Firefox unable to download files

July 29, 2020

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Hello Shion,

Welcome to Microsoft Community and Thank you for posting your query.

Sorry for the inconvenience caused, I understand that you are not able to download files from Firefox and Chrome.

Did you try re-installing the browsers and check?

If not, you may try re-installing the browsers and check.

You may also follow the below methods and check.

Method 1: You may also try to restore the firewall settings and check if it helps to download the file. Follow the below steps to restore the firewall settings.

1. Open Start menu and type Windows Firewall in the search bar and click on Windows Firewall.
2. On the left navigation pane of Windows Firewall settings, click on Restore defaults and enter the admin credentials if prompted.
3. Click on Restore defaults button.

Method 2: Reset TCP/IP:

I understand that you have reset Winsock, did you reset TCP/IP as well?

Follow the steps below to reset the Winsock entries and TCP/IP stack and check if it helps:

a) Press Windows Key + X together and select Command Prompt (admin).   
b) Type the following command and hit Enter after each:

netsh winsock reset catalog (reset Winsock entries)
netsh int ip reset reset.log hit (reset TCP/IP stack)

c) Reboot the computer and check.

Hope the information helps. Do reply if you need further assistance.

Thank you.

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Hello Mr. Deepak Kodi, thanks for your assistance. 

I've tried to remove both Firefox and Chrome (even deleted the profiles), reinstalled, same problem.

Later I tried both methods, reseting firewall configs and winsock catalog + tcp/ip stack. Neither helped me, in fact they allowed me to replicate the "error".

If I use netsh to reset Winsock entries and TCP/IP stack, after a reboot I can download ONE (yes only one) big file. After I finish or cancel this download both Chrome and Firefox become unable to download files.

I reset Winsock+TCP/IP stack again, download ONE file again and after that no more downloads for me (file download is working with Microsoft Edge, too damn weird)

I'm almost giving up, maybe it's better to backup everything, format my HD and install everything from scracth. 

Any other ideas?

Thanks 

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OK, so I gave up and formatted my HD.

Installed Windows 10 from scratch on my PC and was able to download everything again, even big files, at least for a while. =(

Don't know if it happened after I've updated Windows, but now I'm stuck with the same problem, well kinda, with some extra weird behaviour. 

Sometimes I can download big files, sometimes I don't. And keep in mind that I test every link on my Linux laptop and on my PC on Microsoft Edge and both work fine. The problem is with Firefox and Chrome on my PC with Windows 10.

So, summarizing again, after a format and fresh install and after the update I got back to where I was yesterday:

- no downloads on Firefox and Chrome (small files are OK sometimes, while big files takes forever to start or don't start at all) ;

- download is OK on Microsoft Edge, small and big files;

- download is OK on my laptop running Linux. Tested the same websites and same links.

Did some update changed Windows 10 blocking something to browsers other than Microsoft Edge? I don't wanna reset my TCP/IP stack and Winsock catalog everytime I need to download a file and no, I won't start using Microsoft Edge.

I'm getting pretty frustrated, anyone with the same problem? 

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EDIT 01: Just installed Opera Browser and...same problem, no downloads. 

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EDIT 02: I've put an Apache 2 server on my Laptop, downloaded a 245MB file and made a simple HTML page with a download link. So I put the IP address of my laptop on Firefox, clicked on the Download link and...doesn't work! I can't even download files on my own network guys, something is really wrong here lol.

Plus, if I open my "webpage" on my own LAN with Microsoft Edge the download link works.

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EDIT 03: I've discovered something now. Installed Wireshark and discovered that the downloads are actually working, but the "Save as" window is just popping up AFTER the download is finished. I've activated the debug logs on Apache and confirmed this, saw the file being Uploaded.

I guess the problem now is this: why all browsers but Edge are "hiding" the "Save As" window until the download is finished?

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Lastest patch on win 10 screwed everything up firefox doesnt wanna download, group policy editor is gone all of a sudden, and in setting there is a message saying someone else is basicly managing my system.

**** Microsoft, this is un heard of nice job blackliting other browsers, removing features from a pc, and blocking users from changing privacy setting. someone should sue the crap out of you guys till your all bankrupt.

And dont give people the silent or stupid treatment we all know you guys screwed it up not us.

Monopoly is the only thing you guys think off.

Last time i will ever buy a windows, ill switch to linux or even mac os at least they take me out to dinner before screwing me.

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