SOLVED Problem with Download Folder.

[catilley1092]

When I need to check for downloads, sometimes they go to my desktop, sometimes they go to another document folder. It appears that downloads go to the most convenient place possible. What happens is this: When I attempt to open the download folder, there's a red box. At the top, it says: EXPLORER.EXE. Then inside of the box, it says: "This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Please install a program or, if one is already installed, create an association in the Default Programs control panel". Has this happened to any of you? And if so, what steps did you take to correct it?

 

[davehc]

YThat is a first for me!
Could you give a couple of pieces of info.
1. Does this occur with any browser and 2. To which Download folder are you referring. ( There are a couple)

First off. It sounds like you are attempting to open a file, rather than a folder but??

 

[catilley1092]

I mainly use Firefox, but Microsoft sites require IE. I'm talking about the folder in Start+Documents, you notice a list beginning with Favorites, then Desktop, then Downloads. That's the folder I'm talking about. Just a minute ago, I used IE to do a sample download. It went straight to Documents, under the Libraries list, that contains Documents, Music, Pictures and Videos. None of my downloads goes to the Downloads folder, even though I selected the last download to go there. I hope this gives you better understanding of what I'm talking about. When I bought this PC a month ago, after a few days I backed up. I had to go through the backup procedure 4 or 5 times because the program kept hitting a snag over that very same folder. My neighbor who lets me use her internet connection let me look at hers, her downloads are going into the proper folder. I'm not getting a code over this, just the message I posted above.

 

[davehc]

I don't have that path on my computers, unfortunately. Default download for IE is C:\Downloads or C:\Users\UsernameDownloads. Have they by chance finsihed up in either of those locations?

 

[catilley1092]

No, depending on the program being downloaded, it always ends up in My Documents, or if it's a disc to be made, it comes up on my Desktop. Power2Go opens up any discs to be made. I don't know whether to continue to allowing them to do this and delete the Downloads folder, or what. I've never had this problem on any computer I've owned.

 

[davehc]

TRy this, works for some.

Click on Start—>Run type click ok
Navigate the following key from left pane
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
Now you should see Download key from right pane

Edit (Double click it) the ‘download directory’ value to the full path of the directory you wish to use and click ok.

Usual warning. Backup the registry before altering anything!

 

[catilley1092]

That's one thing I'm afraid of messing up, is the registry. I'm going to try to restore as far back as possible and see what happens. I have no important documents on it, and programs can always be downloaded again, as I have a free connection and only a few programs that I've installed on it. I've messed with the registry on a laptop, and had to reinstall. I won't chance that on a one month old PC.

 

[Kougar]

What happens if you right click the download's folder? Does the "Type" say it is a folder or a program?

 

[catilley1092]

It just says, Restore Previous Versions, Open File Location, Send to, Cut, Copy, Remove, Rename and Properties. Today, I downloaded and installed MSE. When I downloaded the inital file, it went straight to the desktop. There, I opened it and it finished the install. That was using Firefox. If I use IE, it saves them to My Documents.

 

[davehc]

Firefox is, as you know, easily configurable for a default download folder through it's Tools - Options. fwiw. Microsoft used to insist on IE for some of its sites. Under pressure from its own users, particularly Technet forums, they had to change this policy. I am not aware of any MS sites now that need IE only. If you could tell me of one, I could publicise it in the right area.
The problem with IE8 is that it dowloads to a temp file and then redistibutes to the appropriate (or what it thinks is appropriate) portion of the library.
The fix I mentioned is, to the best of my knowledge, the only way to prevent this. But I have disabled my libraries as, at least in my useage, I cannot see why I should overcomplicate something which to me has been so simple until Windows came up with the library idea.

 

[catilley1092]

Yes, you have that right. That is my only problem with Windows 7, is this "libraries" thing. There are other things that don't go where they should. Let's take pictures, for example. I use my webcam to take pictures, and guess where they go? Not to the picture library. It goes to the same place as my downloads, in documents. There you click onto Webcam, that's where my pictures are. Windows 7 has been and still is an excellent OS, but this library thing is not so simple as the rest of the OS. Did this idea get imported from Vista? I'm not being sarcastic at all, but the OS is supposed to know where things go. Even with Win 2K Pro, the items go to the proper folder. That's as far back as I can go, it was my first OS. But I most certainly would not want to go that far back for daily usage, I use it once in a while. Others have mentioned SP1 for Win 7 for various issues, perhaps it will fix mine as well. I don't want to revert to going all the way back to a system image restore (factory partition) to fix this. That would not even be guaranteed to fix the problem. You can't reverse that like a system restore. It's like a reinstall of the OS, the way I understand it. You're right, this is overcomplicated.

 

[clifford_cooley]

catilley, now would be a good time for you to place all your things where you want them to go. Don't use Windows default locations.

The whole time I was using Windows XP, I never used the Documents folder. This was a problem I had when starting with Windows way back in the beginning. I know where I want my files, this is something that MS never really understood. The biggest problem I had was why so many folder levels just to find where your files are stored. The next problem was why are they stored in the very same folder's with program setting and temp files.

 

[Veedaz]

I agree with Clifford now would be a good time to sort out downloads IE 8 downloads are quite easy to change (make a system restore point first (backing up your registry)

Go regedit in search click the icon at the top of search in Windows 7 this will open the registry editor then on the left click to open >

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer and in the right pain you can edit where you want to download to >

 

[davehc]

I did post that solution earlier, but he said he did not want to edit the registry.

 

[catilley1092]

OK, I'm trying that out? Do I need to do the same with Firefox that I did with IE?

 

[Veedaz]

I did post that solution earlier, but he said he did not want to edit the registry.

Sorry M8 you did ... my bad.

 

[catilley1092]

I looked in System Restore, but couldn't find anything to help. Can't I select the option to return it to factory condition to take care of the problem? I found this under Advanced Recovery Methods. I did do as davehc and Veedaz said, tried another download (on IE), same thing happened. Would returning it to the factory condition solve the problem, and would it be worth it? I tried that registry editing, although I was afraid of messing with it, and it did no good, so I don't want to mess with it anymore.

 

[Veedaz]

Looking at Advanced Recovery Methods you could use that but i would backup every thing you want to keep mate because once done you cant go back.

 

[catilley1092]

That's what I know. My image looks a little different than the one you have posted. Where yours says "Reinstall Windows(requires Windows installation disc)", mine says "Restore to Factory Condition". There is a partition with the factory image on it. If I were to do that and still have the problem, that would be a lot of work for nothing. I may just wait on it until a year. My owner's manual actually recommends doing this once a year, so the computer will perform better. Thanks to everyone for your suggestions.

 

[Kougar]

It just says, Restore Previous Versions, Open File Location, Send to, Cut, Copy, Remove, Rename and Properties. Today, I downloaded and installed MSE. When I downloaded the inital file, it went straight to the desktop. There, I opened it and it finished the install. That was using Firefox. If I use IE, it saves them to My Documents.

Catilley, was it you that posted about an infected computer a week or two back? Because honestly it sounds like your Download's "folder" was replaced by a program, or has somehow become corrupted.

Navigate to C:\Users\YOURUSERNAME\ in Explorer. Can you navigate inside the downloads folder? If not I'd suggest deleting the "folder" and simply making a new folder with the same name in that directory.