How to fix download links in Safari?
January 3, 2010 9:29 AM Subscribe
When I click download links (to .zip, .dmg, etc...) in Safari on my Mac running Snow Leopard, it does nothing. Or more specifically, it says "Loading" in the URL bar for a second as if it were about to load a webpage, and then does nothing. I have to right click and select "Download Linked File." How can I fix this behavior?
I'm actually a Mac Specialist at the Fifth Avenue Apple Store, and I can usually handle things like this myself, but I'm a little bit stumped.
I recently migrated my user account from a 2006 Macbook running Snow Leopard to a new MacBook Pro running the same. Before the migration, these types of links worked perfectly normally. After, they don't. I can't figure out what might have changed.
I'm actually a Mac Specialist at the Fifth Avenue Apple Store, and I can usually handle things like this myself, but I'm a little bit stumped.
I recently migrated my user account from a 2006 Macbook running Snow Leopard to a new MacBook Pro running the same. Before the migration, these types of links worked perfectly normally. After, they don't. I can't figure out what might have changed.
Have you tried removing (either by deleting or temporarily renaming) ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.internetconfig.plist? A corrupt plist seems the most-likely source of this behavior.
posted by mumkin at 9:49 AM on January 3, 2010
posted by mumkin at 9:49 AM on January 3, 2010
If you go to Safari's preferences window, does unticking (and maybe reticking) the "Open "safe" files after downloading" option do anything helpful? You could also try binning the com.apple.safari.plist in preferences and the ‘Safari’ folder in "~/Library/". If you've got MobileMe, syncing should bring back bookmarks and so on, and if not you'll have to manually import them (you probably knew that, but I'll be pedantic just in case).
posted by jaffacakerhubarb at 9:51 AM on January 3, 2010
posted by jaffacakerhubarb at 9:51 AM on January 3, 2010
Ditto that it's probably a .plist file. You haven't mentioned if you've done any of the basic troubleshooting steps to narrow down the cause of the problem. For instance, if you create a new user does the problem persist in the new user's profile? If so, then it's a system-wide issue. If not, then it's a problem local to your particular User profile. Knowing which it is can help to direct your troubleshooting steps. For instance, if you have determined it's a problem specific to your User profile, you can focus on narrowing down the problem to .plist files in your profile and (almost always) ignore the System-wide ones in /Library/Preferences.
This kind of problem can usually be solved by using a combination of "best guesses" and "process of elimination". First, to determine if it's actually a .plist problem (as this is the best hypothesis at the moment), drag your enter ~/Library/Preferences/ fold out to your Desktop and restart the computer (or logout, back in). This will generate a brand-new Preferences folder with clean and uncorrupted prefs/plists. Then test the problem. If it recurs, then the problem is not in your Preferences folder and we can look elsewhere. If the problem goes away, then you've confirmed the problem to be caused by a file in the Preferences folder now on your Desktop.
Now, assuming the problem is in that Preferences folder on your Desktop. This is where you can use the "best guesses" idea. The file in question almost certainly is related to Internet, Safari, or the Finder. So all those 3rd-party Prefs you can move back into your now virgin Prefs folder. And so you can simply go one by one (or folder by folder) moving prefs back into your virgin Prefs folder, testing to see if the problem goes away between each one, until you determine which is the culprit.
My money's on com.apple.internet.config.plist or com.Apple.Safari.plist.
THis kind of process-of-elimination troubleshooting been around a long time (Conflict Catcher, anyone?). I'm surprised that it wasn't taught to you during Genius training.
posted by mrbarrett.com at 11:13 AM on January 3, 2010
This kind of problem can usually be solved by using a combination of "best guesses" and "process of elimination". First, to determine if it's actually a .plist problem (as this is the best hypothesis at the moment), drag your enter ~/Library/Preferences/ fold out to your Desktop and restart the computer (or logout, back in). This will generate a brand-new Preferences folder with clean and uncorrupted prefs/plists. Then test the problem. If it recurs, then the problem is not in your Preferences folder and we can look elsewhere. If the problem goes away, then you've confirmed the problem to be caused by a file in the Preferences folder now on your Desktop.
