Applications and download actions list is empty: Difference between revisions

From MozillaZine Knowledge Base
Jump to navigationJump to search
m (updating links)
(added Linux fix)
 
(2 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
''This article applies to Firefox on Windows operating systems''
One possible cause of an empty [[file types and download actions]] list (e.g.,  Firefox 3 "Applications" list) on Windows systems is the presence of the '''npbittorrent.dll''' file in the Firefox plugins folder [http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=514507] [http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=516918].  If you see the BitTorrent plugin in your [[about:plugins]] list, then  [[Kill application| exit Firefox]], open the Firefox [[installation directory]]\plugins folder (''C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\plugins'' in a typical Windows install) and either remove the file "npbittorrent.dll" or rename it Xnpbittorrent.dll.


The Firefox [[File types and download actions#Firefox |Download Actions]] list will be empty if you haven't set any download actions and if there are no plugins installed that are set to handle [http://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Properly_Configuring_Server_MIME_Types MIME types] that are associated with file extensions.  
Another possibility is a corrupt [[mimeTypes.rdf]] file [http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=358855].  [[Kill application |Exit Firefox completely]] and delete or rename the "mimeTypes.rdf" file in the [[Profile folder - Firefox|Firefox profile folder]] and the file will be regenerated (read [[Show hidden files and folders|this]] for help finding it).  This will remove any previously defined download actions.  Note that, in some cases, you may need to follow [[File types and download actions#Resetting_download_actions |these instructions]] to completely reset your Firefox download actions and any related preference settings that may exist.


You can set a download action by checkmarking the box "Do this automatically for files like this from now on" in the Firefox "Opening" dialog that appears when you first encounter a download for a particular MIME type.  Test pages that include direct links to media files are given [[Testing plugins |here]].
On Linux (Kubuntu), installing the firefox-gnome-support package from the Kubuntu repositories is reported to resolve the issue. [http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?p=4148155#p4148155]  
 
The Download Actions list should not be empty if plugins are set to handle certain file types; for example,  if the [[Flash]] plugin is installed, there should be an entry in the Download Actions window for .SWF files and, if the [[Adobe Reader]] plugin is installed, there should be an entry for .PDF files.  You can enter  [[about:plugins]] in the address bar to see what plugins are detected in Firefox.
 
One possible cause of an empty Download Actions list on Windows systems is the presence of the '''npbittorrent.dll''' file in the Firefox plugins folder [http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=514507] [http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=516918].  If you see the BitTorrent plugin in your [[about:plugins]] list, then  [[Kill application| exit Firefox]], open the Firefox [[installation directory]]\plugins folder (<tt>C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\plugins</tt> in a typical Windows install) and either remove the file "npbittorrent.dll" or rename it Xnpbittorrent.dll.
 
Another possibility is a corrupt [[mimeTypes.rdf]] file [http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=358855].  [[Kill application |Exit Firefox completely]] and delete or rename the "mimeTypes.rdf" file in the [[Profile folder - Firefox|Firefox profile folder]] and the file will be regenerated (read [[Finding the profile folder on Windows |this]] for help finding it).  This will remove any previously defined download actions.  Note that, in some cases, you may need to follow [[File types and download actions#Resetting_download_actions |these instructions]] to completely reset your Firefox Download Actions and any related preference settings that may exist.


[[Category:Plugins]]
[[Category:Plugins]]
[[Category:Issues (Firefox)]]
[[Category:Issues (Firefox)]]
[[Category:Downloads - Firefox]]
[[Category:Downloads - Firefox]]

Latest revision as of 01:54, 7 January 2010

One possible cause of an empty file types and download actions list (e.g., Firefox 3 "Applications" list) on Windows systems is the presence of the npbittorrent.dll file in the Firefox plugins folder [1] [2]. If you see the BitTorrent plugin in your about:plugins list, then exit Firefox, open the Firefox installation directory\plugins folder (C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\plugins in a typical Windows install) and either remove the file "npbittorrent.dll" or rename it Xnpbittorrent.dll.

Another possibility is a corrupt mimeTypes.rdf file [3]. Exit Firefox completely and delete or rename the "mimeTypes.rdf" file in the Firefox profile folder and the file will be regenerated (read this for help finding it). This will remove any previously defined download actions. Note that, in some cases, you may need to follow these instructions to completely reset your Firefox download actions and any related preference settings that may exist.

On Linux (Kubuntu), installing the firefox-gnome-support package from the Kubuntu repositories is reported to resolve the issue. [4]