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maff files will not open (using the addon Mozilla Archive Format 3.1.0)

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Firefox 37 -- neither old nor newly saved .maff files will open (using the addon Mozilla Archive Format 3.1.0

I can save new files.

For files I have just saved, get an error box asking me to pick the app to use to open. But Firefox is greyed out.

For older files, when I click there is a visual animated "pop" (how the hell can I describe an animated thing ???) but the file does not open.

Firefox 37 -- neither old nor newly saved .maff files will open (using the addon Mozilla Archive Format 3.1.0 I can save new files. For files I have just saved, get an error box asking me to pick the app to use to open. But Firefox is greyed out. For older files, when I click there is a visual animated "pop" (how the hell can I describe an animated thing ???) but the file does not open.

All Replies (13)

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MAFF files are ZIP archives and can be opened for inspection in an archive manager. You need to open them via the extension that created them if you want to restore content.

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As I said, THAT is the addon which created them.

I should not have to do anything more than click on the file !!! And in the past, that worked.

Otherwise, HOW am I supposed to get them to open?

I used "save page as" NOT "save page in archive as"

Something has changed in the last several Firefox updates !!!

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Well? I still can't open the damn files !!!

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Firefox can't handle MAFF files internally, otherwise you wouldn't need an extension to create such a file. So you can't open the file and select Firefox. Doing that would give you the "Open with" dialog to save the file. If your OS can't handle this file then you need to find another application that can handle it.

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cor-el said

Firefox can't handle MAFF files internally, otherwise you wouldn't need an extension to create such a file. So you can't open the file and select Firefox. Doing that would give you the "Open with" dialog to save the file. If your OS can't handle this file then you need to find another application that can handle it.
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>you need to find another application that can handle it. >

Um, yeah. That's my question. All my web searchs find stuff talking about CREATING maffs, or comparing them with WebArchive or MDH.

No refs to an app that works on a Mac that will open the damn things.

Why the hell doesn't the documentation for the AddOn say "oh, there's no way for a Mac to open these, so don't use this AddOn ???"

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And I have used Get Info on my .maff files to try to tell it to open itself with FireFox, but I cannot select Firefox.

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A MAFF archive is just a normal ZIP archive that stores all the files, so if necessary then you should be able to open and inspect its content in an archive manager.

A posted above, Firefox can't handle such an archive natively, but you should be able to use this extension in Firefox to add support for MAFF files.

Did you install this extension?

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cor-el said

A MAFF archive is just a normal ZIP archive that stores all the files, so if necessary then you should be able to open and inspect its content in an archive manager. A posted above, Firefox can't handle such an archive natively, but you should be able to use this extension in Firefox to add support for MAFF files. Did you install this extension?

YES -- that's the file extension allowed me to create them in the first place. But I cannot select Firefox as the file opener. Its greyed out in the menu list.

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Still no help here? I used the plug in to CREATE the maff files, but I cannot open them. WTF is wrong?

Is there anything in about:config that I should check?

Is there a way to get into about:config and have it show me EVERYTHING that is not set to the Default state?

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STILL no answers?

I used that AddOn/Extension to create these MAFF files, but Firefox cannot open them.

I cannot find a stand-alone MACINTOSH application to open MAFF files.

So WHY does this addon exist? Just to screw around with users?

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What addon/extension exists, for MACINTOSH, that will allow FireFox to save web pages and display them?

I have a LOT of saved data which now I discover I cannot utilize!

This was a built in feature for Safari, as "web archive" (???)

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Compatibility with extensions and the files they generate "falls on" the developer of the particular extension. When it breaks they need to fix it or their users suffer. Some do better than others; but all have a real life outside out doing Firefox extensions as a "hobby". Maybe when the Marketplace takes hold and all extensions will require at least a nominal fee for downloading (if that is how Mozilla decides to go with Marketplace) maybe the "service" will improve.

As far a Mac-specific applications, might be best to ask in a Mac Users Group. It seems that the are few to none Mac-"experts" who contribute here on any regular basis. Robert J is the only one I see here that comes to mind and he spends most of his time over at the mozillaZine fora and months go by between me seeing him here.


https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/unmht/ is similar to Mozilla Archive Format, but as of Firefox 39.0 UnMHT needed to be fixed and the latest version 8.0.0 is stuck in the queue for review, for almost two months now - but it is available here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/unmht/versions/ And the massive "signing" of extensions that Mozilla started doing at about the same time sure didn't help the developer of UnMHT to get a new release out for automatic update.

I used MAF for a while years ago and then started using UnMHT due to MAF not saving all the images in many how-to articles I was saving for DIY projects I was considering for my next project. I found that some of the MAF generated files wouldn't open in UnMHT so I kept both installed for a few years; and kept the files each generated saved in different folders so that I knew which Firefox Profile to use when I wanted to view a saved MHT file. Had a similar thing happen with IE-saved MHT files from prior to 2003 when I started using Firefox; all three weren't 100% compatible with each other. Overall, I prefer UnMHT - the created file size may be larger, but when I was using both UnMHT seemed to throw fewer messages about what wasn't able to be saved - like Flash files and other from external to the websites servers - in addition to the unsaved images that prompted me to look further than MAF to begin with.