pair of settings:

(1) Change the default download folder to a "temp" folder I created
(2) Set Firefox to always ask where I want to save a file so I can choose a real folder when I want to keep the file

On the Settings page, it looks like this:

Fx98-settings-download-save-temp.png

At some point, I might dump the contents of my TEMP folder, but like the old system, for me it's "out of sight, out of mind."

 

Thank you! I did not realize there was a difference. My apologies for not understanding the subtlety there. And thank you for explaining the workaround with so much clear detail!

manuelbroggi
Making moves

Last updates like the one of subject are making me think of changing to Opera. Firefox has become slow and resource consummer.

John
Making moves

Starting with FireFox 98.0.1 whenever I click on a link to a PDF file and request to view it using Adobe Acrobat DC the file is not only opened in Adobe, but is also downloaded to the Download folder.  This is true whether I have the settings set to ask every time or to automatically use Adobe Acrobat DC.  If I select to view it withing FireFox, which I hate to do, the file is not downloaded to the Download folder.  To make matters even worse, if the file is viewed multiple times there are multiple copies in the Download folder with numeric suffixes.

Yes, Firefox 98 changed how "Open in [application]" and "Use [application]" work. Before Firefox 98, the download was saved in the Windows Temp folder, and now it is saved in the Downloads folder instead. I think this was changed because some people would lose a critical download because they didn't realize that "Open" didn't save the file permanently. But now people who preferred the old behavior have a workflow issue.

As a workaround, you could create a new folder in your Downloads folder named TEMP and set that as your default Download folder. This will catch all the files opened using "Open in" and you can use the "Always ask you where to save files" choice so you can save your normal downloads in a more useful place.

***** EDIT *****

This is the combination of settings I'm thinking of. "Save files to" is the default folder used for Open, but you can override that when saving a file:

Fx98-settings-download-save-temp.png

@jscher2000 wrote:

This is the combination of settings I'm thinking of. "Save files to" is the default folder used for Open, but you can override that when saving a file:

Fx98-settings-download-save-temp.png


Yes, but that is an extra faff everytime... Takes away the simplicity of the 'open' or 'save' button choice.

It will still be required to manually empty the downloads/temp folder to clear the junk and won't that junk then fill up the 'trash' (recycle bin) with items one didn't want in the first place? Resulting in other recycled stuff being permanently deleted a lot sooner unless one dramatically increases the capacity for the 'trash' bin...?

No! I won’t configure anything.

 

Is just matter of losing the essence of being the fastest, smarter and lighter browser.

Firefox used to be the best, but now it just use lot of processor and ram memory.

 

I am very disappointed 

JonJ
Making moves

It wasn't broken. It did not need fixing. "Open" means just that and "save" means just that.

Because some people "didn't realize" is not a good reason. The folder location (temp) was available via the toolbar downloads history and anyone who opened a file and subsequently decided they wanted to keep it was easily able to do so, saving it to a location of their choice.

Changing the default downloads folder simply means that items which a user actually wants to 'save' still ends up with all the junk that they didn't want to save. There is no advantage.

John
Making moves

I filed a bug report on Bugzilla (bug # 1760145) and got replies back referring to older bugs (bug # 1738574) with lots of discussion about why the change was made, one of which was that people didn't realize the file wasn't saved, but mainly a lot of technical discussion about potential problems with loading to the temp folder and how it would be difficult to fix the problem.  After reading a lot of the discussion I still agree with JonJ that it did not need fixing, and if it did I don't understand why there can't be an option to do it the old way.  As for jscher2000's suggestion to create a TEMP folder in my Downloads I guess I will have to look up how to set my default download folder.  It still seems wrong to me for any program to automatically download a file to my computer without my permission.

I found this solution in another thread. First, go to about:config look for "browser.download.improvements_to_download_panel" and finally set that flag to false.

That works for me but it sure seems drastic. I hope "they" either fix this "bug" or take away the "always ask" option.

I have the same problems with the decision to eliminate the options, it takes time that I don't have. I also appears that there will be no fix for this problem. I've used Firefox for so long that I'm rusty on Chrome & Edge. Do any of you know if either or both of them allow for the choice to open or save?

I hate to leave Firefox, yet see no alternative.

Paul

gramcar
Making moves

WHY DON'T YOU JUST PUT THE "ALWAYS ASK WHERE TO SAVE FILES" BACK???


