Saving to a single .html file doesn't include the full web page (correctly formatted and with images) as it did before! What happened here?
First of all I should point out that I keep Firefox always updated as soon as a new version appears.
Now, a couple of months ago Firefox was able to save complete web pages as a single .htm file (including images and styles). Proof of that is that I accomplished it then. However now, after some updates to Firefox (sorry, but I can't pinpoint exactly which of them might've been the one which messed this up for me), while trying exactly the same thing on the same website it is not possible anymore. What happens is that now if choose the option "Save Web, only as HTML" (which I belive is the one I used to select before) it will not save the images and styles of the web page, only the basic text and main page anchors whereas before it did save everything!
I still have the older .htm files I saved before (I can provide them to you) and they are still working correctly on any PC (I've tested them), so this means it is not an .htm file using the cache on my PC to render the images from links on the file.
I'm aware that I can select the "Full page" option but it creates a folder which I don't want, so I'd rather have the old option to export the web page as a single and correctly formatted file that includes the images!
Thanks in advance!
Modified by blehmeco
Chosen solution
- Mozilla Archive Format: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/mozilla-archive-format/
All Replies (12)
Were you using an extension like this one, which has not been updated:
Save Complete :: Add-ons for Firefox
No! I was not using that add-on or any similar add-on to achieve this! I used normal Firefox "Save web page as" dialog for it!
The add-ons that I have installed (not necessarily active), haven't changed for the last 3 months or so, and some have indeed lost compatibility with Firefox 8 recently are:
Apture
Java console
dragdropupload
Tab Mix Plus
AVG Safe Search
User agent switcher
NoScript
PC 2 Synchronisation Extension
CacheViewer
I believe I had all but the last 2 or 3 active when I was able to create the proper .htm file.
Modified by blehmeco
Make sure that you have selected "Web Page, complete" as the type to save the page and not "Web Page, HTML only".
Hey cor-el! Thanks for replying! But as I mentioned in the 1st post (I understand that it is a bit unreadable but I didn't know that it'd truncate all my paragraphs! Sorry for that anyway! I will make it clearer shortly!):
"I'm aware that I can select the "Full page" option but it creates a folder which I don't want, so I'd rather have the old option to export the web page as a single and correctly formatted file that includes the images!"
So I know of that option but it doesn't suit me! Any other ideas?
Modified by blehmeco
Chosen Solution
- Mozilla Archive Format: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/mozilla-archive-format/
After trying that add-on I understand that it does something similar to the behaviour Firefox used to have. It converts the complete page to a MAFF file then later allows for MHT conversion (can't say I didn't know that existed, I thought only Chrome had something similar though...)!
So thanks a bunch for pointing it out! Can't call it a proper solution, but if nothing else changes this is a possible patch for this problem...
It won't export as an .htm file though, which had a smaller filesize and was read faster on Firefox (the links and images loaded more rapidly)...it's a minor but relevant difference! (at least for me it is!...I know you might say I'm just being picky...)
But then, in the end of the day, if Firefox did it so well before, why can't it do it properly now?! I just don't get it!
Why do I have to download and install a different add-on to do something close to what Firefox used to do even better than that add-on?
Would like to sort this one out...any clues?
Modified by blehmeco
You said, Would like to sort this one out...any clues? Maybe something here will help:
Wow! Some resourceful links in there AliceWyman! Thanks!
Didn't know the guys were actually implementing MAFF to be included as the definitive option by default in Firefox as it seems!...It does look like it's got some great advantages! Can't argue with that! So it can only be good! I mean, this add-on is working ok for me (don't know if it's only me, but I can't convert a MAFF file to .html...although MAFF files work perfectly and tend to be rather small indeed)! Hope they make it built-in as soon as possible!
But none of those links explained why it stopped working like it did!
Unless...wait a minute! Are you saying that because the guys were developing MAFF, one of the updates messed up the way Firefox was able to save webpages as single .htm files? Is that it?
Maybe you were actually using the Internet Explorer Trident engine within Firefox, via an add-on like IE-Tab?
AFAIK Firefox always needed an extension. Related bug:
Bug 82118 - Tracking bug for Saving/Sending/Viewing HTML pages (e.g., as a single file, MHTML)
Modified by AliceWyman
Nope! I wasn't using such add-on!
In all honesty, this is actually the first time I've heard the name of that add-on!
Thing is, I've just tested on yet another PC and this time it actually seems that the original .htm files that I created before were actually getting the full formatting info and images from the website and not loading from the file. Because opening them for the first time without an internet connection on that PC resulted in the same effect as a file created choosing "HTML only" (text unformatted and no images). However with an internet connection active the "HTML only" files still remained unformatted while the others that I created before seem to get it all right.
So, I understand that probably I didn't test this on enough PC's, because maybe those .htm files didn't actually gather the whole web-page from the file itself, they just got the links from the web right, I suppose?
Still, it doesn't explain why I can't create a similar .htm file anymore using the exact same method!
Anyways, I don't want to waste anymore of your valuable time in solving other people's problems, you guys actually gave a good enough patch for what I wanted so...I guess I'll have to get used to creating files with folders for web-pages instead of single files...just because using the MAFF format (although it's seems great already) means I'd have to force other people to whom I sent MAFF file to install an add-on for it to be viewable...which I think most people will hate!
I'll wait patiently until MAFF gets built-in to Firefox I suppose!
Until then I'm probably safer saving HTML files with the accompanying folders.
See also:
Hey cor-el, I've tried unMHT, I didn't find it as well sorted out as Mozilla Archive Format.
Thanks for pointing out though!
Ok, since there have been no new ideas here, and since this problem seems as well solved as it can be and since I don't like leaving things unfinished, I'm going to mark it as solved!
Thanks a bunch to all of you generous gurus!