Hi,

One option you could try is to enable clearing of Download History in Tools (Alt + T) > Options > Privacy > Settings when Firefox exits.

about:config Entries

The Config Descriptions add-on adds helpful source comments in about:config.

As of now, the browser.download.panel.removeFinishedDownloads seems to work only with the new downloads panel in Aurora.

EDIT: The new downloads panel can be enabled/disabled in the current Firefox release version as well as the Beta version by toggling browser.download.useToolkitUI. Thanks TheOldFox.

Panel-based Download Manager

Panel-based Download Manager status

The preference that you should change in about:config is: browser.download.manager.retention

• Indicates how long downloads are retained in the Download Manager's queue after the download is completed successfully.
  • 0 (zero) indicates that the download should be removed upon completion [of the download]
  • 1 indicates that completed and canceled downloads should be removed on quit [when exiting/closing Firefox]
  • 2 indicates that downloads should never be removed automatically
• In Firefox and SeaMonkey the default value is 2.
• In Thunderbird the default value is 1;
• If the preference is missing, the value 0 is used.
• Source - https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Download_Manager_preferences

See - http://kb.mozillazine.org/About:config

Also see New Download Interface - http://www.ghacks.net/2012/04/18/firefoxs-new-download-internet-how-to-restore-the-old/

EDIT:
Here are the two other preferences currently affecting the NEW download manager button and interface for it

• browser.download.useToolkitUI
  • false - to enable the new DM interface/button
  • true for the old one
• browser.download.panel.removeFinishedDownloads (controls retention behavior in the Downloads Panel only)
  • true - button disappears as soon as the downloads are complete
  • false - the button stays until the downloads are removed

There is also a new section in the Library window for retained download history (Bookmarks > Show All Bookmarks or History > Show All History or CTRL+SHIFT+B or CTRL+SHIFT+H to open the Library window)

You will still see the Downloads in the Downloads folder in the History Manager (Library) if you set prefs to remove them from the downloads manager.
Only clearing the download history or remove them manually will remove them from the Downloads folder.

What cor-el stated may be true, I have not checked it as I do not download that much and frequently open and close Firefox throughout the day, but checking Download History in Options > Privacy > {x} Clear history when Firefox closes > Settings > {x} Download History will clear those items when you close Firefox.

Wao.

Thanks Fox; FF20 was released today with the new download manager.

Managed to figure out how to turn it off myself (hopefully they never remove that option like they did some other things), but the downloads were still being retained despite my preferences being set to remove them.

However, as corel stated, adding the second option (wasn't even there), does nothing, the downloads are still being retained.

Seems really half-assed from Mozilla. Tired of their constant Chrome additions that most people aren't asking for. This is really bad because it uses your history window; which if you're like me, has history from years ago (or would've, if Mozilla didn't kill the option that retained it and made the browser force delete old pages; TERRIBLE design choice) and updates slowly because of it. But hey, at least they didn't redesign the 'toolkit' UI, because we wouldn't have the 'lite' version anymore if they did!

Maybe an addon will creep up that auto-clears that, or maybe Mozilla will actually implement an option that works.

Now to wait and see what the next Chrome rip is, and waste my time figuring out how to revert it, if even possible in the first place.. *sigh*

See also:

• bug 838663 - Remove support for browser.download.panel.removeFinishedDownloads

(please do not comment in bug reports: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/page.cgi?id=etiquette.html)

DAOWAce:

This thread is 6 months old and things have changed. It would have been better had you searched for a more current thread on the issue or asked a new question.

The bug report that cor-el posted above was started on 02/06/2013, four months after the original thread above.

I'm not a developer, I don't keep up on back-end things, nor should non-developers be expected to.

This was one of the first results for a Google search; which is what most people are going to be coming from. I had no intention of searching specific sections of sites for this issue as it's just a minor issue for the moment. It will only become major if Mozilla ever removes the 'toolkit UI' download window.

@cor-el: I will comment in bug reports as I see fit. I've read the etiquette; it's constructive. Everyone has their place for their voice to be heard regardless.