Hi greenchurch, could you describe what you're doing in more detail? I don't understand:

I can copy from the address bar of a current web page, but when I add a filename to the URL I can no longer do this, despite Firefox correctly accessing the updated address and offering to download the file.

You would think that if there is text in the address bar, whatever it is, valid URL or not, you should always be able to select and copy it. But apparently not??

Hello jscher2000, you are right, I thought that too and it only stopped recently. I go to a web page using a bookmark, no problem using highlight and copy the URL. I then type a filename onto the end of the URL, this causes highlight and copy to stop working, even though Firefox is happy with the changed URL and offers to download the file. (The file is a zip file placed on the web site but not advertised).

What if you use Ctrl+x (cut) instead of Ctrl+c (copy)? Does Firefox get the whole URL?

No, cntl-X is the same as cntl-C in that there is no copy taken. Even more interesting is that the address bar remains unchanged whereas when cntl-X works the bar is cleared as expected.

I don't suppose it helps to click somewhere else and then back into the bar?

I'm constantly using the bar as a history lookup to copy URLs to other pages (doing support responses, the same things tend to come up over and over...). I just can't remember not being able to copy or cut the text in the address bar whether it was the current URL, one from history, or one I edited.

Very puzzling. Could you test in Firefox's Safe Mode? In its Safe Mode, Firefox temporarily deactivates extensions, hardware acceleration, any userChrome.css/userContent.css files, and some other advanced features to help you assess whether these are causing the problem.

If Firefox is not running: Hold down the Shift key when starting Firefox. (On Mac, hold down the option/alt key instead of the Shift key.)

If Firefox is running: You can restart Firefox in Safe Mode using either:

• "3-bar" menu button > "?" Help button > Restart with Add-ons Disabled
• (menu bar) Help menu > Restart with Add-ons Disabled

and OK the restart.

Both scenarios: A small dialog should appear. Click "Start in Safe Mode" (not Refresh).

Any improvement?

Sorry for the delay. No, it doesn't change the problem, but I have just learnt that it has something to do with the current contents of the clipboard. The easiest checks are made using ctl-X because the address bar is emptied only if the copy worked.

Hi greenchurch, could you explain this part in more detail:

I have just learnt that it has something to do with the current contents of the clipboard.

Not exhaustive, often confusing, but definitely cntl-x works if the clipboard already holds the whole URL, and fails if it holds the URL without the filename.

How do you usually select the modified URL? For example, triple-click, or if the cursor is at the end Shift+Home, or using Ctrl+A (Select All). Does using a different method enable Copy or Cut?

When highlight by left click and swipe doesn't work, none of these alternatives work either. I have now seen occasions where the whole URL is highlit and all of them work, but I cannot diag the conditions that caused it.

Same problem, most frustrating. Has anyone found a solution to this?