Now, assuming the problem is in that Preferences folder on your Desktop. This is where you can use the "best guesses" idea. The file in question almost certainly is related to Internet, Safari, or the Finder. So all those 3rd-party Prefs you can move back into your now virgin Prefs folder. And so you can simply go one by one (or folder by folder) moving prefs back into your virgin Prefs folder, testing to see if the problem goes away between each one, until you determine which is the culprit.
My money's on com.apple.internet.config.plist or com.Apple.Safari.plist.
THis kind of process-of-elimination troubleshooting been around a long time (Conflict Catcher, anyone?). I'm surprised that it wasn't taught to you during Genius training.
posted by mrbarrett.com at 11:13 AM on January 3, 2010
Another really great tool I've found to determine which .plist file is being used by what program is fseventer. You should download this program and run it and then cause the problem to occur. Watch fseventer and it'll tell you what .plist files were read from and written to (file system events, hence fseventer) which could give you a really nice and fast way to narrow down your troubleshooting.
posted by mrbarrett.com at 11:32 AM on January 3, 2010
posted by mrbarrett.com at 11:32 AM on January 3, 2010
Response by poster: Ok, a brief update.
I've tried all the things recommended here, to no avail.
The problem persists even when using a brand new user account on the same Mac. THAT REALLY confuses me.
I've tried deleting all the preference files I know of that relate to Safari, I've tried booting it back in 32 bit mode, and I've tried uninstalling Safari Adblock.
Weirder still, it seems to relate to the KIND of file I'm clicking. .TXT files download perfectly normally, but nothing happens for .zip, .dmg, or .torrent files.
Anyone else have any further suggestions?
posted by raygan at 9:04 PM on January 3, 2010
I've tried all the things recommended here, to no avail.
The problem persists even when using a brand new user account on the same Mac. THAT REALLY confuses me.
I've tried deleting all the preference files I know of that relate to Safari, I've tried booting it back in 32 bit mode, and I've tried uninstalling Safari Adblock.
Weirder still, it seems to relate to the KIND of file I'm clicking. .TXT files download perfectly normally, but nothing happens for .zip, .dmg, or .torrent files.
Anyone else have any further suggestions?
posted by raygan at 9:04 PM on January 3, 2010
Response by poster: Also, the "open safe files after downloading" option changes nothing.
posted by raygan at 9:06 PM on January 3, 2010
posted by raygan at 9:06 PM on January 3, 2010
Response by poster: And to mrbarrett: I began troubleshooting just as you described but it's been a bit confusing, and I was hoping there was a known issue that I did't know about. Don't blame the Genius training, I'm a Specialist and I have't gotten it yet! I can usually troubleshoot most issues, but considering this seems to be a system-wide issue, I'm not sure how to proceed.
posted by raygan at 9:18 PM on January 3, 2010
posted by raygan at 9:18 PM on January 3, 2010
Response by poster: OH HOLY HELL
I've figured it out.
I installed, and then very promptly uninstalled a program called Speed Download, some time about a week ago, and then promptly forgot about it.
Apparently it installed a browser plugin that passed all the downloads along to Speed Download, which of course is no longer there.
I was able to uninstall the plugin, and all seems to be well. Sorry for wasting everyone's time, I should have been able to figure that out on my own, what with doing this for a living and all!
posted by raygan at 9:42 PM on January 3, 2010
I've figured it out.
I installed, and then very promptly uninstalled a program called Speed Download, some time about a week ago, and then promptly forgot about it.
Apparently it installed a browser plugin that passed all the downloads along to Speed Download, which of course is no longer there.
I was able to uninstall the plugin, and all seems to be well. Sorry for wasting everyone's time, I should have been able to figure that out on my own, what with doing this for a living and all!
posted by raygan at 9:42 PM on January 3, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by ecorrocio at 9:37 AM on January 3, 2010