Where Are Files Being Downloaded To ?

[Robert4]

Hi All, and a Happy New Year.

Always something new, apparently.
Lots to learn. Running Mojave

I don't think I've ever had this happen before, but maybe.

I go to some site that has a .pdf document for downloading.
I click on it, and what you expect comes up in a window.

It says:
SAVE AS: I give it a name
WHERE: I say Desktop
FORMAT: This, I think is new. There are two choices; one being Preview Document, and the other choice
being All Files

Question 1: What are the differences, and which do i want ? Why ?

Anyway, I've tried saving the .pdf in both of the FORMAT choices.

They are "probably" being saved, somewhere, as if i do it again, it says that it
already exists and do I want to replace it ?
So, my guess is that it actually did download it, but...?

I cannot find, anywhere, these downloaded files.
Certainly do not appear on my Desktop, which is what I selected.
And, if I do a Spotlight search, nothing is found.
Also, I cannot find them anywhere in Finder.

Happens on other .pdf downloads also, not just this particular one.

All of this is relatively new, I think, and I have never previously
had any kind of trouble saving files to the Desktop.

Can anyone perhaps explain what is happening for me ?
Probably something dumb I am doing, or not doing, as usual.

Where was it downloaded to, if it actually was ?

Would be most appreciative.

Thanks, as always for help,
Bob

 

[mikzn]

assuming you are using safari? - did you check the preferences to reset the "File Download Location" ?

Also if they are large downloads they can take a while, especially of the server is slow - you can check in the download icon - click the down arrow and check the download status - maybe they never were completed for some reason?

Edit - Update - If you click on the download arrow icon in the tool bar - and it shows as complete you can ctrl + click and choose "Show in Finder" to see where it went.

 

[Fishrrman]

The location to which downloaded files are saved depends on how you have configured the app that's downloading them.

The default location is usually the "downloads" folder inside your home folder.
Have you looked there?

I would try searching using something other than spotlight (which I dislike and have disabled for years). Try EasyFind instead, which is free:
https://www.devontechnologies.com/download/products.html

If you absolutely can't find the file, my guess is that it wasn't downloaded in the first place.

Why don't you provide us with:
- The app you were using (in your attempt to download)
- The URL for the page you were at
- The name of the pdf file you were trying to download

... so we can try it for ourselves.

 

[chabig]

It sounds like you're using the Save... menu item. That's going to save a copy of a web page, which is not always the pdf you want. See Apple's instructions: https://support.apple.com/guide/safari/see-a-pdf-ibrw1090/mac

When you move the pointer to the bottom center of the pdf, pop-up controls appear. Select the download button and the pdf will be saved to your Downloads folder.

 

[MSastre]

I'm on Mojave and download pdfs to my desktop all the time. See attached screenshots.

Saves to my desktop every time.

 

[jtara]

Y'all are confusing two different things.

OP wants to download PDFs from a website.

"Export as PDF" MAKES a PDF from website content. That is, it will make a PDF from any web page, it's not for downloading a file.

Not the same thing.

I dunno the answer. I use Chrome. In Chrome there are a few ways:

- If you are already viewing the PDF in Chrome, there is a PDF-specific UI. There's a "download" arrow in the upper right overlaid on the document.

- You can use File, Save Page As...

- You can context-click on a link, and use Save Link As...

In all cases you have the opportunity to select the download location. (At least for me, don't remember if maybe this is a setting.)

Here are a couple of handy links to experiment on.

https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040.pdf

I just tried Safari.

- If you have a clickable link, use context click, Download Linked File, or Download Linked File As...
Download Linked File downloads to your download folder. Download Linked File As... let's you choose the location.

- If you are already viewing the PDF, use File, Save As... and you will be able to choose the download location.

Chrome is much nicer for PDFs, because it has a UI that lets you zoom, save, navigate pages, etc.

The various "Save" menu choices, of course, work with any kind of file, not just PDFs.

 

[goldbuffalo]

Not sure if this is what you need, but I go to Print, like where Msastre has Export, but go lower to Print, then on that screen you can save as pdf.

 

[Robert4]

Hi All,

What a great Forum; terrific folks and help. Running Mojave on an iMac.
Am in my mid 80's now, and although I hate to admit it, i miss many of the nuances
with this "stuff" now. So, again, I appreciate the help very much.

Up until a few weeks ago, I never, ever, had any problems saving anything to the Desktop.
Obviously, something has changed.

Will try and send you later some actual links to where I am having trouble.

It's not just .pdf's; seems to be most anything and everything I Save To Desktop, and it just doesn't show there.
Saving Images to Desktop seems to work fine, though.

I click on the Safari Dock icon for a Browser, but I guess I am using Firefox as my Default one.

The Safari "Download To" option is set to Desktop.
Should I also check Firefox ? How would I ?

a. Where and how do I find the Home Folder that has been mentioned ?

b. I downloaded and used the free Easy Drive. Looks like a terrific program; thanks for suggestion.

I see that apparently some items are ending up in: (Here's one example)
./library application support/firefox/profiles/wcsyp77J.default/storage/default

another example:
./icloud drive (Archive)-1/Desktop

Why ? What are these locations ?

c. I want absolutely nothing to do with iCloud, iCloudDrive, etc.
How do I Totally disable all of them (the basic program or link), please ?
(the last time I tried deleting iCloud, it wiped out a bunch of my items)

Funny in that the small menu always does show up with the Desktop as being one of
the options as to where to save the item to. I select that, but it just doesn't seem to
show up there.

Again, thanks for help.

More later.
Bob

 

[Fishrrman]

"I click on the Safari Dock icon for a Browser, but I guess I am using Firefox as my Default one."

When you click on the Safari icon in the dock, you should GET Safari, not Firefox. Looking at the menu bar near the Apple reveals which app is running and "up front".
You somehow have had Firefox "trick you" into making it the default browser.
But you should still be able to use Safari to do things and download files.
TIP:
a. Open Safari
b. Go to preferences
c. Click "General"
d. See "File download location"?
e. Click the popup menu and set it for "Desktop"
f. Now when you download a file, it comes right to the desktop and you can easily see it and then move it wherever you want

"Where and how do I find the Home Folder that has been mentioned ?"

"Home" is your "user folder" -- your account folder.
Quick way to open it:
1. Click on the desktop to bring the finder to the front
2. In the "Go" menu, choose "home".

"I want absolutely nothing to do with iCloud, iCloudDrive, etc.
How do I Totally disable all of them (the basic program or link), please ?"

I don't blame you -- I don't use iCloud either.
1. Open system preferences
2. Click iCloud
3. If you are signed in, SIGN OUT.

"(the last time I tried deleting iCloud, it wiped out a bunch of my items)"

Hmmm... I've never used iCloud and never will, but BEFORE you sign out of iCloud I suggest this:
1. Go to the Apple menu and choose "about this Mac"
2. Up above, click "storage"
3. You need to click the "manage" button BUT BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT YOU DO NEXT
4. I have mine set up as follows
a. "Store in iCloud" -- NO NO NO, I don't let this occur
b. "Optimize Storage" -- again, NO
c. "Empty Trash automatically -- NO
d. Reduce Clutter -- NO

I'll manage all my drives by myself, thank you very much.