Settings Changed Without My Permission or Knowledge, Downloads Don't Ask, Utter Chaos!

[FeMaster]

OK, just got the 98.0 update, and I was EXTREMELY ANNOYED when I went to open (download) a PDF this evening, and Firefox decided it was just going to go ahead do whatever it wanted to, completely disregarding what I wanted. I have (HAD!) ALL of my download options set to ASK ME, but apparently the developers over at Mozilla decided they know what I want better than I do.

Why would you go and change all my setting to whatever you want!? Nearly every single one of the the items under the "applications" area was changed to "Save File", and PDFs were set to automatically open in Firefox. WHY!?!? Oh, and this annoying download pop-up window is *bleeping* me off as well. There is no excuse for this, NONE!

STOP SCREWING WITH MY SETTINGS!!!

[AbiRipper]

the download pop-up it's really annoying 😡

[yx0r]

Yeah, the popup has been the worst part for me by far. It's especially making it actively painful to try and download several things in a row, because of how it keeps blocking a chunk of the screen and distracting me from what I'm doing

[ReggieA]

I totally agree about the auto-download (and open?) "feature"! My hard drive is only so big, and I don't want it filled with trash; nor do I want to waste MY time getting rid of unwanted files. Suppose I open an e-mail that links to a virus: Will FireFox automatically open and run malware?!? Do I have to hope my anti-virus will catch it, before I have PROBLEMS ? Please give me a switch for this, default [OFF].

And I'm not thrilled with the ads for Disney's Red-Chinese stuff, nor commercial sites auto-added to my URL's favorites list. (Is that what it's called? Click on the current URL, there's a list of often-visited sites.) I don't need prompted to Go buy something! , and it's a PITA to make it go away.

[Genesistt]

I am just as upset!  This is the gazillionth time that I have had to change my settings just because some moron decided he knew better when sending out an update of Firefox.  ARGH!!!!!  If I wanted the PDF documents to download, I would tell it to.  If I wanted Firefox to open the PDF documents I would tell it!  All I want is for my PDFs to open in Adobe like it always did!

[FeMaster]

I agree completely. I do many different things in the course of a day. Some PDFs I want to keep, others I just want to temporarily view, but I want it to open in MY PDF viewer of choice, not inside of Firefox, which is way too basic for what I need to do. That also goes for numerous other file types. That is exactly why I have (had) everything set to ask, because I don't always do the same thing for every file type that's the same. -> I <- make the decision what to do with it after I click on the link to download it, NOT Firefox!

[sglew]

I agree with the others.   The automatic saving and the download pop-up are annoying.  I much preferred the previous version of Firefox and would revert to it, if it was easy to do so (it isn't).

[LesleyZA]

And what do you think Firefox suggests? FROM THEIR SUPPORT PAGE:

If you are not satisfied with the current Firefox version or it simply is not working right now, there are alternative browsers that you can use to browse the web.

• Microsoft Edge

• Google Chrome
• Opera

Well, fine, DAHLINGS. I'll move to another browser.

[John_3_16]

Amen, sister. I am NOT updating to 98.0. I skipped updates for six months after their "modernization update". It took 2 days of research online to return my color scheme & fix the menus they messed up. Discovered some other "fixes" to harden my version from future changes. 98.0 scares me to death! This 98.0 changes everything I like & breaks some useful functions.  NOT for me!

[John_3_16]

Don't look now but 98.0.1 just landed 03/14/2022. Update page is not even ready yet. Fasssst.

I am using Ungoogled Chromium more & more. My downloads & audio/video has been screwed up in FF since 2 downloads ago. Tired of fixing it & researching others with same complaints. Thus smooth downloads & flawless streaming using Ungoogled Chromium.

https://ungoogled-software.github.io/ 

https://github.com/Eloston/ungoogled-chromium

[TassosL]

Bring back the previous behavior where firefox would ask what to do with the downloadable link

You have eliminated a useful feature that was working well and replaced it with sth awful.

[Rm4g3dD0v]

unfortunatelly this is just some lame marketing strategy that by disempowering users will supposedly make the browser easier/simpler to use and therefore gain more market share. Well, they lost me. 

[John_3_16]

I am NOT updating to 98.0... Security & fixes are greatly appreciated. BUT changes simply for the sake of change & in spite of the user's custom settings is not cool. Did Google & Microsoft buy Mozilla while we were not looking? This is the kind of crap they force on their users all the time!

I finally went to the "What's changed/new" page for 98.0. I always read these B4 updating. 98.0 is a nightmare. A Frankenstein's monster. I am scared to even try to update it. Every change that is not for security is, to be kind, STUPID. No update should change settings that the user has set. Losing my search engine?  Resetting my download functions? Frigging mind numbing popup every download? Functions that are duplicated &/or not working? I almost quit Firefox the last time you "modernized" the FF browser. Took me six hours to get my menus & color scheme reset. Found some good advice from other pi$$ed off users to change it all back to B4 that update. I like what I had & what I have. I am not going to fix FF any more.

