Firefox 31.0 tries to redownload files already downloaded
I recently updated Firefox to version 31.0, installed Google Chrome, and updated Java and Adobe Flash player to the latest versions, on my laptop running Win XP Pro SP3. This was all in an attempt to overcome problems I was having using an airline reservation system. The airline staff advised me to use Google chrome because their website was apparently developed with it, and they recommend it.
A couple of days later I started noticing problems with downloaded PDF files (not from the airline website). A couple of times, copies were created of PDF files I had downloaded, sometimes corrupted, sometimes not (the original downloaded files were still on my hard disk and O.K.). However, mostly the problem was that some (not all) previously downloaded PDF files had had their "date modified" changed to that day's date, and a time soon after booting the PC that day. The "date created" was unchanged. A file comparison (FC command) with backups I had made of the PDF files showed that the files were unchanged. The times on the copied files were also soon after bootup that day. I certainly didn't modify the files myself, or create the copies.
I have done a complete virus scan and spyware check on my system, and no problems found.
Initially I suspected Google chrome, since it was the most significant change I had made to my system. There seems to be no easy way to stop it automatically checking for new versions, and after some investigation I found that, without my permission, it had installed 2 scheduled tasks on my PC, 2 new services, and a Firefox addon - all to do with "Google update". I eventually eliminated them all, and they haven't come back.
However a couple of days ago I noticed that the problem with the PDF files has returned. I can't see any pattern to it - it doesn't affect all downloaded PDF files. And for reasons detailed just below, I suspect it's not only PDF files - it's just that I have been downloading a lot of PDF files lately, and I don't think I've downloaded any other sort of file (apart from the updates listed above).
When starting Firefox a day or so ago, I noticed the download arrow very briefly flash, before I had loaded any webpages (I have Firefox set to show a blank page on startup, rather than a home page). When I looked at the downloads, it had tried (and failed) to download 5 PDF files I had previously downloaded. Since then, this pattern has been consistent, with the same 5 files involved. Once when I stopped and restarted Firefox without rebooting the PC, I noticed the same thing happen, i.e. if the problem occurs, it seems to be related to starting Firefox, rather than booting the PC.
I have found that often when I try to download a file, it fails the first time, and I have to try again once or twice before it successfully downloads (I didn't have this problem with previous versions of Firefox). Sometimes I have clicked on the "try again" icon (circular arrow) in the download list, and sometimes just tried the download again from the particular website (often the "try again" arrow fails again, whereas trying again on the website works).
Could the problem I am having have something to do with failed downloads (especially as on the last couple of days it fails again), i.e. does Firefox somehow "remember" that it couldn't download the file previously, and it automatically tries again when when it is restarted? (and sometimes succeeds, resulting in the changed "date modified" - "date created" is presumably unchanged due to tunnelling; although, until a day or 2 ago, I had it set to clear download history when I exit Firefox. I always clear all cookies and the cache when exiting Firefox).
Sorry this is so long, but I thought I had better include all the details.
All Replies (8)
I saw in your System Details that you had a Firefox crash;
https://crash-stats.mozilla.com/report/index/afe72d62-c336-435a-b9ac-a92992140831 Process Type plugin Shockwave Flash Version:14.0.0.
We're sorry to hear that Firefox is crashing. In order to assist you better, please follow the steps below to provide us crash IDs to help us learn more about your crash.
- Enter about:crashes in the Firefox address bar and press Enter. A Submitted Crash Reports list will appear, similar to the one shown below.
- Copy the 5 most recent Report IDs that start with bp- and then go back to your forum question and paste that into the "Post a Reply" box. (Please don't take a screenshot of your crashes, just copy and paste the ID's. The below image is just an example of what your Firefox screen should look like)
Thank you for your help!
More information and further troubleshooting steps can be found in the Troubleshoot Firefox crashes (closing or quitting unexpectedly) article.
