Author Topic: How to make Firefox Not Open PDF Files (Read 24246 times)

mouser · « **on:** April 03, 2011, 06:42 PM »

I am constantly clicking on links that i think go to websites and instead having firefox download a pdf file and automatically open it in adobe acrobat reader.

Personally i find this obnoxious and a security risk. All I want is for firefox to simply ASK ME if I want to download this file before it goes ahead and does it, but i can't figure out how to do that. Surely there must be a way. Anyone know?

cmpm · « **Reply #1 on:** April 03, 2011, 06:51 PM »

I use this add-on from Nitro.
When clicking a pdf link it will show these options in this shot.
Works with FF4.

http://www.pdfdownload.org/

wraith808 · « **Reply #2 on:** April 03, 2011, 06:52 PM »

^ +1. I use it for the same reason (and also the fact that dl'ing PDFs can take forever, during which you can't do anything if FF dl's it to view).

bob99 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 03, 2011, 06:59 PM »

In Firefox 4

Tools > Options > Applications > Application/pdf I set to "always ask"
There are also other choices here.

Josh · « **Reply #4 on:** April 03, 2011, 07:02 PM »

Open adobe reader - Edit - Preferences

Select INTERNET
UNCHECK "Display PDF in browser"
Click OK

ewemoa · « **Reply #5 on:** April 03, 2011, 08:07 PM »

In Firefox 4

Tools > Options > Applications > Application/pdf I set to "always ask"
-bob99 (April 03, 2011, 06:59 PM)

FWIW, that's the setting I found when I took a look just now. May be it's the default if you don't have any PDF software "installed"...I tend to use SumatraPDF portably.

bob99 · « **Reply #6 on:** April 03, 2011, 08:48 PM »

In Firefox 4

Tools > Options > Applications > Application/pdf I set to "always ask"
-bob99 (April 03, 2011, 06:59 PM)
FWIW, that's the setting I found when I took a look just now. May be it's the default if you don't have any PDF software "installed"...I tend to use SumatraPDF portably.
-ewemoa (April 03, 2011, 08:07 PM)

I use PDF-XChange viewer and with that setting whenever I click on a pdf I get this pop-up allowing me to decide what I want to do.

How to make Firefox Not Open PDF Files

mouser · « **Reply #7 on:** April 04, 2011, 06:53 AM »

thanks everyone for tips.
the weird thing is that i have pdf download addon installed and updated, in FF4, and it doesnt seem to be working.. i will try to look in options again.

cmpm · « **Reply #8 on:** April 04, 2011, 07:01 AM »

I installed it again after upgrading to 4 cause it was not working right.

mouser · « **Reply #9 on:** April 04, 2011, 07:05 AM »

cmpm, i just tried same thing and now it works.

seems "PDF Download" addon does not like the ff3->ff4 upgrade path. an uninstall and reinstall seems to have fixed it -- thanks for your help everyone!

lanux128 · « **Reply #10 on:** April 04, 2011, 07:07 AM »

from the latest comments, it seems that PDF Download is not updated yet for Firefox 4.

• https://addons.mozil...df-download/reviews/

cmpm · « **Reply #11 on:** April 04, 2011, 07:24 AM »

It's been working for me.
Took less then a minute to save this page as pdf.
But I do leave the tab it's working on open, and don't 'click away'.
I may open another tab, but that hasn't stopped it.

Try it here-
http://www.fastpictu...iewer.com/downloads/
the-'FastPictureViewer Professional Cheat Sheet'
is one page, so it should not take long to find out about the pop-up dialog working

cmpm · « **Reply #12 on:** April 04, 2011, 07:28 AM »

I don't normally use it to make pdf's from web pages though.
To do that I use Pixlr Grabber or Fireshot,
then convert it with a pic to pdf tool.
Works better for page breaks.

I use it mainly for what mouser is doing.
More control over pdf behavior on the web.

Winkie · « **Reply #13 on:** April 04, 2011, 02:15 PM »

I am constantly clicking on links that i think go to websites and instead...
-mouser (April 03, 2011, 06:42 PM)

If you want a warning beforehand: install Stylish and this userstyle: Cursor indicator

AndyM · « **Reply #14 on:** April 04, 2011, 02:36 PM »

If you want a warning beforehand: install Stylish ...
-Winkie (April 04, 2011, 02:15 PM)

Or Link Alert

Winkie · « **Reply #15 on:** April 04, 2011, 02:43 PM »

Or Link Alert
-AndyM (April 04, 2011, 02:36 PM)

-> Link Alert
Is a nice one, but I'll stick with Cursor indicator, I never needed to know more...

