Edge Chromium - Download File - Open vs. Save Option Pop-up Window

Anonymous
2020-02-16T21:25:44+00:00

I recently installed Edge Chromium and found that the program has inherited the Chrome method of downloading files, wherein the file automatically downloads to the downloads folder (or other selected folder), then gives the user the option to open the file or open the file location folder.

I much prefer the old IE/Edge download file method with the open vs save option pop-up window that allowed the user to open the file (to a temp location) or save/save-as the file to a location specified by the user at the time of download, all of which occurred before the file is downloaded locally.

The Chrome download method is one of the reasons I never switched to Chrome in the first place, and now it appears we have lost the old IE/Edge method.  The Chrome method leads to many unnecessary downloads in a non-temp folder location, bloating my storage.  I've turned on the option in Edge Chromium to "ask where to save file before download", but it only works intermittently and still doesn't allow the user to open the file to a temp location for files the user doesn't plan to save long term (i.e. for files I only want to print, not save).

How do we get Microsoft to add the old IE/Edge download method back?  Seems like a very simple code.  I know that Edge Chromium accepts extensions, can someone with the appropriate skills build an extension to add back the functionality?

Thanks,

NSR

Microsoft Edge | Favorites, history, and downloads | Windows 10

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2021-04-20T15:13:44+00:00

"save" button has a drop down menu that displays only "save"

Please look again. If you click on the left-hand part of that button avoiding the dropdown chevron ˅ , do you not get a Save as dialogue? 

You might submit feedback to the effect that the downloads flyout is too narrow to permit the display of more than the first few characters of Enregistrer comme ...

Was this answer helpful?

4 people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

74 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2020-03-18T21:07:09+00:00

    Yes .pdf and other doc files like word and excel. We don't want to download them, we just want to open and review them. In the previous Edge, when we clicked on the file it would open in PDF/Excel and we could review. When done close the file and its gone. Now with the new Edge, it downloads the file in a folder. we have to open it ourselves or it may open in the respected app, but then when we are done the files will need to be manually removed from the downloads folder. That is extra inconvenient work. I am now seeing users avoiding Edge cause they don't this trouble. I do not want to avoid it, I like the new Edge, except a few teething issues if I may call them so.

    Was this answer helpful?

    9 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2020-05-14T16:53:14+00:00

    They say if it aint broke don't fix it. I've given up and gone back to the previous version.

    Just uninstall the latest version and the last version installs automatically.

    Was this answer helpful?

    7 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2020-06-17T16:14:31+00:00

    This is by far my biggest complaint with Edge.  I was using IE until last week and Edge is better in every way except for this huge lost feature.  I open dozens of files for work processing each day (mostly PDFs) and do not want them residing in my downloads folder.  There is no reason to keep them on my computer past the day I am using them.  

    The IE method was to select "open" or "run" and the file would be sent to a temporary folder where it was soon deleted after use.  By mixing the files in with all my other saved downloads, it is confusing and takes up space.  Manually sorting through the files I want to actually keep and those I wish to remove is awkward.

    Also if you open an audio file like an .asx stream, instead of just opening your media player, it keeps this .asx file in your downloads folder.  What a ridiculous way to handle downloads.

    There is an option for "Clear browsing data on close" in edge, but according to Microsoft:

    "The list of files you've downloaded from the web. This only deletes the list, not the actual files that you've downloaded."

    I do not want to "download" files from the web that I am using for perhaps 10 minutes in a work process.  I do not want to "download" .asx files for audio streams.  I only want to download files I wish to keep on my machine.  That is precisely why Windows will ask you, do you want to RUN or SAVE a file?  We can no longer RUN files with Edge?  Absurd!

    It's also annoying to have all these file names streaming across the bottom of my page.  And having to click on the file name after you download it to to open it is an unnecessary step.  But these are minor annoyances compared to the problem of Edge downloading files to disk that you do not want.  The best option I have found in the interim is to create a folder inside my downloads folder called "EdgeTemporary" and I can just go in there once a month or so and manually delete all those files.  What a huge step backwards in usability.  I swear, when Windows 7 stops being usable I think I'm going to Mac.

    Was this answer helpful?

    5 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2020-03-06T12:31:55+00:00

    We are in a similar situation. In our Enterprise environment, users complain that the Open vs. Save As dialog is missing.

    Our solution is to run the Edge in IE compatibility mode. In this case, this dialog appears again. However, the Edge then renders with the IE engine again.

    It would be very good if this option could be implemented.

    Was this answer helpful?

    5 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments