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Why does FF downloads a file when you click on a link to a website?

  • 2 replies
  • 0 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by cor-el

AnonymousUser
AnonymousUser
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About once a day now my FF acts up. Instead of opening the website when you click on it, it downloads the page info as a file. I have to restart my notebook to get FF to work again. It also seems to be locked on Alt. I try to type and it runs through the Menu Bar as if I was looking for options. I hit Esc many times and try again. It doesn't matter

This happened

Every time Firefox opened

== Apr 2010

About once a day now my FF acts up. Instead of opening the website when you click on it, it downloads the page info as a file. I have to restart my notebook to get FF to work again. It also seems to be locked on Alt. I try to type and it runs through the Menu Bar as if I was looking for options. I hit Esc many times and try again. It doesn't matter == This happened == Every time Firefox opened == Apr 2010

All Replies (2)

cor-el
cor-el
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  • Top 10 Contributor
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Alt + left-click is a shortcut to download a link instead of opening it. You can try to press both Alt keys a few times to see if that helps. --- Start Firefox in Diagnose Firefox issues using Troubleshoot Mode to check if one of your add-ons is causing your problem (switch to the DEFAULT theme: Tools > Add-ons > Themes). See Troubleshoot extensions, themes and hardware acceleration issues to solve common Firefox problems and Troubleshoot issues with plugins like Flash or Java to fix common Firefox problems

If it does work in Safe-mode then disable all your extensions and then try to find which is causing it by enabling one at a time until the problem reappears. You can use "Disable all add-ons" on the Safe mode start window to disable all extensions. You have to close and restart Firefox after each change via "File > Exit" (on Mac: "Firefox > Quit")

AnonymousUser
AnonymousUser Question owner
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I tried all of your suggestions and that's not it.

It happens when I have two FF windows open and my Outlook or any other software. I am constantly checking my Google Reader and flipping back and forth from one software to another. I am also using FB.

I am wondering if it's just my notebook... It didn't use to happen. It's only been a recent thing. About 3 months or so. I haven't downloaded anything new onto my notebook.

Thanks!