@gramcar wrote:

WHY DON'T YOU JUST PUT THE "ALWAYS ASK WHERE TO SAVE FILES" BACK???


"Always ask you where to save files" is still there. However, a setting to always pop up the Download dialog (Open or Save or Cancel) is only available for listed content types. Firefox 101 will add a new setting below the list that lets you choose between the Firefox 98+ approach (Save File for unknown content types) and the earlier approach (Show download dialog for unknown content types):

Fx101-settings-applications-other-files.png

Why do you write in capitals?

Did you read my previous comments? I don’t want to configure anything!

Do I also need to rewrite the code of firefox to make it work like it used to be? Simple, smart, light, low resources consumer?

gramcar
Making moves

I moving to CHROME

Nooooooo! No chrome, no! Opera may be 

Let me save you some time and frustration, gramcar.  My company wanted to use Chrome for best compatibility with (poorly coded) websites.  This new Firefox behavior with force-downloading PDF files has long been the default for Chrome (and to my knowledge, ALL chromium-based browsers) and there is no option to change it, no viable work-around, and no extension or helper app that adds back the ability to open in Acrobat.  I have so far been unable to find a browser (besides previous version of Firefox) that allows this functionality.  It's quite maddening, and there seems to be no logical reason for it.


@sifuchar wrote:

This new Firefox behavior with force-downloading PDF files has long been the default for Chrome (and to my knowledge, ALL chromium-based browsers) and there is no option to change it, no viable work-around, and no extension or helper app that adds back the ability to open in Acrobat.  I have so far been unable to find a browser (besides previous version of Firefox) that allows this functionality.


Hi, I think your main concern has been the use/cluttering of the "Save files to" folder in Firefox 98+, for files that used to open from a temp folder. In Firefox 102, the developers added a hidden option to use the Windows Temp (or Linux /tmp) folder for those downloads, similar to Firefox 97 and earlier. This is hidden away, so here's how to find it:

(A) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter/Return. Click the button accepting the risk.

More info on about:config: Configuration Editor for Firefox. Please keep in mind that changes made through this back door aren't fully supported and aren't guaranteed to continue working in the future.

(B) In the search box in the page, type or paste browser.download.start_downloads_in_tmp_dir and pause while the list is filtered

(C) Double-click the preference to switch the value from false to true (or click the toggle button toward the right end of the row)

If you notice any problems with it, please speak up. I don't think many people are using it yet, so feedback is needed.

The general approach to setting the default action for PDFs to Acrobat remains unchanged: https://support.mozilla.org/kb/view-pdf-files-firefox-or-choose-another-viewer

 

Yes! That's the true solution! I hope they won't axe the setting in the future...

user1360
Making moves

Just so everyone knows - this is a discussion forum. Nobody at Mozilla looks at it. I can't do anything for you.

Go here https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/idb-p/ideas  if you want to contribute an idea.

And gramcar, good luck with Chrome.

 

I don’t need you to do anything for me, thanks 

gvds
Making moves

This is one of the most annoying changes that Mozilla have made to Firefox. Without warning, I found my Downloads directory filling up with junk I only wanted to read and discard. If I want to save something, I will choose to do so. Don't make that choice for me.

Even worse is having the pdf auto open on the current site so that to go back to the site the reload of it is needed when going back


@manuelbroggi wrote:

Even worse is having the pdf auto open on the current site so that to go back to the site the reload of it is needed when going back


That will be fixed in Firefox 101, scheduled to release in a few weeks.

More specifically, sites can link to PDFs in 3 ways:

(1) Standard web link -- always opened in the same tab unless you directed it to a new tab -- unchanged in Firefox 98+

(2) Link where the server uses Content-Disposition: attachment to force a download -- previously popped up a Download dialog in every case -- starting in Firefox 98, opens in the same tab -- starting in Firefox 101, opens in a new tab

(3) Link that contains a download="filename.pdf" attribute -- previously popped up a Download dialog in every case -- starting in Firefox 98, opens in the same tab -- starting in Firefox 101, opens in a new tab

In other words, Firefox 101 keeps the behavior of always using the viewer for PDFs, but fixes the problem of replacing the current page for the ones the site intended as downloads.

rappel
Making moves

...so I have an issue that I suspect is related to these changes, but I never fully understood the mechanism by which this was done, so I used it. It's just disappeared with the latest update, so I assume it went with 100, but I don't always update every release so it may be 98.

