Join the AMA (Ask Me Anything) with the Firefox leadership team to celebrate Firefox 20th anniversary and discuss Firefox’s future on Mozilla Connect. Mark your calendar on Thursday, November 14, 18:00 - 20:00 UTC!

Funkcionalnosć toś togo sedła se pśez wótwardowańske źěła wobgranicujo, kótarež maju wašo dožywjenje pólěpšyś. Jolic nastawk waš problem njerozwězujo a cośo pšašanje stajiś, wobrośćo se na našo zgromoźeństwo pomocy, kótarež na to caka, wam na @FirefoxSupport na Twitter a /r/firefox na Reddit pomagaś.

Avatar for Username

Pomoc pśepytaś

Glědajśo se wobšudy pomocy. Njenapominajomy was nigda, telefonowy numer zawołaś, SMS pósłaś abo wósobinske informacije pśeraźiś. Pšosym dajśo suspektnu aktiwitu z pomocu nastajenja „Znjewužywanje k wěsći daś“ k wěsći.

Dalšne informacije

Toś ta nitka jo se archiwěrowała. Pšosym stajśo nowe pšašanje, joli trjebaśo pomoc.

Firefox insists on displaying downloaded pdf files rather than allowing Acrobat to view them

Ken Brown
Ken Brown
more options

When I click on a pdf file, Firefox opens and displays the file, rather than handing it off to Acrobat, which is my preference. I'm running Firefox 122.0.1 and Windows 11 Firefox seems to ignore the settings in General, Applications. (See attached image) 

    If I set to Always Ask, Firefox displays the file without asking.
    If I set to Save File, Firefox does not save the file.  It displays pdf instead.
    If I set to Windows Default Application, Firefox displays the file.  
         (Note: Acrobat is set in Windows as my default app for pdfs.  If I find a pdf with Windows Explorer and open it there, Acrobat is launched and it displays the file.  IOW I've confirmed that Acrobat is set as my default app for pdfs)
    If I set to Acrobat, Firefox displays the file.

I see nothing in Firefox Settings showing an Add-in for pdfs Any ideas?

When I click on a pdf file, Firefox opens and displays the file, rather than handing it off to Acrobat, which is my preference. I'm running Firefox 122.0.1 and Windows 11 Firefox seems to ignore the settings in General, Applications. (See attached image) If I set to Always Ask, Firefox displays the file without asking. If I set to Save File, Firefox does not save the file. It displays pdf instead. If I set to Windows Default Application, Firefox displays the file. (Note: Acrobat is set in Windows as my default app for pdfs. If I find a pdf with Windows Explorer and open it there, Acrobat is launched and it displays the file. IOW I've confirmed that Acrobat is set as my default app for pdfs) If I set to Acrobat, Firefox displays the file. I see nothing in Firefox Settings showing an Add-in for pdfs Any ideas?
Pśipowjesone fota wobrazowki

Wšykne wótegrona (1)

jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
  • Top 25 Contributor
more options

Hi Ken, does this vary by site?

The standard settings should work for ordinary PDF downloads. For example, here's a link to Mozilla's AI Year in Review report: https://blog.mozilla.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/278/files/2023/12/Mozilla-2023-AI-Year-in-Review.pdf

But there are some sites that serve Firefox their own HTML-based viewer instead of sending a download, and Firefox doesn't have a setting to prevent that. These site viewers often do not have a download button because they want to control distribution of their content.

Are you noticing a pattern like that?