Just click the link to download the file, without using Save Link As ... .

Google search results may not always give you direct links; sometimes you get "tracking links" so Google can record the result you selected. Possibly the problem is with one of those links.

Try to delete the mimeTypes.rdf file in the Firefox Profile Folder to reset all file actions.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/mimeTypes.rdf
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/File_types_and_download_actions#Resetting_download_actions

Start Firefox in Safe Mode to check if one of the extensions or if hardware acceleration is causing the problem (switch to the DEFAULT theme: Firefox/Tools > Add-ons > Appearance/Themes).

• Don't make any changes on the Safe mode start window.
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Safe+Mode

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Troubleshooting+extensions+and+themes

"Just click the link to download the file, without using Save Link As ... . "

Yes that sort of works, but it only displays the pdf and then I have to save from within the pdf. I do not want to muddy the waters, but this whole thing prevents me from using a download manager, which optimises download speeds. The problem does still occur without the download manager, I hasten to say.

"Google search results may not always give you direct links; sometimes you get "tracking links" so Google can record the result you selected. Possibly the problem is with one of those links. "

But wouldn't that affect IE as well? It does not happen there. BOLth IE and the download manager addon for IE see the file as properly named and at the right size

"Try to delete the mimeTypes.rdf file in the Firefox Profile Folder to reset all file actions.

Start Firefox in Safe Mode to check if one of the extensions or if hardware "

Sorry, but I searched my entire Computer and no mimeTypes.rdf file was found. Safe mode made no difference.

Nick

hmmm...having said that Firefox found the mimeTypes.rdf file and I deleted it, but I still only see url.pdf when I try to save.

Did you try to start Firefox in Safe mode to see if it still happens?

• Help > Restart with Add-ons Disabled

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Safe+Mode
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Troubleshooting+extensions+and+themes

If the problem only occurs with an add-on, perhaps the add-on is not following a redirect or is ignoring a header containing the file name information?

"Did you try to start Firefox in Safe mode to see if it still happens? "

Yep. Safe mode made no difference.

Nick

"If the problem only occurs with an add-on, perhaps the add-on is not following a redirect or is ignoring a header containing the file name information? "

As I said, I did not want to muddy the waters.. It happens with and without the addon and with FF in safe mode.

I can't seem to replicate it. I did this test search and Safe Link As does prompt with the true file name (I have Firefox set to ask where to save files):

firefox filetype:pdf - Google Search

Thanks for trying that. I actually used your link and tried to grab a pdf from the search and it was just "url" still.

OK that's weird, because I get this trouble on two different machines, one running XP and the other Win7.....firewall? That is a common factor. I will disable that and see what happens.

Yes I have FF set to ask where to save files as well (sorry) . I just tried disabling all aspects of my Internet Security, and that made no difference. :(

If I restart Firefox in a fresh new profile (using the Profile Manager), in those Google results I do indeed get tracking URLs. For example:

Real URL: http://militarycac.com/files/Tech_Note_Firefox_CAC_Authentication.pdf

Tracking URL: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CEYQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmilitarycac.com%2Ffiles%2FTech_Note_Firefox_CAC_Authentication.pdf&ei=6ZcoUNrID8rMigKEvoEI&usg=AFQjCNE9P64MVV3Adwo1uwe_Mrvwf2floQ

When I try to right-click and Save Link As, I get the suggested name url.html.

This is a feature of Google; I didn't see any way to turn it off in the basic search settings. There are add-ons which change the links back to direct links. In fact, there are so many Google-related privacy enhancing add-ons that I have no idea which one(s) to recommend...

Thanks for coming back

But I do not get it. As I said IE is fine: Pdfs download OK all the time. Is that some workup between google and M$oft? That makes no sense as google now has its own browser and M$oft has its own search engine.. And why only pdfs?

Also, IIRC, it _used_ to be that this problem would only happen to me if I had opened the pdf in FF, then tried that link and attempted to actually download it. Now it happens every time.

Nick

I tried a couple of privacy addons but they made no difference. Surely IE is subject to the same Google scrutiny. How come it has managed to still allow the download and FF is having trouble?

I am SERIOUSLY not trying to start a browser argument here. I love FF and it would have to collapse for me to change. But this is irksome. I have asked before and so often Google has been blamed, but always that other browser is fine..

Nick

I just ran the above search in IE9 and I do get the tracking links there, with the same url.html file name suggested when I right-click and use Save Target As. I don't know why I get links clean of tracking code in my regular Firefox profile, or why you don't get them in IE.

I will look into an effective cleaning solution.

The links have an onmousedown event, so right clicking a link is sufficient to make Google copy the target href to the current href and make that new target appear on hover.
If you would remove the onmousedown attributes from the links then the onmousedown isn't performed and you open the links as they are in the href attributes and that you originally saw on hover in the link pop-up.

javascript:(function(){var N=document.querySelectorAll("#search li.g"),E,i;for(i=0;E=N[i];i++){E.querySelector("h3 a").removeAttribute("onmousedown")}})()

javascript:(function(){var N=document.querySelectorAll("#search a[onmousedown]"),E,i;for(i=0;E=N[i];i++){E.removeAttribute("onmousedown")}})()

"The links have an onmousedown event, so right clicking a link is sufficient to make Google copy the target href to the current href and make that new target appear on hover. If you would remove the onmousedown attributes from the links then the onmousedown isn't performed and you open the links as they are in the href attributes and that you originally saw on hover in the link pop-up. "

Sorry, but did you ever see the Simpsons episode where Santa's little helper heard all these jumbled noises and then suddenly the word "Sit" came through? I have absolutely no idea what you are saying.  :)