Here's what I used to be able to do:

Most of my online banking sites allowed me to read with a click on the filename link - either FF viewer or Foxit, which is my prefered external PDF app. - I could choose which in settings Applications/Documents PDF view option.

Some of them provided a separate download link, which if I clicked would do as I set in Applications/Documents PDF save option. - ...or I could right click and download myself.

I assume there was supposed to be a different document type/tag whatever that allowed these two to be separated.

In any event it was really, really useful because I only had to bother with downloading things I wanted to and then I knew where they had gone. All else was handled automagically.

So, my question is, has this all disappeared too because of the changes you are discussing here?

Unfortunately of course while Always ask gets you closer it's not quite enough because you can't default the answer and therefore have to click to select on the dialogue. The auto detect of the type and 2 settings did help here. I know it's not always been like that because for years I have used the always ask, but sometime last year I thought we had an improvement! Now it's gone again :- (

 

...and for my tenpenn'th, from a user perspective view means just that, look at it and then it's gone when I'm done. If something has to be downloaded to achieve it, then it shouldn't go anywhere near MY filing system it should be stored in a browser/application related area that either gets swept automatically during one or another housekeeping or is noted on the list of weekly/monthly activities I need to do to keep my machine humming along. Why should I have to manage those files at all???

Any user that thinks they have saved the file when they look at it in view needs a different solution to changing browser behaviour.

 


@rappel wrote:

Here's what I used to be able to do:

Most of my online banking sites allowed me to read with a click on the filename link - either FF viewer or Foxit, which is my prefered external PDF app. - I could choose which in settings Applications/Documents PDF view option.

Some of them provided a separate download link, which if I clicked would do as I set in Applications/Documents PDF save option. - ...or I could right click and download myself.

I assume there was supposed to be a different document type/tag whatever that allowed these two to be separated.


Yes, if you set "Open in Firefox" on the Settings page, Firefox 98 now disregards the site's attempts to force a download of PDFs and shows them in the viewer in every case. (This addressed a longstanding complaint of Firefox users about unpredictable behavior of PDFs.)

There is a bug in Firefox 98-100 where the PDF replaces the current page, and that will be fixed in Firefox 101, scheduled to release in a few weeks.

Here are the 3 scenarios for files sent with the "Content-Type: application/pdf" for users who keep the default action of "Open in Firefox":

(1) Standard web link -- opens in the same tab unless you directed it to a new tab -- unchanged in Firefox 98+

(2) Link where the server uses Content-Disposition: attachment to force a download -- previously popped up a Download dialog in every case -- starting in Firefox 98, opens in the same tab -- starting in Firefox 101, opens in a new tab

(3) Link that contains a download="filename.pdf" attribute -- previously popped up a Download dialog in every case -- starting in Firefox 98, opens in the same tab -- starting in Firefox 101, opens in a new tab

So Firefox 101 won't turn a download link back into a download link if you have "Open in Firefox" as your action. Either the site needs to conceal that the PDF is a PDF (for example, by setting "Content-Type: application/force-download", as one site I use does) or use some other kind of trickery to bypass Firefox's attempt to handle PDFs consistently.

kb9hgi
Making moves

Fire Fox can you please change it back so it don't download every PDF file. I'm sick of this and I do not want to download everyfile I just want to view it. I been using FF for a long time and now it download every PDF file and every thing else. Driving me crazy! about to uninstall and just use MS Edge.

I understand you. It's really problem. So many unnecessary files in Download folder now...

Ancelor
Making moves

I think that it is necessary to change the settings of downloading files from every sites on mozilla. Now to download a file I have to lose the page I'm seeing. Try to make possible to open a download's previw in another page or in another sheet. Please!!! I want to specify the some time ago it was possible. So I can't find the reason you delete this function. Please help meeeee!!

Hi, is this a problem with PDF files?

For users that have PDFs set to "Open in Firefox", Firefox 98-100 started ignoring servers' attempts to force PDFs to be saved -- it opens them in the built-in viewer instead. But unfortunately, this has caused the PDFs to open in the same tab, replacing the current page. In Firefox 101, they'll open in a new tab instead. Firefox 101 is scheduled to release next Tuesday, May 31, 2022.

Michelangelor28
Making moves

The function "ask every time where to save" does not work with pdf files.

the browser opens the file in a new tab and simultaneously saves the file to the default folder.
I ask the developers to solve the problem