536465 - "Print to File" fails on Windows 7 (default output directory isn't writable)

Status: NEW

(Core :: Printing: Setup, defect)

Description

[juan becerra [:juanb]]

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.1; en-US; rv:1.9.1.7) Gecko/20091221 Firefox/3.5.7

While running a printing test, I tried to print to file, but the default location where the application saves the file is the the same as the browser's installation directory, which has access restrictions on Win7 and Vista. On XP it saves a file.

STR:
1. Run Fx 3.5.7 and open a page
2. Try to print the file, selecting "print to file"
3. Click OK and give the file a name

Expected: Maybe a dialog where to save the file, maybe a different folder or the Desktop for instance.

Actual: Windows error message, "Access Denied"

There doesn't seem to be an easy way to specify the location to save the file. This effectively makes print-to-file unusable on Win7 and Vista, and probably other installations where access to the installation directory is restricted.

There seems to be at least one similar report, bug 504457, for instance.

Comment 1

[Daniel Holbert [:dholbert]]

Let me make sure I understand the issue:
 - This isn't a "regression" per se in Firefox
 - It's just that our "print to file" destination is non-writable for normal users, by default, in Win Vista & Win 7.

Is that correct?

Also: comment 0 mention version 3.5, whereas this bug's "Branch" field is set to 1.9.2.  I'm guessing this still affects trunk, actually -- Juan, can you confirm that and update 'branch' field accordingly?

Comment 2

[juan becerra [:juanb]]

- I don't know if it is a regression in Fx.
- And yes, our default "print to file" destination is non-writable for normal users or admin users on Win 7 and Vista. I intended to select 1.9.1, but I've since tested 3.0.17 and that doesn't work either.

Comment 3

[Daniel Holbert [:dholbert]]

(In reply to comment #0)
> There seems to be at least one similar report, bug 504457, for instance.

BTW: I think that report is unrelated -- it appears to be about a specific virtual printer behaving unexpectedly, not about Firefox's 'print to file' behavior.

Comment 4

[Daniel Holbert [:dholbert]]

I've confirmed that Firefox 3.5.4 sticks the 'print to file' result in the Firefox installation directory, if I don't provide any path information in the text field.  I'm guessing it just defaults to the current working directory, which in this case is the install dir.

I think the correct fix here (as suggested in comment 0) would be to fix bug 413537 -- provide a standard Windows file selector for "print to file".

Comment 5

[Daniel Holbert [:dholbert]]

(I was using Windows XP in comment 4, btw)