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download bug

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Hi folks,

we expirience some bug(s) concerning the build in download manager. We click links to downloads and the download does not have a a file ending e.g. "video.mp4" downloads as "video. "


Clicking "save as" does not download the file but saves the filename and adds an html as ending, file size is 1 KB and inside is the right download link. E.g. "flash.exe" is saved as "flash.exe.htm" containing the link to the remote download location.

This behaviour started with 38.0 and did not go away with 38.01.

Anyone else?

Regards, Joe_me

Hi folks, we expirience some bug(s) concerning the build in download manager. We click links to downloads and the download does not have a a file ending e.g. "video.mp4" downloads as "video. " Clicking "save as" does not download the file but saves the filename and adds an html as ending, file size is 1 KB and inside is the right download link. E.g. "flash.exe" is saved as "flash.exe.htm" containing the link to the remote download location. This behaviour started with 38.0 and did not go away with 38.01. Anyone else? Regards, Joe_me

All Replies (7)

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Do you know when this started? Any other problems?

Start Firefox in Safe Mode {web Link} by holding down the <Shift>
(Mac Options)
key, and then starting Firefox. Is the problem still there?


Start your Computer in safe mode with networking. Then start Firefox. Try Safe web sites. Is the problem still there?

Starting The Computer In Safe Mode;
Free Online Encyclopedia

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Hi FredMcD,

no, the behaviour is on any machine here.

E.G. go here: https://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/distribution3.html right click a "download EXE installer" left click "save target as" choose a folder to download and look at the result.

(We are using German language version) and the result is a file named 'install_flash_player_17_active_x.exe.htm' You may click that than and get another page and than you may download the file.

We did not have this with versions up to 37 und are still experiencing it with 38.0.5 today. Do the same with IE and it will just download the file as ever.

Regards, Joe_me

Modified by user1214690

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Try to rename (or delete) the mimeTypes.rdf file in the Firefox profile folder to reset all file actions.

You can use this button to go to the currently used Firefox profile folder:

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Please note, there are two flash programs. One for Windows, and another for Firefox.

Modified by FredMcD

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Thanks for the replies.

Deleting the mime types does not change the behaviour.

Yes, I know that there are different Flash versions. The Flash file download is just the example for the behaviour, to demonstrate it, nothing more.

Try it out and look what is on your computer afterwards, an exe file or an htm file.

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Did you check these file extensions in the Windows registry under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.xxx ?

You can also check the MIME database key.

  • HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\MIME\Database\Content Type
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Sorry folks, but that had nothing to do with file extensions (IE does and did not have any problem downloading exe-type files).

IMHO, this was just a Firefox bug, and now let's forget it because it has been fixed with version 38.0.6 of Firefox.