How to Change Default Download Location for Firefox Browsers
Problem
Firefox downloads any file to desktop by default. This soon leads to a cluttered desktop.
The location is not changeable from the download manager, which should have been the obvious place.
Why
It took me some time to figure out how to change the default download location. So I thought this might me useful to someone else too, who googles for information like me.
How
Go to Tools menu and click on options as shown.
Then select Downloads from left and change the location as shown.
Click on the images for opening them in a separate page and with full size.
Let me know if this is helpful to you.
Filed under Firefox, Headline News, How To, Web | 
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November 5th, 2005 at 7:45 pm
Thanks tremendously for posting the process for defining the FireFox automatic download location - I am currently setting up a new laptop and could not remember how I had forced the downloads to go into one file instead of cluttering up my desktop. Since I’m downloading a ton of updates, fixes, freeware - it’s been driving me nuts!!
November 5th, 2005 at 10:36 pm
My pleasure.
December 13th, 2005 at 9:34 pm
It would be nice if you could specify the save location by holding a modifier key when you hit “Ok” on the “Open with / Save to disk” dialog.
I know that you can right click a link and choose “Save link as…” but in some cases, the “link” you click does not specify the URL that you are going to be downloading. Eg: http://www.motox.us/flex.php
July 6th, 2006 at 9:42 am
Thanks for this, helped a lot
July 11th, 2006 at 7:49 pm
Thank you for your help. It was the quick answer in a time of need. I appreciate it!
September 5th, 2006 at 5:00 pm
I found you with a Google search “to change download location” and how grateful am I! These downloads going to my desktop was making me crazy. Thanks!
October 23rd, 2006 at 6:23 pm
thanks for the download change file tip; found by googling; your site was first list; thought might be helpful; I was actually using opera to download instead of firefox because of this issue
January 3rd, 2007 at 11:10 am
How can I change the homepage location in Firefox.
Can’t find anyplace
Thanks
Al
February 8th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
Thanks for this, it has been bugging me for ages, why they put that stupid little button on the downloads window to show your desktop but without the abbilty to move the location is incredible stupid, thanks again
April 28th, 2007 at 7:04 pm
Thank you. The default to download to Desktop was driving me Nuts - and back to, shock horror, IE. Much appreciated.
June 3rd, 2007 at 7:03 pm
Thanks for the help. Been looking the answer to this problem, Just not looking in the right place until now. Thanks for finally solving my small problem.
j…
June 23rd, 2007 at 9:57 pm
can someone please tell me how to change my default voice it’s driving me nuts?
July 13th, 2007 at 8:04 pm
do you know how to change the “automatically do this to every file” option? I accidentally checked this box during one of my file downloads and now all the text documents I download are automatically saved (instead of giving me the option to simply open them). thanks!
July 14th, 2007 at 12:58 am
questionablecharacter says:
“do you know how to change the “automatically do this to every file” option?”
Please refer to this article:
Firefox: How To Change “Do This Automatically For Files Like This From Now On” Option
July 14th, 2007 at 1:00 am
> can someone please tell me how to change my default voice it’s driving me nuts?
You want to change your default voice?
Try some voice exercises. Try repeating OUM. It gives a softness and yet gravity to your voice.
July 14th, 2007 at 1:14 am
Albert Thompson said: “How can I change the homepage location in Firefox.”
Please refer to this article:
“Firefox: How To Change The Default Home Page Location“
August 26th, 2007 at 10:52 am
This is great. Thank you so much. Another thing I’d like to add about downloads going to the desktop is that many times they get “Corrupted” and when you try to install, they will give you an error message. Putting the downloads in a folder will greatly reduce the chance of this happening.
October 13th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
Straight forward answer to my Googled query. Thanks. Can you talk to Microsoft et al about doing the same when their knowledge base is searched?
November 4th, 2007 at 11:49 am
Thanks for this - a lifesaver!!!
December 10th, 2007 at 5:46 am
i was teaching my mom how to specify a folder into which downloaded files could be saved directly. thats when i realised that i myself had no idea how to do it.
that is before google pointed me to your site! thanks a lot man.
December 16th, 2007 at 9:14 am
Thank you!!! That was driving me nuts!
June 9th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Perfect! And thank you very much.
July 26th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
With the release of Firefox 3 the download location has moved to Tools -> Options -> General
August 4th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Thank you so much. I am setting up a new computer after my old one crashed. I knew it was possible to tell it which folder to download to, since my old one did that, but I didn’t remember how. I was wasting time downloading and then moving it.