1825909 - Since updating to 111.0.1, even though I have "Always ask you where to save files" checked in Preferences, I am not being asked, and my downloaded files are being saved in my Downloads folder (which seems to be the default setting)

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

(Firefox :: Downloads Panel, defect)

Description

[dankan]

Attachment: Firefox 111 bug.png - screenshot

User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10.15; rv:109.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/111.0

Steps to reproduce:

1. I updated Firefox to 111.0.1 from the previous version.
2. I clicked on a pdf email attachment. (I use webmail.)
3. When the pdf file was displayed (in the original tab), I clicked the download arrow.

Actual results:

A new tab opened, and the new tab displayed the pdf file. Simultaneously, a download notification window opened, and showed that the download was saved in my Downloads folder.

Expected results:

Firefox should have opened a box asking me where I wanted to save the file (as it did in all previous versions), since I have checked the box in Preferences that says "Always ask you where to save files". Even though I have that box checked, the "Save Files to" field just above that checkbox shows "Downloads folder". I can change that to a different folder, but I cannot get Firefox to ask me where to save, as it should, and as it used to. This is a security issue, because it makes it easier it inadvertently download a file that you do not intend to download.

Comment 1

[BugBot [:suhaib / :marco/ :calixte]]

The Bugbug bot thinks this bug should belong to the 'Firefox::Downloads Panel' component, and is moving the bug to that component. Please correct in case you think the bot is wrong.

Comment 2

[Marco Bonardo [:mak]]

How is PDF type set in the Applications list, below the preference you have posted? The Applications list has priority over the global setting.

Comment 3

[dankan]

PDF is set to Open in Firefox

Comment 4

[dankan]

I just noticed something - as I said, in Applications list, PDF is set to Open in Firefox - which it does do. Then, when the PDF is open in Firefox, there are 2 different download arrows in the window. One is an arrow labelled "Download" (on the left, in the screenshot I will attach); the other is a folder icon, and if I hover over it, I see "Save" (on the right, in the screenshot).

[Hmmm... I am trying to figure out how to add the screenshot to this comment. May have to add a new post??]

If I click the Download arrow, the pdf file is immediately saved to my Downloads folder (the behavior I have complained about).
But if I click the folder icon, then Firefox asks me where to save it!

For some reason, I think the behavior associated with the Download arrow has changed since I updated to Firefox 111.0.1, because I don't remember files ever being saved directly to my Downloads folder without my being asked where to save it (even though I'm pretty sure I have used that Download arrow on the left side before now).

In the example given above, I am working with a pdf file that was attached to an email (I use webmail). I am now checking what happens when I try to download a pdf file directly from a website - eg, a printer manual from a printer support site. When click the manual's download link on the support website, the pdf file opens in Firefox. There is no Download arrow on the left side, just the folder icon (which says Save, if I hover over it), and if I click the folder icon, Firefox asks me where to save the file.

So I think it is only using the Download arrow, which may be a feature of my webmail, that results in the immediate save to Downloads folder.

Thank you for looking into this.

Comment 5

[dankan]

Attachment: Firefox Screenshot.jpg

Comment 6

[Marco Bonardo [:mak]]

The Folder with Arrow icon is part of Firefox pdf reader and it will ask you for a destination.

The other Download button is apparently provided by the website itself, and they assume the browser will download the file, but don't actually enforce that through appropriate headers.
You can go to about:config and set browser.download.open_pdf_attachments_inline to false, and that may solve the problem for you if it's your expected behavior. Hm, that may not be what you are looking for though (it decides whether attachment pdfs are shown inline).

It may be useful if you could check which headers are sent with the pdf when clicking on the site Download button, that can be done using Firefox developer tools, the Network panel more specifically. Though since PDF is set to Open in Firefox, the only way out may be to just use the pdf reader download button.

Comment 7

[dankan]

Thanks - I think that I can just be careful to use the pdf reader download button, when downloading pdf's from my mail website. What I was more concerned about was the increased security risk of having things downloaded without the enforced pause of having Firefox asking you where you wanted it saved. But since that does not seem to be happening when downloading from sites other than my mail site, I am now less concerned. (When working with mail, I am aware that I'm clicking on an attachment.)

Thank you for responding quickly, and using non-technical language that I could follow. (Although I wasn't quite sure how to check the headers -- I know how to access the Web Developer Tools, but not how to find the Network Panel and headers.)