312414 - Firefox consistently reports that it can't save a download because of "unknown error".

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(Toolkit :: Downloads API, defect)

Description

[John French]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X Mach-O; en-US; rv:1.8b5) Gecko/20051006 Firefox/1.4.1
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X Mach-O; en-US; rv:1.8b5) Gecko/20051006 Firefox/1.4.1

Every attempted download from Firefox results in a pop-up window advising:

          Downloading
          /Users/jfrench/Documents/Downloads/Web browser 
          downloads/[filename]

          /Users/jfrench/Documents/Downloads/Web browser 
          downloads/[filename] could not be saved, because an 
          unknown error occurred.

          Try saving to a different location.

The pathname is, indeed, the location I use for receiving downloaded files; and
the [filename], of course, changes with each download. The error occurs every
time I attempt to download any file from any location.

What's worse, although I attempt to change the pathname of the download
destination, as the error advisory suggests, and the Preferences window shows
the new pathname (after closing and reopening the Preferences window), downloads
continue to report the same destination shown above in the error dialog. IOW, I
do not seem to be able to change the download destination, even though the
Preferences window clearly saves the revised URL.



Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Enter the example URL and press the return key.
2. Window appears advising that the download will start automatically.

Actual Results:  
1. Pop-up window appears advising that the file could not be saved.

Expected Results:  
1. Download manager window should have opened (or come to the foreground)
showing the progress of the downlaod.
2. Following completion of the download, file should have been in the folder
defined by the pathname listed in the "Save all files to this folder" field in
the Downloads tab of the Preferences window.

Comment 1

[John French]

Last word in last paragraph of detailed description should be "pathname" instead
of "URL".

Comment 2

[OstGote!]

Does the URL from Bug 180672 help (see status whiteboard)?

Comment 3

[John French]

(In reply to comment #2)
> Does the URL from Bug 180672 help (see status whiteboard)?

I'm new to this Mizilla bug-reporting process, so please bear with me if I'm
overlooking something obvious, but I'm not sure I understand the comment. The
referenced bug has

          click URL above to fix

in the whiteboard field, and the "URL above" contains

          javascript:navigator.plugins.refresh(true);void(0)

Neither clicking the URL nor entering it in Firefox's URL entry field and then
pressing Return has any effect, nor would I particularly expect it to.

Reading the referenced bug in more detail, its problem description appears to be
only peripherally related to the bug I'm experiencing (both relate to downloads,
granted; but I'm by no means encountering a download manager that's "disabled
completely"). Also, the referenced bug's comment history frequently mentions the
file compreg.dat as playing a part in the possible correction. That, and bug
180672's own characterization, would seem to indicate that its whole discussion
pertains only to a Window's environment, whereas this bug applies to the
Macintosh setting.

If the comment referencing bug 180672 really _does_ apply, I'm going to need
some additional instructions to know how to employ its assistance. Thanks.

Comment 4

[OstGote!]

Ok, for the mentioned bug it is a workaround to use that url, if you try to open
the url you will fix the compreg.dat (rebuild it). But you are right, I
overlooked that you are on MacOSX, so it seems your problem is something other.

Comment 5

[Chris Blore]

This is an old bug and has not been able to be reproduced on a more recent build. There has been no action on this bug for more than 2 stable releases.

It WORKSFORME in Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X; en-US; rv:1.9a7pre) Gecko/2007072404 Minefield/3.0a7pre

->WORKSFORME

Comment 6

[Stephen Donner [:stephend] Not actively reading bugmail]

John, can you please verify with a recent trunk build of Firefox?  (Preferably the day's on which you report back.)  Thanks!

Comment 7

[John French]

Glory be! My first successful download using Firefox (v2.0.0.5) in over two years (albeit interspersed with long periods of not checking). Once again, life is good. Thanks.