7 Ways to Fix Mozilla Firefox Downloads Failing on Windows 11

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Basic Fixes:

Fix 1: Clear Firefox Download History

Firefox also keeps track of the files you have previously downloaded. However, having an extensive download history can cause downloads to freeze and fail. To fix that, clear your Firefox download history. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1:OpenFirefox. Click on thehamburger iconand selectHistory.

Step 2:Here, click onManage History.

Step 3:Now, go toDownloadsand click onClear Downloads. Your Firefox download history will now be cleared.

Fix 2: Remove Firefox Browser Extensions

Extensions help in adding customized features to your browser. However, they can sometimes interfere with your browser settings, causing their performance to be less than ideal. And so, removing extensions can help fix issues with failed Firefox downloads. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1:Open theFirefoxbrowser. Click on thehamburger iconand click onSettings.

Step 2:At the bottom left corner, click onExtensions & Themes.

Step 3:In theExtensionstab, click on themenu optionsfor the extension you want to remove. Click onRemove.

Step 4:Click onRemoveto confirm.

You can repeat these steps to remove other extensions from Firefox. Once done, try downloading your file again.

Also Read:How to fix Firefox using a lot of memory on Windows device

Fix 3: Change the Download Location

Firefox downloads can fail if the folder they’re being saved to is corrupted. So, it’s better to change your download location in Firefox settings before downloading the file again. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1:OpenFirefox Settingsand go to theGeneral tab. Scroll down to Downloads and click onBrowse.

Step 2:Here, select therelevant folderand click onSelect Folder. The location for saving your Firefox downloads will now be changed.

Fix 4: Reset the Download Folder

If changing the download folder does not fix the issue, try resetting it to its default settings to ensure its settings are not causing Firefox downloads to fail. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1:OpenFirefox. In the search bar, typeabout:configand pressenter.

Step 2:Click onAccept the Risk and Continue.

Step 3:In the search bar, typebrowser.download.lastDirand pressenter. Then, click onDeleteto reset the value.

After this, close the tab and restart Firefox. Your download folder has now been reset.

Fix 5: Change Firefox File Type Settings

If your Firefox downloads are still failing, try changing the Firefox file type settings. As Firefox is configured to handle all file types differently, it might prevent you from downloading a certain file type. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1:OpenFirefox> click on thehamburger icon>Help.

Step 2:Now, click onMore troubleshooting information.

Step 3:Scroll down to Profile Folder and click onOpen Folder.

Step 4:Here, locate thehandlers.json fileanddelete it.

Alternatively, you can also rename the handlers.json file to ‘handlers.json.old’. Then, restart Firefox and download the file again.

Fix 6: Disable Firefox Safe Downloads

The Firefox Safe Downloads setting helps protect your device against downloads that it perceives as malicious. However, this setting can also restrict your downloads, causing them to fail. To fix this, you can disable this setting.

Step 1:Open theFirefoxbrowser. In the search bar, typeabout:configand pressenter.

Step 2:Now, click onAccept the Risk and Continue.

Step 3:Here, typeblock_download_insecureand pressenter. Then, click on thetoggleto change the value to false. Close the tab and try downloading the file again.

Fix 7: Use Firefox Refresh

Firefox Refresh helps remove all non-essential settings and components, such as extensions, add-ons, permissions, etc., without deleting user data. This can help reset your browser and fix issues like download failures while keeping your data safe. Here’s how to use it.

Step 1:OpenFirefoxand typeabout:supportin the search bar. Pressenterto open Firefox’s troubleshooting page.

Step 2:From the menu options, click onRefresh Firefox. When prompted, again click onRefresh Firefoxto finish the process.

Once the refresh process finishes, try downloading the file again on your Firefox browser to see if the issue has been fixed.

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Last updated on 20 May, 2024

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