I also found this in your System Details;
Adapter Description: ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9700 Series Adapter Drivers: ati2dvag Adapter RAM: Unknown Device ID: 0x4e50 Direct2D Enabled: Blocked for your graphics driver version. Try updating your graphics driver to version 10.6 or newer. DirectWrite Enabled: false (0.0.0.0) Driver Date: 8-31-2004 Driver Version: 6.14.10.6476 GPU #2 Active: false GPU Accelerated Windows: 0/2 Basic Blocked for your graphics driver version. Try updating your graphics driver to version 9.6 or newer. Vendor ID: 0x1002 WebGL Renderer: Blocked for your graphics driver version. Try updating your graphics driver to version 9.6 or newer.
The only report ID starting with bp- was the one you mentioned, and there was one other line. The 2 lines are
bp-afe72d62-c336-435a-b9ac-a92992140831 e7a2d70f-b44c-479d-8e66-8de5f6f38828
As far as I can remember, Firefox 31.0 hasn't crashed on me. I think I once or twice might have closed an unresponsive Firefox window, but that was probably just the particular web site wasn't responding at the time.
Those are both hangs in the Shockwave Flash plugin.
You can check for problems with current Shockwave Flash plugin versions and try this:
- disable hardware acceleration in the Flash plugin
See also:
To be honest, I'm not too concerned with Shockwave flash and very rarely use it, since I usually use a slow internet connection and can't watch videos directly from the internet. I recall getting messages from Zonealarm a couple of times to the effect that Firefox plugin container(? I think) was trying to access the internet and I denied it, and presumably that was for flash. Possibly the website I was browsing at the time wanted to play a video (or ad?), and I didn't want it to play and hog the bandwidth.
I'm more concerned with the fact that Firefox 31.0 seems to be trying to redownload files that have already been downloaded, and I can't imagine that flash working (or not) would affect that.
You can check for problems with the sessionstore.js and sessionstore.bak files in the Firefox profile folder that store session data (there might be download pages reopening).
- Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory: Show Folder (Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder)
- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox
- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Multiple_profile_files_created
Deleting sessionstore.js will cause App Tabs and Tab Groups and open and closed (undo) tabs to get lost and you will have to recreate them (make a note or bookmark them if possible).
Downloads are treated as history, so you can check the downloads folder in the Downloads Manager and check for issues with the places.sqlite database file that stores the history and the bookmarks.
- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Bookmarks_history_and_toolbar_buttons_not_working_-_Firefox
- https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Bookmarks+not+saved#w_fix-the-bookmarks-file
- Places Maintenance: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/places-maintenance/
I tried deleting sessionstore.js and sessionstore.bak, but unfortunately it didn't work - the next time I started Firefox it tried to download the 5 files again.
I rebuilt the places database as described in http://kb.mozillazine.org/Bookmarks_history_and_toolbar_buttons_not_working_-_Firefox, but again, the next time I started Firefox it tried to download the 5 files again.
I then decided to just delete the 5 failed downloads from the downloads history, and that seemed to work - it didn't try to download the 5 files again.
However a couple of days later I downloaded 4 more PDF files. One failed at the first and second attempts, but then I was finally able to download it. The next day when I started Firefox, it tried to redownload one of the files (I think the one that I had trouble downloading, but I can't remember for sure) and failed. But worse than that, the file it tried to redownload had been deleted from my hard disk - just as well I had backed it up to a USB stick.
I think the problem occurs when a download fails (which it often does at the first attempt), and I then successfully download the file by clicking on the download link on the appropriate webpage again, rather than the "try again" icon in the downloads list (which I find invariably doesn't work).
So I guess the questions are:
1. why do my downloads often fail at the first attempt (no error message - it just says "failed" in the downloads list).
2. why does Firefox apparently try to redownload failed downloads when it is next started, without asking me if that is O.K.
If Firefox tries to download a file you don't want; open the downloads manager, right click the file and select Cancel..