Choose how Firefox handles the files you download from the web.

[GaBaN]

With version 98.0 the saving of .exe files won't ''ask me'' if i want to save the file like in previous versions.I read that the default saving attitude now is auto-saving. I have changed to ''always ask'' most of my content type like it was before, but the .exe type is missing. Please fix this on next version because a misclick - autosaving a .exe file can make things pretty bad. I have tried finding the ''Old Firefox'' folder in order to replace my old prefs.js but i guess newer versions have stopped using that folder.So please fix it.

[neuropunk]

Removing the ability to open downloads has made the process of editing photos so much longer and annoying. prior to removal, all I had to do was download>open in photoshop. Now, I must save, open download directory, find file, right click>open with>photoshop. In some cases of file extension, I must go the extra step and seek out my Photoshop executable directory when it doesn't appear in Windows by default, it's just obnoxious. It's also contributed towards an even more cluttered download folder that needs frequent clearing, as I download images for editing a lot.

[viesest]

I just want to mention that where file will be downloaded can be determined after file is downloaded. For example instead of "Show in Folder" there can be "Move to Temp Folder" button.
"Show in Folder" is already in context menu.
"Downloads popup panel" also can have preferences button.

[ben_393]

This feature needs to be reverted. In my case, I have a server generate a PDF based on a query string. It's no longer feasible to use Firefox to preview these PDFs since they are downloaded and previewed locally. I can't quickly change the URL and test the new PDF output.

[Dylav]

Hello,
With the Firefox version 98, you impose the automatic opening of the download panel, for reasons I do not adhere. It is essential to match this new behavior of an alternative (which existed in old versions of Firefox), with in Settings > General > Downloads, a check/uncheck box "Show Window Downloads when downloading a file".
Thank you in advance,
Best regards,

[bigrob0201]

you guys really screwed this one up lol. i cant even get magnet link to auto open in my torrent app, it just downloads the fkn thing without even asking.
*sigh* another good browser going down the shter, aye? guess i'll switch to something else then.

[ReallyAnnoyed]

Me too! There's lots of files I want to open without saving and Firefox was great in giving me the option to decide to just open or to save. Like everyone else, I cannot for the life of me figure out why they would take this choice away. Please fix this ASAP!

[Michael83]

The article Changes to how file downloads are handled in Firefox version 98 describes the overall new behavior of Firefox for all file downloads.

The problem is, when handling a lot of files on a daily basis and one doesn't need/want to download every single one of them. For example I just need to view and/or print several pdf's through Acrobat Reader. Most definitely, I do not need to load my hard drive with temp pdf (or other) files every day, when working.

All downloads used to go to Temp first. Combined with the setting to always open with a specific program (i.e.: pdf's with Acrobat Reader), files are always opened/processed with a reliable app and then IF necessary saved in a location on the hard drive.

If someone needs to ALWAYS save all downloaded files, then there is a setting for that too: "Save file". Then files are automatically saved to the default download folder (whether Win default or user edited). No one lost a downloaded file from the Temp folder. Even if so, you can always download it again! And if you need to save it... see my previous sentence.

I get the idea "save one extra click", but that is what Settings are for: setting up the behavior preferred, based on the user's needs. I don't understand why this had to change, rendering Settings useless.

The article suggests right-click on file in download list (top-right) and select "Always open in [application]". Indeed, all files open with the preferred app, yet they are ALSO downloaded in my Downloads folder.

Until now, files were temporarily stored in... Temp folder and since the file was open, say in Acrobat Reader, I could choose whether to save it in my hard drive or not.

This new behavior, where files are being automatically saved regardless of the setting (open with, save file, always ask) is utterly pointless and defeats the purpose of settings. This is really frustrating, filling up my hard drive for absolutely no reason at all. I DON'T need/want to accumulate hundreds of unnecessary files in my drive on a daily basis. It is absurd.

I really hope this goes away soon. Mozilla needs to figure this out.

Looking forward for v99.

In the mean time: thumbs up to Ujudkma, who came up with a temp solution:

about:config -> Accept the Risk and Continue -> improvements -> browser.download.improvements_to_download_panel: false

[martinPanda]

Hello,

I second this request,

The possibility to open files without them being saved to Downloads (or wherever) was one of the main advantages why I am (was) using Firefox and not other browsers like Chrome. (yes, I know the files are downloaded anyway to some temp folder, but I could either ignore them there, or once in a while delete all the stuff from there - it was not mixed with my real downloaded files that I wanted to save).

I don't know if this change was done in the effort to be "more like Chrome", but please consider that many of us are using FF because it is different/better than Chrome; and the effort to make it the same may be counterproductive.

Currently, even when I set manually all the filetypes to "always ask", it still saved them to Downloads when I clicked "open in <some program>".

[Gustav]

I also want the old download behavior back.

I'm wondering how this came about? How did the Firefox team think that this would be a better way for thing?

Had there been hundreds or thousands feature requests to change the how it works or is it just some project manager or developer that thought that they needed to do a change to a core part of how the browser works just "for the sake of change".

Firefox should, in my opinion, keep functions as they are an only change if where needed.
Add features that are necessary in the core of the program and everything else as user removable extensions.

Now you have wasted development time on something that many that care don't want. And those that don't care were OK how it was before (unless you have the thousands of feature requests for this change).

Please roll this back.

Please consider your development efforts in the future and focus on squashing bugs, implementing needed api's for extension programmers and work to make Firefox better at what it is meant to do - display web pages.

[TheDaveWSC]

Let me open files instead of downloading them if I want, or I'm switching browsers. Now instead of clicking the link and hitting open, I have to click, save, navigate, open... Why?