From MozillaZine Knowledge Base
If downloads currently in progress don't appear in the Downloads window:
If completed downloads don't appear in the Downloads window, make sure you haven't disabled the download history in your Firefox settings [1]:
- Firefox 2: Click "Tools -> Options -> Privacy / History". "Remember what I've downloaded" should be checked.
- Firefox 1.5: Click "Tools -> Options -> Privacy -> Download History". If "Remove files from the Download Manager" shows "Upon successful download", select a different option from the drop-down list.
If the Downloads window doesn't automatically open when you start downloading a file:
- Firefox 2: Click "Tools -> Options -> Main / Downloads" and check "Show the Downloads window when downloading a file".
- Firefox 1.5: Click "Tools -> Options ->Downloads / Download Manager" and check "Show Download Manager when a download begins".