Firefox used to continue downloading even if closed
Ok, so I have lost out on some downloads, that were rather large, because I closed firefox.
When I used to close firefox, my download would still keep going. The firefox icon at the bottom of the screen on the taskbar, would show a translucent green download indicator. I could even click on it to check the progress with more detail.
Why on earth would this be changed, to totally cancel downloads when shutting firefox? Is there a way to stop this? I want the behavior of.. Close firefox, download is still going.
Chosen solution
Previously you could have a separate window -- the Download Manager -- pop up automatically. If you closed the windows with web pages and kept that window open, downloads continued.
Now that downloads are integrated into the toolbar of the window you're viewing, if you want to close that window without interrupting downloads, you need to open the separate window manually by pressing Ctrl+j or use the link in the download panel associated with the green download arrow on the toolbar. Does that work?
A solution for automatically popping up that window might come in a later version or an add-on.
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Chosen Solution
Previously you could have a separate window -- the Download Manager -- pop up automatically. If you closed the windows with web pages and kept that window open, downloads continued.
Now that downloads are integrated into the toolbar of the window you're viewing, if you want to close that window without interrupting downloads, you need to open the separate window manually by pressing Ctrl+j or use the link in the download panel associated with the green download arrow on the toolbar. Does that work?
A solution for automatically popping up that window might come in a later version or an add-on.
You can set the browser.download.manager.quitBehavior pref to 2 on the about:config page.
That will make Firefox ask for confirmation if you want to cancel the download when you close Firefox.
See:
To be honest, although I can see a need to update software I see no need to alter things that used to work perfectly well.
This change is just another example on how developers have made a great piece of software less great by making it that little bit less user-friendly. I am installing a new OS, I began a pile of downloads and then closed FF to carry on with other thinks I needed to do. I then went to make food expecting all the updates, software, etc to be downloaded when I got back to the computer.
This little 'improvement?' cost me an hour at least when I realised I had to keep the damn thing open to download them.
I rarely complain, especially about free software that developers work hard on but this change was stupid. Please correct it.