Firefox gives you options as to where the file will be downloaded to. Your Windows 7 OS or the cleanup utilities you use will determine how long temporary files are retained for.

If you wish you may set the download to go to a permanent location, or manually move the file. If you right click on a download entry it will offer to open the containing folder.

See

• downloads window and Startup, home page, tabs, and download settings_downloads
• and also private browsing

I didn't download it, so it didn't go to the typical download folder. I chose to "open" it instead of saving, so I'm trying to find where the temporary file is.

Why not just download it again.

If you want to discover your cache content type about:cache into your location bar and hit enter. The results are unlikely to be helpful, unless the download in question was a very short text file. The viewer displays hex/Text

I can't download it again because the download is unavailable. There were two downloads, one being a .docx and one being a zip. No chance I can recover them?

Sorry I do not think I can help further,

I doubt it will be possible, but have a look through the listing, do the file names appear to be included in the cache listing? if so make a note of the path, copy the whole lot somewhere safe and try to get further advice. A zip and a docx are not going to contain visibly useful info until uncompressed.

Someone else may offer suggestions, all I can suggest is asking on a mozillazine forum, someone there may have ideas.

If you not only downloaded the files but also opened them in a WP are they cached or saved anywhere else ?

try "C:\Users\"Username"\AppData\Local\Temp" if u dont see it first sort after file size and try to remember how big the file was

its also possible to download another file and emulate the same process, while downloading right click on the file in your firefox download manager and click open folder or have a look at your HDD activity while downloading (using a resource monitor like the built in windows 7 resourcemonitor)

You may want to check C:\Documents and Settings\Username\My Documents\Downloads I found mine through a file search with win Xp

Indeed, i was wondering where those files went. Previously i was using firefox v6, and when i stream media files like youtube or 4shared, I'm able to capture the files using download helper & bitcomet in form of flv or mp3 format respectively without having to manually download it.

So it means after streaming, and i'm able to save the media files without having to download it, it has already been stored somewhere right? Now, where could there be.

Unfortunately after upgrade to firefox v7 & the bitcomet to further version, I no longer able to capture the media files. I do not know whether it's about setting or that firefox (or bitcomet & download helper) do not allow direct saving from played streamed files

Imagine, it's quit depressing that u had to wait for the file to stream in order to view it, and then wait another for downloading in case u decide to like it. Whereas both the streamed file and the downloaded one is the same exact file with the same size & qualities.