downloading files in OS X

whenever i download a file it automatically saves to the desktop with seemingly no option to save directly to a file. does anyone know if there is a way (such as in windows) that i can save a downloaded file directly to a folder without having to drag and drop it from the desktop?

Assuming you're using Safari as your web browser, you can set the default download location in Preferences (Safari menu => Preferences => General tab):

thanks for your reply. i'm using firefox, and under preferences/general it gives me the option to "always ask me where to save files". the problem is that it only gives me the general options of desktop/applications/documents/etc. when saving the downloaded file. it doesn't allow me to browse through all my folders. is there something else i need to click to allow me to browse through my folders when choosing a folder to save in?

This is from Firefox 4. I can point it to any folder. Just click on the right drive and keep clicking till you navigate to the right folder. Click the Save Files To button. Click on Choose. See 2nd pic.

cjbiii said:

tthe problem is that it only gives me the general options of desktop/applications/documents/etc. when saving the downloaded file. it doesn't allow me to browse through all my folders.

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Yes it does.

When you have "always ask me" checked in download preferences, when you get to the point where it asks you where to download:



to expand your saving location options. Once you've done that a couple of times, you can change the preference to always save in that location.

Chas, is that pic from FF 3 or 4? Mine looks different in 4.0.1 here. Just curious.

Figured it out. Yours is from a different option. I wondered why they looked different!

It's from FF5 release candidate, which came out yesterday. Yes, 5. No major improvements, they've just decided to release "major" version numbers every few weeks, a la Chrome.

chas_m said:

It's from FF5 release candidate, which came out yesterday. Yes, 5. No major improvements, they've just decided to release "major" version numbers every few weeks, a la Chrome.

Click to expand...

Does 5 do anything 4 does not do? I should get the RC of 5. Thanks BTW!

chas_m said:

Mozilla quietly posts complete Firefox 5 | Electronista

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JUST what I was after. Thanks Chas.

Installed it and read it.