Fix things that really need fixing. If it is not broke then DON'T fix it. Change for change's sake is never a good idea.

[Genesistt]

I actually just uninstalled FF Vers 98, downgraded to Vers 97 and undid the automatic update thing.  Until they change this ridiculous setting thing back to what it was, I refuse to upgrade!

Of course now I have to go log back into every single one of my websites and sync my FF and it's just such a pain in the nether regions, but it's worth it.

[Rm4g3dD0v]

If by the end of next week the problem has not been resolved, I'll be looking for a new browser. I hear Vivaldi and Maxthon have great customizability. Even crossed my mind for a couple of seconds to consider edge.

[John_3_16]

Don't look now but 98.0.1 is ready. Out 03/14/2022 & change/news page was not done when I checked. Frankenstein may live after all.   

[sglew]

I looked it up online - the change just removes Yandex and Mail.ru (whatever they are) as optional search providers. 

[Rm4g3dD0v]

@John_3_16 
Thank you for this post. If I could I'd give you 10 cudos!

[sglew]

This was recommended elsewhere and I tried it and it worked for me:

1. Type about: config in the address bar 
2. Click “Accept the risk and continue”
3. Type panel in the search bar, wait for the results to be displayed.
4. Find highlighted browser.download.improvements_to_download_panel
5. Toggle its value to false.

Doing this took me back to the way it was previously.   It's ridiculous that it's so difficult when Mozilla could provide an easy option for this in the settings.

[Genesistt]

OMG!  Just tested this and it works!  I'll most definitely be saving this handy tip for later use again.  Much thanks!

[JJSchuld]

Thanks you, you're a life saver and a genius!!

[FeMaster]

While this works for getting rid of the irritating popup box, it isn't really a solution to my biggest annoyance with all this, which is the fact that they changed my settings without my permission, requiring me to manually change everything back.

I got the 98.0 update at work this morning, so I did the workaround above. While it did get rid of the popup, I still had to go back and change all my application settings to "always ask", even after doing this workaround. That is twice now that I I've had to fix a browser because of them, and that is two times too many! Problem is not resolved in my eyes.

[sglew]

All I did was pass on a tip I found for removing the download pop-up box.  I don't work for Mozilla.

[FeMaster]

Sorry, didn't mean to imply you did, or that you should somehow fix it. I was just letting off steam, and it wasn't intentionally directed at you. It also was to let others know that it solves part of the problem, but not all of it.

[KatWomanUSA]

1. Type about: config in the address bar 

Thanks, but that's hilarious - the browser no longer opens to do that after April 2022 update.
I have to restart the PC each time b/c it keeps crashing on links

[John_3_16]

May be too late to suggest but I make a backup of my profile folder before any updates or code changes through config:about. I keep the latest 3 months. Load a new one, drop the old one.

What is your OS version (Operating System)? If you can make a backup of the profile folder, then uninstall the Firefox browser. Download the latest available & install it again. Replace the Profiles folder with your saved one making sure the name is the same on both keeping a copy of both (rename each with their copied/changed date (Profile20220410) example. The one in Firefox program should just be named "Profile".

This might fix it. I am running Windows 7 fully updated. Firefox 90.0 (64 bit). I have Yandex via bookmarks in spite of Mozilla & have reversed the cosmetic changes they dictated through the updates. Waiting with anticipation on the next battle.

Not sure but can you access:

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/back-and-restore-information-firefox-profiles

This gives you the info you need for everything I talked about & more... You can access it from any browser if Firefox has stopped working. Run a search for many more links: "Copy Firefox browser profiles folder". Hope you have success. God bless. ¯\_( ツ )_/¯

[KatWomanUSA]

Thanks for your advice.
ON Windows 10. 64 bit

Tried a couple of fixes.   It stopped crashing but is VERY SLOW.

[John_3_16]

Microsoft & Google facing lawsuits & huge fines here & in Europe due to their anti-competition actions & limited free use of their software.

Windows 10 & 11 have tried to eliminate the use of all browsers but their own. Not surprised that you are facing these problems using FF on Win10. I will not upgrade from Win7. When it becomes unsafe or unworkable I will switch to a version of Linux that I am now using half of the time. I am not alone in this decision. God bless.

[KatWomanUSA]

I appreciate your response, but I have used WIN 10 and Firefox successfully and smoothly until this last update, 99. So the OS is not a relevant factor in the slow opening of FF.

Sorry I posted in this thread. My post is about 99 update. And I never had issues with download panel or PDFs