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Why will Firefox not save iTunes installer binary file?

  • 5 replies
  • 30 have this problem
  • 3 views
  • Last reply by drisley77

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The latest version of iTunes (11.1.4) has caused problems for many users and the advice is to uninstall/reinstall iTunes. Having uninstalled iTunes (and cleared out various folders) I tried to download a fresh install. Firefox asks me if I want to save the file and I click yes and..... nothing happens.

Have read elsewhere that as it is a binary file, Firefox treats it as a mixed content file. However, I don't see any warning about it and there is no option to download it anyway.

Is there a setting I need to adjust or is it a bug?

Eventually I had to use IE8 to successfully download the installer.

The latest version of iTunes (11.1.4) has caused problems for many users and the advice is to uninstall/reinstall iTunes. Having uninstalled iTunes (and cleared out various folders) I tried to download a fresh install. Firefox asks me if I want to save the file and I click yes and..... nothing happens. Have read elsewhere that as it is a binary file, Firefox treats it as a mixed content file. However, I don't see any warning about it and there is no option to download it anyway. Is there a setting I need to adjust or is it a bug? Eventually I had to use IE8 to successfully download the installer.

Modified by Smirnoff

Chosen solution

I seem to have found the answer.

If I set my download options to "Always ask me where to save files" and then select Desktop, nothing happens.

If I set my download options to "Save files to..." and then browse to change from default Downloads folder to Desktop, files download OK.

Whether this is peculiar just to binary files I don't know but it works with iTunes installer.

As I prefer all downloads to go to Desktop anyway, using the "Save files to..." option suits me better.

Read this answer in context 👍 8

All Replies (5)

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It is possible that your anti-virus was blocking this download as being an executable or otherwise interfering because Firefox should normally download and save the file without a problem.

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Thanks for your reply.

I use Microsoft Security Essentials as my anti-virus and it reports nothing blocked or quarantined. There is no other "real time" security programme running.

Also, Windows Firewall is configured to report anything blocked but shows nothing.

Have reset download options from "Always ask me where to save files" to "Save files to..." and back again. Tried to save download again and this time gives me the option WHERE to save file but after choosing Desktop, file still fails to download.

Seems quite a few people are having the same problem

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Chosen Solution

I seem to have found the answer.

If I set my download options to "Always ask me where to save files" and then select Desktop, nothing happens.

If I set my download options to "Save files to..." and then browse to change from default Downloads folder to Desktop, files download OK.

Whether this is peculiar just to binary files I don't know but it works with iTunes installer.

As I prefer all downloads to go to Desktop anyway, using the "Save files to..." option suits me better.

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thanks for solving your own (and my) problem!! I don't think antivirus had anything to do with my issue either. The antivirus and firewall settings haven't been changed since my last binary file download, but my version of Firefox has! I blame Firefox 29.0.1!

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Same problem here with FF 29, and has been like this since about FF 19.

The only way to get iTunes to download the setup file from Apple's redirect page is to set FF options to "Save Files To..." instead of my preferred "Always ask..."

Only happens on the Apple iTunes download page , always on Firefox since about FF 19 to now FF 29.

Happens on both my computers, no fulltime antivirus running, IE works fine as does Chrome.