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remember browsing history but not download history

  • 6 replies
  • 13 have this problem
  • 10 views
  • Last reply by rahzel

In FF <14.01, I could set my privacy settings so that FF would remember my browsing history but not my download history. In FF 14.01, it groups both of them together. My question is... why? They're two different things and now I can't simply have FF not save my download history. Not a big deal but was just wondering if there was a way to do this?

In FF <14.01, I could set my privacy settings so that FF would remember my browsing history but not my download history. In FF 14.01, it groups both of them together. My question is... why? They're two different things and now I can't simply have FF not save my download history. Not a big deal but was just wondering if there was a way to do this?

Chosen solution

I took a quick look to about:config and I found this line :)

browser.download.manager.retention

the doc said here : https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Download_Manager_preferences

Indicates how long downloads are retained in the Download Manager's queue after the download is completed successfully. 0 indicates that the download should be removed upon completion; 1 indicates that completed and canceled downloads should be removed on quit; 2 indicates that downloads should never be removed automatically.


So I just set up browser.download.manager.retention = 0 It work fine for me. Hope this could help you ;)

Read this answer in context 👍 4

All Replies (6)

The download history now shows as a folder in the Library.
You can have the downloads removed from the download manager window automatically if a download has finished, but that won't remove them from the Downloads folder in the Library (history manager).

I just want FF to clear my download history when a download is complete, but at the same time remember my browsing history. I can't do that anymore because both of them are now one check box instead of two and the check box now reads "Remember my browsing history and download history". So I can only have FF not remember my browsing history and clear my download history -or- remember my browsing history and keep my download history.

Modified by rahzel

Chosen Solution

I took a quick look to about:config and I found this line :)

browser.download.manager.retention

the doc said here : https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Download_Manager_preferences

Indicates how long downloads are retained in the Download Manager's queue after the download is completed successfully. 0 indicates that the download should be removed upon completion; 1 indicates that completed and canceled downloads should be removed on quit; 2 indicates that downloads should never be removed automatically.


So I just set up browser.download.manager.retention = 0 It work fine for me. Hope this could help you ;)

Modified by hirokenshin

Hey thanks, that did the trick. Though I still hope Mozilla puts this back in the settings.

Note that setting this pref to 0 only removes the entry in the (classic) Download Manager (Firefox > Downloads), but you will still see those downloads in the Downloads folder in the Bookmarks/History manager.

thanks cor-el, noted.