# I cannot download any files or programs!! Help please!



## Royalwoman (Jan 16, 2009)

Hello,

I hope someone will be able to help me. I cannot download any files of any type to my hard drive. 

If i click on a download link, the download starts and completes like it should, however, it does not save anywhere on my hard drive...it's like the file disappears from my desktop where i saved it.

If it is a pdf or microsoft word file, which i use for school, i can't even download them...i have to have internet explorer or firefox open the file in the program and then it will save to my hard drive, but just trying to save it won't work for anything. By the way, this problem is with both web browsers.

It almost reminds me of like setting up parental control settings for another user where you can block downloading, but i am the only user on this computer because it is my work computer.

I am running windows vista basic...if that helps.

TIA,


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

Try the is FireFox, see graphic.


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## DavidHB (Jan 17, 2009)

Royalwoman said:


> If I click on a download link, the download starts and completes like it should, however, it does not save anywhere on my hard drive...it's like the file disappears from my desktop where I saved it.


Are you sure that it's not saved anywhere? Did you, for example, make a note of a downloaded file name, and do a Windows search for it? If that doesn't work, click on 'Advanced Search' in the search dialogue, and tick the box that enables searching for hidden etc. files. Incidentally, it is always worth going to Folder options (which has moved to become a Control Panel applet in Vista), and ticking the option to show hidden files and folders. 

If that gets you nowhere, in Firefox, go to Tools, Options, and on the Main tab of the dialogue, tick the option to have Firefox ask you to save downloaded files. Set up a folder (e.g ... Documents\Downloaded files) for this purpose, then, when prompted, point the download at that folder. There is a similar setting in IE, but I don't use IE much these days, so can't remember offhand what it is. (P.S. I was writing this as JohnWill posted his response above; it is the same advice.)

If you are then sure that the files are disappearing, suspicion should next fall on your Antivirus/security program. You will need to open this program and look at its logs, and any quarantined files it may have. If you find your files, it will be a matter of discovering why they have been quarantined, rather than just assuming that the security program got it wrong.



Royalwoman said:


> If it is a pdf or microsoft word file, which I use for school, I can't even download them...i have to have internet explorer or firefox open the file in the program and then it will save to my hard drive, but just trying to save it won't work for anything. By the way, this problem is with both web browsers.


This is normal. You obviously have plugins installed which open the downloaded documents in your browsers. You then use the file menu or toolbar button to save your file, just as if it were in Word or Adobe Reader.

Hope this helps,

David


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## Royalwoman (Jan 16, 2009)

Hi David and John:

I have tried numerous times both of your suggestions and still i get nothing. In the fire fox download box, after the file is finished downloading, you can right click on the file and it gives you options of go to containing folder, open containing folder, open download link, etc. however, the first two options are shaded gray like they are not accessible to me. There is no folder to open . I've checked anti-virus programs and nothing.

Any other suggestions?


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## DavidHB (Jan 17, 2009)

Royalwoman said:


> Any other suggestions?


Could you give us more details of the downloads that are failing? Do they come from clicking on normal web page links, or are you accessing a server remotely in some way? I'd guess the latter might fall within the category of P2P which is outside the scope of this forum.

What firewall are you using (either standalone or as part of a security suite)? Have you tried disabling either or both of antivirus and firewall while downloading to see if that makes a difference? If your firewall or other security program (e.g. ZoneAlarm) is one of those that monitors application behaviour, make sure that your browsers are allowed to access the trusted zone (your computer and any local network).

The point here is that, from what you say, something on your machine is actively blocking the saving of downloaded files. The main place to look, particularly as both browsers are affected, is your security program(s). From your latest post, I'd guess that the firewall rather than the antivirus is the main candidate.

Hope this helps,

David


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

Try downloading a file with a known file name, then do a search of the entire computer using the Search from the start menu and see if it turns up.


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## Chevy (Jul 25, 2003)

I had this issue on a client's computer a few weeks ago. The culprit was AVG. I uninstalled AVG, reinstalled, and all was well.


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

It does sound like something blocking the downloads...


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