861626 - After recent update the download manager won't pop up when downloading a file

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(Firefox :: Downloads Panel, defect)

Description

[u445607]

Attachment: firefoxaboutconfig-browser.download.manager.png

User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:20.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/20.0
Build ID: 20130409194949

Steps to reproduce:

I downloaded a couple of files. 


Actual results:

The built-in download manager of Firefox didn't open, so I couldn't click on the downloaded files to start the files. Now I had to go to Downloads manually through Tools -> Downloads to open the files and clear the list of downloaded files. I researched it on Google and tried the opposite of what most people ask for on Google (most people hate the popping up of the Downloadmanager, and were advised to disable it in about:config). So I went to about:config searched for browser.download.manager and saw that .showWhenStarting was set to True (see attached screenshot). So somehow Firefox ignores this setting, as the Download Manager doesn't show when starting the download. 


Expected results:

The built-in download manager should've opened, so I have easy access to the just downloaded files and opening them. After that I should've been able to clear the list of recently downloaded files.

Comment 1

[Simona Badau, Desktop Test Engineering]

Works fine for me:
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; rv:23.0) Gecko/20130414 Firefox/23.0

Marco, your profile might be corrupted. Please can you confirm whether this issue still occurs using Firefox with a new profile?
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-and-remove-firefox-profiles

Comment 2

[u445607]

(In reply to Simona B [QA] from comment #1)
> Works fine for me:
> Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; rv:23.0) Gecko/20130414 Firefox/23.0
> 
> Marco, your profile might be corrupted. Please can you confirm whether this
> issue still occurs using Firefox with a new profile?
> https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-and-remove-
> firefox-profiles

I created a new profile, still the download window didnn't open. However, there was an additional button next to the Searchfield that opens the download window if you click on it. It also appears that when downloading a file there is a information pop-up window of some kind, that does show your files. (but still without having a quick button to clear the list, I still need to open the download manager for that).

It seems that the extra button, which I noticed after the update, disappeared five minutes later. Could I restore that button, somehow? And can I just set Firefox up again like it was before? That the entire Downloads window would pop-up like it had been doing in all the previous versions.

(Firefox makes a habit of changing something comfortable to something uncomfortable, while it has been like that ever since the start (such as mousewheel-clicking a bookmarked folder should open tab1 in current tab and tab 2 in new tab, currently after the v.17 update if you have 20 tabs open en are in tab 1 and do this, it would open as tab 21 and 22, and then you still need to scroll to the end of the tabs to finally open them.))

Back on topic: I just want either the old functionality back (with security fixes of this release) that opens the entire Downloads manager, or atleast an easy way to get back the disappeared button, without having to lose all my bookmarks, settings, etc. (by creating a new profile)

Comment 3

[Simona Badau, Desktop Test Engineering]

(In reply to Marco S. from comment #2)
> I created a new profile, still the download window didnn't open. However,
> there was an additional button next to the Searchfield that opens the
> download window if you click on it. It also appears that when downloading a
> file there is a information pop-up window of some kind, that does show your
> files. (but still without having a quick button to clear the list, I still
> need to open the download manager for that).

A new download manager was released in Firefox 20. 
Please see: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/find-and-manage-downloaded-files?esab=a&s=download&r=0&as=s 


> It seems that the extra button, which I noticed after the update,
> disappeared five minutes later. Could I restore that button, somehow?

You can manually add the Downloads button: Go to View Menu -> Toolbars -> Customize -> and drag and drop the Downloads button to the position you want it. 
You can also do a profile reset (please keep in mind that you will lose your settings):
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/reset-firefox-easily-fix-most-problems

Comment 4

[u445607]

Thanks for the advice on how to add the button again. It's much easier now.

Comment 5

[razmoudah]

I have also had this problem, although I don't find the little message pain that clicking on that downloads button to be that useful of a help (as I usually move files after downloading them I keep a shortcut to the folder on my desktop).  I do prefer the full Download Manager window that use to be there for keeping track of the status of my downloads, as I tend to use keyboard shortcuts far more than the mouse at times.  I would personally prefer it if the development team for Firefox could stop **** over useful features and instead just make it easier to go in and alter small settings to use the feature in the new way they're pushing, particularly as I have personally detested most of the appearance and interface changes they have made over the past year.  I started using Firefox heavily because it wasn't trying to follow the wacky fads and focused on being a reliable and stable browser, but now it seems to have degenerated to the state of just being another fadware.

Comment 6

[Simona Badau, Desktop Test Engineering]

Based on Comment 4, I'm setting the resolution of this bug to Resolved Worksforme.