iMac OS X Leopard (Firefox) saves files automatically

[kraigballa]

I use mozilla firefox and when I click on a pdf or word file and click open instead of save file the iMac automatically saves to the desktop. How can I change this? When I click on open I don't want it to save the file.

 

[Mugwumper]

Set your preferences . . .

I use mozilla firefox and when I click on a pdf or word file and click open instead of save file the iMac automatically saves to the desktop. How can I change this? When I click on open I don't want it to save the file.

In Firefox Preferences, under "General", select "Always ask me where to
save files".

Or, just change the directory where you want to save things.

Hope this helps . . .

 

[kraigballa]

The problem isn't selecting where I want to save the file. When I click on open instead of save, it still saves the file on the desktop. In windows when I click on open instead of save it will only open the file. So basically windows saves it as a temp file while it is in use. Once closed, unless saved, it will delete the temp file.

 

[MisterMe]

I use mozilla firefox and when I click on a pdf or word file and click open instead of save file the iMac automatically saves to the desktop. How can I change this? When I click on open I don't want it to save the file.

A browser can only open a file if it is designed to handle the file natively or if it has an Internet Plugin that can handle the file. Your QuickTime Plugin can handle the PDF unless you have disabled it. If you have installed Adobe Acrobat Pro or Adobe Reader, then you likely also installed the PDF Plugin. If not, then you did not. Word files require a user-installed Internet Plugin. If the browser cannot open the file natively or with the help of a plugin, then it must necessarily save the file to disc. Every browser works this way.

 

[wrldwzrd89]

I use mozilla firefox and when I click on a pdf or word file and click open instead of save file the iMac automatically saves to the desktop. How can I change this? When I click on open I don't want it to save the file.

I suspect you're coming from Windows. When Windows browsers open a file, it DOES get saved first, but to a location in temporary files (where you don't see it). The Mac does the same thing, except that the files get auto-saved to a user-visible location instead (your Desktop).

 

[kraigballa]

I suspect you're coming from Windows. When Windows browsers open a file, it DOES get saved first, but to a location in temporary files (where you don't see it). The Mac does the same thing, except that the files get auto-saved to a user-visible location instead (your Desktop).

This was what I was looking for. Sorry for not being thorough the first time explained. Is there any way to change where the "temp files" are being saved? I changed mozilla to save the "saved" files to the desktop. Now I want the "temp files" to be saved to a folder I created called temp.

 

[wrldwzrd89]

This was what I was looking for. Sorry for not being thorough the first time explained. Is there any way to change where the "temp files" are being saved? I changed mozilla to save the "saved" files to the desktop. Now I want the "temp files" to be saved to a folder I created called temp.

Unfortunately, there's no way to separate "opened" files from other types of downloads, at least that I know about in Firefox.

 

[roadbloc]

Solution.