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Why with ver 45+ do download links which are rar or zip files just load a page full of ascii text usually crashing the browser?

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In the last couple browser updates I have lost the ability to download archive files which people have uploaded to their own domains. I can still download rar and zip files from larger sites like Dropbox and Filefactory with no issues, but when people upload archive files to their own domains, when I click the links now I just get a huge pile of ascii code which usually crashes my browser. Is there some setting in Firefox I can change to fix this??

In the last couple browser updates I have lost the ability to download archive files which people have uploaded to their own domains. I can still download rar and zip files from larger sites like Dropbox and Filefactory with no issues, but when people upload archive files to their own domains, when I click the links now I just get a huge pile of ascii code which usually crashes my browser. Is there some setting in Firefox I can change to fix this??

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Might be the domains present the raw file and Firefox just opens the code like a page instead of trying to download the file. On larger sites you access the file through a page, right?

The first stop would be to see what the browser is set to do with said file types. Go to about:preferences#applications (use in the address bar as you would any URL) and search for RAR and ZIP. Set their action to be Save File, if it isn't already. Restart Firefox just in case.

If that didn't help, try Firefox in Safe Mode, https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/troubleshoot-firefox-issues-using-safe-mode#w_how-to-start-firefox-in-safe-mode, to rule out Extensions and some modified settings.