Problems downloading files

See Change what Firefox does when you click on or download a file for instructions on how to view and change how different file types are handled. Internet security software, including firewalls , antivirus programs, anti-spyware programs, and others can block certain file downloads. Check the settings in your security software to see if there is an setting that may be blocking downloads. To diagnose whether Internet security software is causing problems, you can try temporarily disabling it, seeing if downloads work, and then re-enabling the software.

Downloading an executable file e. This happens because Firefox honors your Windows security settings for downloading applications and other potentially unsafe files from the Internet.

To resolve this problem, use the solution given below. You can reset your system Internet security settings in Internet Explorer. You may be able to diagnose your download problem by following the steps given in the Troubleshoot and diagnose Firefox problems article. Based on information from Unable to save or download files mozillaZine KB. Grow and share your expertise with others.

Answer questions and improve our knowledge base. Search Support Search. Home Firefox Fix slowness, crashing, Firefox won't save What to do if you can't download or This article describes steps to take if you are unable to download or save files using Firefox. Known issue: Users experiencing failing downloads after an update to Firefox Note: The Refresh Firefox feature can fix many issues by restoring Firefox to its default state while saving your essential information.

You can test your internet speed with services like Speedtest and Fast. Often, slow speeds are due to constraints on the networks and temporary glitches outside of your control. A common issue that pops up when you try to download a file is caused by how your internet browser handles certain file types for example, PDF documents.

You might want to save the document to your device, but the browser has other ideas and keeps opening it instead. This option is presented differently in different browsers.

You can make your browser automatically download PDFs instead of opening them , too. Sometimes, all you need to do is stop and start the transfer to get things moving. This is especially true on older game consoles like the PlayStation 4, where the trick can be used to speed up downloads that have stalled. Some browsers have built-in download managers that allow you to hit pause and then resume. This is especially true for smaller, niche browsers that fall outside of the big four Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari.

Most browsers will notify you in the address bar that a pop-up window has been blocked although some do it quietly in the background. In the case of most browsers, clicking on the notification will give you an option to allow the pop-up temporarily and create a rule that will prevent it from happening in the future.

The same is true for JavaScript, which many websites now rely on to function This also requires manually disabling in the first place. On Windows, you should use an antivirus tool to scan for malware. These tools may sometimes block downloads—often because the download is malicious. Antivirus programs generally pop up a notification when they do this, but they may not always do so.

Are you sure that the download is safe, but your antivirus is blocking it anyway? Consider temporarily disabling your antivirus. In the case of the PS4, the system restricts download bandwidth when a game is running. The nuclear option is to cancel your download and try again from the start. Most modern browsers will retain any progress you have made. If the browser detects that the data associated with the download is corrupted, you will likely lose your progress.

If you often download large files or you have a slow internet connection that makes downloads a chore , then you might want to use a browser like Chrome or Firefox, since they support features like pausing and resuming downloads.

Alternatively, large downloads are often faster and easier to manage when you use BitTorrent instead.

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