Member Avatar for peeweepeter

Whenever I try to download a file from any website with internet explorer the file automatically downloads to my temporary internet folder. This is very frustrating as a window used to come up asking where I wanted to download the file to and allowing me to change the title of what I would save the file as. I have tried putting all of the settings in internet options to default but I just cant seem to fix this. Could someone please help because it is very annoying and I'm sure it would be an easy fix for someone who knows what they are doing. Thank-you.

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Dani AI

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As 's suggestion fixed the original report from , the immediate cause in that case was the per-file-type confirmation flag that controls whether Internet Explorer shows the Open/Save dialog. For readers arriving here later, other things can produce the same symptom — the browser handing a file to a helper or plugin and leaving only a temp copy — so a few additional checks can save time.

Try these checks in this order:

  1. Check the browser security option that controls automatic prompting for file downloads in Internet Options (the setting that enables/disables download prompts for the selected zone).
  2. Look for helper apps and browser add-ons (PDF viewers, media plugins, download managers). If a helper opens the content inline the file may only be written to the temp cache; disabling the add-on or using “Save link as” bypasses that.
  3. Review antivirus/web‑scan settings. Some AV web shields intercept downloads, scan them, and leave copies in the temp folder. Temporarily disable the web scan to reproduce behavior safely.
  4. If a site always forces inline handling, the server headers (Content-Disposition) can affect whether the browser prompts; using right-click -> “Save target as” avoids server behavior.
  5. As a last resort, reset Internet Explorer settings or restore file-type defaults. Back up the registry or create a system restore point before making low-level changes.

Note for modern systems: Internet Explorer is phased out on Windows 10/11. In Chromium-based Edge and Chrome there is a simple toggle in Settings -> Downloads to “Ask where to save each file before downloading.” This thread is about the older IE-era behavior, but the troubleshooting ideas above apply when a download prompt is missing in any browser.

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Member Avatar for Catweazle

Start Windows Explorer, and choose Tools -> Folder Options -> File Types

Scroll down and select the extension for the File type you've been trying to save. (.zip .exe or whatever)

Click on 'Advanced' and check the entry "Confirm Open after Download"

The prompt should return after that. Let us know if it doesn't please.

Member Avatar for peeweepeter

orite sorry i solved that problem ages ago and never checked back. i think that that was the solution so thanks very much anyway.

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