Downloading files: How do I make "Save as" the default?

[Rekrul]

I am NOT asking about defining default actions for each file type. I want to prevent Firefox/Pale Moon from pre-selecting the "Open with" option when downloading a file.

Of course I know the first answer is going to be to check the option for "Do this automatically..." It's probably going to be the third and fourth answers as well.

That's not what I want to do. If you set an automatic action, you no longer get to decide where to save the file, nor are you given the option to set the filename.

I WANT the download box to be displayed. I want to be asked where to save the file. What I don't want is for the "Open with" option to be checked by default.

Googling seems to indicate that this is controlled by the mimeTypes.rdf file, but I can't find any explanation of exactly how this works, or how the browser decides what what action should be the default for each type of file. I mean, why did it apparently decide to make the default for MP4 "Save as" and the default for 3GP "Open with"? They're both associated with Media Player Classic and the entries in the mimeTypes.rdf file look the same to me.

So, WITHOUT checking "Do this automatically..." how do I get Firefox/Pale Moon to make "Save as" the default action for all files and stop it from pre-selecting "Open With"?

Again, this is not about defining default actions for each file type with "Do this automatically..." This is about what is pre-selected when you click a file to be downloaded.

[lovemyfoxy]

Did you check Tools>Options>Applications? That's where you set it up.

As for WHERE to save a file, I think it's more efficient to always set it always in the same folder (Tools>Options>General) I don't want to have to guess where I sent the last download.

[mightyglydd]

I am NOT asking about defining default actions for each file type. I want to prevent Firefox/Pale Moon from pre-selecting the "Open with" option when downloading a file.

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:38.9) Gecko/20100101 Goanna/2.2 Firefox/38.9 PaleMoon/26.5.0

https://forum.palemoon.org/index.php

[therube]

you no longer get to decide where to save the file

I think you do?
AFAIK choosing what to do, & choosing where to save, are separate actions.

Where, is determined by about:preferences#general, Downloads.


Otherwise, I believe it is only going to be for file types not known to the OS, that 'Save File' is going to be the default action.
Known file types will default to 'Open With' (default application).
You could unregister the file-type, but that wouldn't make much sense, I wouldn't think.
FileTypesMan


Don't know if there is some Pref to disable that such that all file types will default to 'Save File'?

[Rekrul]

Did you check Tools>Options>Applications? That's where you set it up.

This section of the prefs is where it stores the default actions for files, which are defined when you check "Do this automatically..." If you don't define any default actions, the file types will be set to "Always ask". With a couple exceptions which were added automatically, that's how all mine are set.

And yes, it does ask me what I want to do with the file, but it suggests opening some files rather than saving them.

As for WHERE to save a file, I think it's more efficient to always set it always in the same folder (Tools>Options>General) I don't want to have to guess where I sent the last download.

Mostly I save files to the same place, but occasionally, I'll download a large file and I may want to put it on an external drive.

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:38.9) Gecko/20100101 Goanna/2.2 Firefox/38.9 PaleMoon/26.5.0

https://forum.palemoon.org/index.php

Firefox and Pale Moon are based on the same code and do a great many things the same way. Typically something that works for Firefox will work for Pale Moon and vice versa.

Besides, I also wanted to know how to change this in Firefox as well.

I think you do?
AFAIK choosing what to do, & choosing where to save, are separate actions.

You're correct. I had changed the options at one point and set a default action for one file type and it would instantly save, but then I changed them back, and in my mind, I remembered the two being linked.

OK, that solves my problem. Thank you.

Otherwise, I believe it is only going to be for file types not known to the OS, that 'Save File' is going to be the default action.
Known file types will default to 'Open With' (default application).

Nope. I have both MP4 and 3GP registered to Media Player Classic, but in Firefox, MP4 has "Save as" preselected while 3GP has "Open with" selected. In Pale Moon, MP4 defaults to "Save as", while MKV defaults to "Open with". Both are registered to MPC. Also, Firefox offers to save MKV files while Pale Moon wants to open them.

Don't know if there is some Pref to disable that such that all file types will default to 'Save File'?

Apparently it's somehow controlled by the mimeTypes.rdf file in the profile directory, but I can't see how. At first I thought that lacking a specific entry for a file type would cause it to suggest opening the file, but there's an entry for 3GP in the Firefox mimeTypes. Then I compared the entries (which is harder than it sounds because references to the various file types are scattered throughout the file), and they seem the same to me. Nothing stands out as obviously telling the browser to treat the files any differently. The Pale Moon mimeTypes file is completely lacking any entries for a couple other file types, but yet it offers to open one and save the other.

Even though you gave me a solution, I can't help wondering about this. Mysteries bug me.

[lovemyfoxy]

Learn programming? There's just so far you can go unless you hire one of people here.

[James]

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:38.9) Gecko/20100101 Goanna/2.2 Firefox/38.9 PaleMoon/26.5.0

https://forum.palemoon.org/index.php

Firefox and Pale Moon are based on the same code and do a great many things the same way. Typically something that works for Firefox will work for Pale Moon and vice versa.

Not as much as you may think for a good while now days as it uses a different rendering engine (Goanna) and older Firefox version front ends.

Pale Moon discussion is done in Third Party/Unofficial Builds and the author of Pale Moon browser has asked people go to the Pale Moon forum for support instead of elswhere.

[8-bit]

Don't know if there is some Pref to disable that such that all file types will default to 'Save File'?
Apparently it's somehow controlled by the mimeTypes.rdf file in the profile directory, but I can't see how. At first I thought that lacking a specific entry for a file type would cause it to suggest opening the file, but there's an entry for 3GP in the Firefox mimeTypes. Then I compared the entries (which is harder than it sounds because references to the various file types are scattered throughout the file), and they seem the same to me. Nothing stands out as obviously telling the browser to treat the files any differently. The Pale Moon mimeTypes file is completely lacking any entries for a couple other file types, but yet it offers to open one and save the other.

Even though you gave me a solution, I can't help wondering about this. Mysteries bug me.

Whether it does or not depends on the MIME type given up from the server. Unfortunately, there is no way to control this on your end.

Check out this thread: http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... &t=3034006

[Brummelchen]

ofc user - browser has a choice to deal with file types - not any time but its possible.
the key word:handlers.json
the problem: firefox dont has the option to add mimetypes which are currently present - let me say in windows (dont know linux)

my mimetypes.rdf is ancient and it was converted to handlers.json. it was possibel to extend mimtypes.rdf and it is possible to work on json.

i think that mozilla is going to compress handlers-json in the near future to prevent (adware) changes.

ok, this test was successful

handlers.json -> notepad++ (recommended), turn on automatic line break

this section

Code: Select all

"mimeTypes":{...}

(notepad++ is able to find adjacent brackets)
to insert a desired behavior find the end "}"
insert (example)

,"application/abc":{"action":0,"extensions":["abc"]}}

that insertation add automatic download. if you want to be asked:

,"application/abc":{"action":0,"ask":true,"extensions":["abc"]}}

(the red brackt to point out where and what to insert)

forcing zip to open with programe result in this addition

Code: Select all

,"application/x-zip-compressed":{"action":4,"extensions":["zip"]}

if not its like the example above

Code: Select all

,"application/zip":{"action":0,"extensions":["zip"]}

entries are separated with a comma! should look like this

Code: Select all

"mimeTypes":{"application/abc":{"action":0,"ask":true,"extensions":["abc"]},"application/zip":{"action":0,"extensions":["zip"]}}

there is more in handlers.json - dont touch it if you are not aware of results. create a backup of this file - when failing firefox is going to reset it.