File types and download actions

From MozillaZine Knowledge Base
Revision as of 13:20, 23 August 2006 by Alice Wyman (talk | contribs) (added Mozilla Suite instructions for Helper Applications, aded instructions to remove download actions.)
Jump to navigationJump to search

When you download a media file, the MIME type determines what action is taken. Files that are associated with certain plugins like Adobe Acrobat, Quicktime, Windows Media Player and Macromedia Flash will open automatically inside a browser window or in an external player. If no plugin exists, a predefined "helper application" will be used [1] or, if no download action has been defined, you will be prompted to either save the file or open it with a specified application. This article explains how you can change the way downloaded media files are handled.

Changing download actions

This will not affect media embedded in a web page - only links to the files themselves. Note that certain file extensions may include multiple entries, one for each MIME type associated with that type of file.

Firefox 1.0.x

Go to "Tools -> Options -> Downloads".

  • To change the helper application or "save to disk" action, select the file type entry you wish to change and click the 'Change Action...' button.
  • To disable the plugin for downloaded files, click the 'Plug-Ins' button and clear the checkmark for the listed entry. The next time you click a download link to that file type, you will get a dialog box prompting you to choose what action to take.

Firefox 1.5.x

Go to "Tools -> Options -> Downloads -> Download Actions -> View & Edit Actions". Select a file type entry and click 'Change Action...'

  • If you want the file to open with the default external program for that file type, select "Open them with the default application"
  • If you want the file to open with an external program other than the default, select "Open them with this application" - you will then be prompted to select an application.
  • If you want the file to be downloaded and saved instead of opened, select "Save them on my computer".

Mozilla Suite

Go to "Edit -> Preferences -> Navigator -> Helper Applications", select the file type entry (listed as MIME types) for the download action you wish to change and click the "Edit" button. Note that Mozilla Suite does not allow you to disable the plugin for downloaded files.

Removing a download action: After selecting the file type entry as described above for Firefox or Mozilla Suite, you can click the 'Remove' button (instead of the 'Change Action...' or 'Edit' button) so that the next time that type of file is downloaded you will be asked what to do with it.

Resetting download actions

If problems arise or if you want to restore the default set of file download actions, do the following [2]:

  1. Type about:config into the address bar.
  2. Find the preference browser.download.pluginOverrideTypes and, if it is present, right-click on it and select reset.
  3. Find the preference plugin.disable_full_page_plugin_for_types and, if it is present, right-click on it and select reset.
  4. Exit the browser, then open the profile folder (Windows 2000/XP users, read this for help finding it).
  5. Delete (or rename) the file mimeTypes.rdf.

See also