Curt · « **Reply #16 on:** April 04, 2011, 05:42 PM »

...Stylish and this userstyle: Cursor indicator (see attachment in previous post)
-Winkie (April 04, 2011, 02:15 PM)

excellent idea.

However, the icons look outdated and too small; they are not easy to distinct. It should not be very difficult for a pro to make them even more useful.

Now I see Cursor indicator hasn't been updated for 4½ years. That might explain something...

ewemoa · « **Reply #17 on:** April 04, 2011, 08:48 PM »

If you want a warning beforehand: install Stylish ...
-Winkie (April 04, 2011, 02:15 PM)

Or Link Alert
-AndyM (April 04, 2011, 02:36 PM)

Nice! I think I'll try Link Alert first (only one thing to install here).

Thank you both

mouser · « **Reply #18 on:** April 05, 2011, 12:35 AM »

And i can confirm that after working once, PDF Download is definitely not working consistently (or at all now) in FireFox 4. Hopefully an update will fix that soon.

IainB · « **Reply #19 on:** April 05, 2011, 12:54 AM »

@bob99:

In Firefox 4
Tools > Options > Applications > Application/pdf I set to "always ask"
There are also other choices here.

Thankyou for that note. I had not spent the time looking at that menu. That seems like quite an improvement in FF4 over the previous versions.

@mouser:
I don't have any problems with annoying PDF links since I started using Google docs to view them online by default.

If I want t save the PDF document after reading some of it, then I either save it into Google docs, or if I want the document on my laptop, then I download it from either Google docs or via the Flashgot add-in

and my GetRight downloader

I don't like to download PDF files of unknown size directly in the browser as they can be very slow to download if they are large. GetRight is fastest as I have it set to download a file in up to 4 sequential segments simultaneously (each segment being a unique slice of the file). GetRight sticks them together automatically (so CRC checksums remain valid).

cmpm · « **Reply #20 on:** April 05, 2011, 05:40 AM »

Interesting.....
I also have 'OpenItOnline' add-on which does not work for pdfs.
It does for everything else though.

Maybe add openitonline to see what happens.
Can always uninstall it if it don't help.

http://www.openitonline.com/

I do have pdfs set in options to open with the pdfx plugin which works with the nitro deal.

bob99 · « **Reply #21 on:** April 05, 2011, 08:27 AM »

In Firefox 4
Tools > Options > Applications > Application/pdf I set to "always ask"
There are also other choices here.
Thankyou for that note. I had not spent the time looking at that menu. That seems like quite an improvement in FF4 over the previous versions.
-IainB (April 05, 2011, 12:54 AM)

@IainB
The same can also be done in earlier FF versions. Not sure at what version it was implemented but here is a screen shot off an XP machine running FF 3.6.16.

How to make Firefox Not Open PDF Files

It looks a little different than the earlier shot. The earlier was from Win7 with FF4. Both work the same.
I wasn't aware of the other methods mentioned above when I found this one. It works best for me in that if I know it is a trusted source I can go ahead and open it or save it to a folder to virus scan 1st. If I decide to open it, it's opened in PDF-XChange and not the browser. And I can save it from there if I want.

Winkie · « **Reply #22 on:** April 05, 2011, 02:39 PM »

However, the icons look outdated and too small; they are not easy to distinct. It should not be very difficult for a pro to make them even more useful.
-Curt (April 04, 2011, 05:42 PM)

@Curt:
How do you think the icons should look like? I can alter the style for you if you want.

Winkie · « **Reply #23 on:** April 08, 2011, 05:13 PM »

@Curt:
How do you think the icons should look like? I can alter the style for you if you want.
Something like this, perhaps?
-Winkie (April 05, 2011, 02:39 PM)

Let me answer that myself after a PM to Curt, Curt likes the whole set I made: Cursor Indicator On Link Hover.

Kurios · « **Reply #24 on:** May 06, 2011, 09:05 AM »

I've always used
- right click
- open in new tab
then select
-open with..
or save

Maybe I'm just old-fashioned!