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Firefox saves images to wrong location, but only when using "View Image"

  • 13 replies
  • 9 have this problem
  • 16 views
  • Last reply by cor-el

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For a while, I have had the problem above. I can save images just fine if I don't use the "view image" function first, with the images going to the intended folders. Just to clarify, unlike some of similar problems I have seen described here, I am perfectly happy with Firefox remembering where I wish my pictures to go, on a site to site, or model to model (within the same site) basis. The problem lies in that if I use the "view image" function, either in a new tab, or in the existing one, Firefox will often prompt me to save in a random folder where I have previously saved a picture. It will even suggest folders that I have not accessed for days. Example:

I save image A to folder A, by right clicking the image and selecting "save image as".

I then (immediately after this), right click image A again, select "view image", then right click the resulting picture, and select "save image as". Now there is a fine chance that it want me to save the image to some other (previously used) image folder, even if I have not used the folder for a while, and even though I have just saved the same image to folder A.

This problem persists with multiple image file types, on multiple sites (I just tried it with someones avatar in this forum, and it wanted me to put it with my holiday pictures from 3 weeks ago).

I appreciate any assistance you can give - jinxie

FYI; If I "one-click" a file (like an mp4) to download it, it goes to my main / default download folder as normal.

For a while, I have had the problem above. I can save images just fine if I don't use the "view image" function first, with the images going to the intended folders. Just to clarify, unlike some of similar problems I have seen described here, I am perfectly happy with Firefox remembering where I wish my pictures to go, on a site to site, or model to model (within the same site) basis. The problem lies in that if I use the "view image" function, either in a new tab, or in the existing one, Firefox will often prompt me to save in a random folder where I have previously saved a picture. It will even suggest folders that I have not accessed for days. Example: I save image A to folder A, by right clicking the image and selecting "save image as". I then (immediately after this), right click image A again, select "view image", then right click the resulting picture, and select "save image as". Now there is a fine chance that it want me to save the image to some other (previously used) image folder, even if I have not used the folder for a while, and even though I have just saved the same image to folder A. This problem persists with multiple image file types, on multiple sites (I just tried it with someones avatar in this forum, and it wanted me to put it with my holiday pictures from 3 weeks ago). I appreciate any assistance you can give - jinxie FYI; If I "one-click" a file (like an mp4) to download it, it goes to my main / default download folder as normal.

All Replies (13)

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This is because Firefox will track where you have saved images or other files from the website domain. Then whenever you select to save the file to your computer, Firefox will start the Save As wizard in the latest folder that you have used last time.

Here is an example:
If you save an image from the domain 123.com into the folder 123 it will save there. Then you save an image from the domain 456.com to the folder 456. Next you save a different image from the domain 123.com. The save as wizard will assume that you want to save it with the other image from that domain and will automatically start in the 123 folder.
This can make saving files faster and more organized, however not everyone wants this feature enabled.

To disable this feature you can do the following:

  1. Go to about:config in Firefox
  2. Locate the browser.download.lastDir.savePerSite string
  3. Change the value to false

This should fix the issue, but please report back if it doesn't.

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Are the images hosted on other sites/servers than the page in which they are embedded?

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Thanks for the quick reply Wesley.

What you are describing is not the problem I have. I am aware of the concept you are describing, with Firefox saving images from domain "X" to folder "X", and from domain "Y" to folder "Y". This is great, nice and pretty awesome.

The problem, using your example, is that if i (specifically) use the "view image" command to see the picture on its own (without seeing the rest of the site the image is on), then "save image as", it would sometimes save an image from 123.com to the 456 folder, or the other way around for that matter.

I got A LOT of image folders, so when it randomly selects one to save in, and the one it randomly selects is not the one that pictures from that domain should go into, it gets confusing.

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to jscher2000:

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It can happen that way, but it also happens with sites like deviantart.com.

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This happens because webpage is different from the image page. The domains are the same, but it is not the same.

I spoke with the developers a while back about this issue. They explained it technically to me, but I can't remember how they described it.

This apparently is normal behavior.

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One more question, are you using Google?
When you say you view the images, are you referring to the search results View Image button?

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By "view image", I refer to the option I get when I right-click pretty much any image file on any website

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This does seem a little inconsistent but I'm not sure I see the pattern.

Consider, for example, your avatar (user picture) on this page. Here are the results of 3 different methods for saving the image:

(1) right-click > Save Image As...

This opens the last folder I used for saving an avatar with an address on gravatar.com. No surprise.

(2) right-click > View Image

Note that the image request was redirected so the address bar shows wp.com. Then:

(A) right-click > Save Image As...

This opens the last folder used to save a download (from another site). Could it because of the redirect??

(B) Ctrl+s (Save Page As, also available from the orange Firefox button or File menu)

This opens the last folder I used for saving an avatar from gravatar.com. Why wasn't this affected by the redirect??

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jscher200 - I think you actually nailed in the first post you made. I investigated a little, and it turns out that deviantart normally shows the pictures in something like "username.deviantart.com" domain, but if I "view image", it goes to something like "fc01.deviantart.com". Multiple different pictures will open in domains with different prefixes IE; "fc01", "th02" etc. But sometimes, pictures from two different artists will both open in the same domain IE; one starting with "fc01" or "th02" etc.

My guess is that Firefox treats these storage domain just like any other domains, and stores the location I first downloaded too.

Thanks for the help guys, both of you :)

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FIREFOX IS GETTING WORST ANY NEWER VERSION. The new STUPID FEATURE is "Save As wizard"

(To disable this feature you can do the following:

   Go to about:config in Firefox
   Locate the browser.download.lastDir.savePerSite string
   Change the value to false )

BUT THERE IS NO STRING "browser.download.lastDir.savePerSite" YOU DON'T KNOW THAT? WHY ARE YOU GIVE US USELESS INFORMATION?

Modified by axinos

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IF THERE IS NO STRING "browser.download.lastDir.savePerSite"

copy to clipboard "browser.download.lastDir.savePerSite" without quotes R-click->Nwe->String->paste "browser.download.lastDir.savePerSite" without quotes-> enter value "false" without quotes->OK


BUT THIS IS NOT WORKING FIREFOX DO NOT REMEMBER LAST FOLDER AND IT SHOWS RANDOM FOLDER EVERY TIME IS SAVE SOMETHING

Modified by axinos

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FIREFOX IS GETTING WORST ANY NEWER VERSION.

Modified by axinos

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The browser.download.lastDir.savePerSite pref doesn't exist by default and needs to be created as a new Boolean pref via the right-click context menu on the about:config page.