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Troubleshooting problems with the inability to download files in Yandex Browser. The file cannot be saved because the source file cannot be read - Firefox Error The file cannot be read

is not only a tool for displaying sites, but also a tool for downloading files from the network to a computer. Today we will look at the main reasons why Yandex Browser does not download files.

The inability to download information from Yandex can be influenced by a variety of factors.

Reason 1: Lack of hard drive space

Perhaps the most common reason why a file cannot be saved to a computer.

Open Windows Explorer under "This computer", and then check the status of the disks: if they are highlighted in red, then you are very low on free space.

In this case, you have two options to get out of the situation: either save the files to a free local drive, or free up space on the current drive so that there is enough space to download the file.

Reason 2: Low network speed

Please also note that if your Internet connection is intermittent, the download will be interrupted, but the browser will not be able to resume it. In addition, loading problems will occur not only in Yandex, but also in any other web browser on the computer.

If you suspect that the inability to download a file to your computer is due to “bad” Internet, if possible, connect to another network to confirm or refute this guess. If, when connecting to another network, the file was downloaded successfully, then you need to worry about improving or changing your Internet connection.

Reason 3: lack of a specified folder for downloading files

By default, Yandex Browser is set to a standard folder for downloading files "Downloads", but as a result of a malfunction in the web browser or user actions, the folder can be replaced, for example, with a non-existent one, which is why downloading files cannot be completed.

Reason 4: Profile folder corruption

All information about the browser is saved on the computer in a special profile folder. This folder stores information about user settings, history, cache, cookies and other information. If for any reason the profile folder has been damaged, this may result in you being unable to download files from the web browser.

In this case, the solution may be to delete the current profile.

Please note that deleting a profile will entail erasing all user information stored in the browser. If you do not have data synchronization activated, we recommend setting it up so that all information is not irretrievably lost.


Reason 5: viral activity

It's no secret that the vast majority of viruses are aimed specifically at damaging the browser. If files on your computer from the Yandex web browser do not want to be downloaded, and in general the browser itself is unstable, we strongly recommend that you run a system scan on your computer for virus activity.

Reason 6: the browser is not working correctly

Actually, just as the previous reason can become the main factor in the incorrect operation of the browser, so can a conflict with other programs, system failures, and more. If the browser does not work correctly, you need to reinstall it.

Reason 7: download blocked by antivirus

Today, many antivirus programs act quite aggressively towards browsers, mistaking their activity as a potential threat.

  1. To check if your antivirus is causing the problem we're looking at, simply pause it and then try downloading files to your computer again.
  2. If the download was successful, you will need to go to the antivirus settings, where, depending on the manufacturer, you may need to allow downloading files in Yandex.Browser or even add this program to the list of exceptions so that the antivirus program does not block the activity of the web browser.

Reason 8: System failure

In rare cases, the inability to download files to a computer can be negatively affected by the operating system itself, which for various reasons may not work correctly.


As you can see, there are enough ways to solve the problem with downloading files from Yandex Browser. We hope these recommendations were useful to you and you were able to return your popular web browser to normal functioning.

When you try to download a file from the Internet Firefox may display an error message The file cannot be saved because the source file cannot be read. "File" will indicate the path to the file - for example, appdata local temp. It may also ask you to try again later or contact the server administrator. If you are facing this issue even in Firefox Quantum, here is what you need to do to fix this issue.

The file cannot be saved because the source file cannot be read

1] Check your internet connection

The main reason for this problem is an unstable internet connection or connection between your origin server computer. Whenever you click the Download button to download something from the internet, your computer connects to the origin server and if anything happens between them due to a broken internet connection, you will get this problem. So make sure your internet connection is intact.

2] Usage: config

Firefox has a built-in configuration tab where you can enable or disable certain features. To open it, enter this in the URL bar near:config . A warning message will appear asking you to click I accept the risk button. Then find enco in the search window. You will see an s parameter called network.http.accept-encoding. Double click on it and delete all the values ​​specified in the field.

3] Check if Places.sqlite is set to read-only

Places.sqlite is a file that should not be set to read-only. If so, you may receive this loading error in Firefox.

Enter this command in the URL bar about: support. You will see a button Open folder Near Profile folder .

Click on it to open your Firefox profile folder. Alternatively, you can enter this path in File Explorer -

C: Users username AppData Roaming Mozilla Firefox Profiles

In this path, C is the system drive. Also, don't forget to replace user_name actual username. In the Profiles folder you should find your Firefox profile that you are using. In this folder, find the Places.sqlite file, right-click it and select Properties. Now check whether the option is Read Only or not. If yes, remove it and try downloading the file from the Internet.

4] Delete Compreg.dat file

Whenever you install any Mozilla product like Firefox, Thunderbird, etc. Compreg.dat is created automatically. If this file is corrupted in any way, you may experience various problems in your browser.

Enter about: support in the URL bar and click the button Open folder before Profile folder. In the profile folder you will find the Compreg.dat file. Close your browser and delete this file.

5] Try Safe Mode

If you open Firefox in Safe Mode, all add-ons will be disabled and it will use the minimum settings. This way you can check whether the problem is due to the append or not.

Enter about: support in the URL bar and click Reboot using add-ons Disabled button. If you can download the same file in Safe Mode, you need to find out the offending add-on.

6] Update Firefox

If the above solutions do not work at all, you need to update your browser. You need to click the button Update Firefox on about: support .

Let us know if anything here helped you.

This article describes steps to take if you are unable to download or save files using Firefox.

Note: The Refresh Firefox feature can fix many issues by restoring Firefox to its factory default state while saving your essential information. Consider using it before going through a lengthy troubleshooting process.

Table of Contents

Check the Downloads panel for blocked downloads

Firefox includes a download protection feature to protect you from malicious or potentially harmful file downloads. If Firefox has blocked an unsafe download, you will see a warning message about the file in the Downloads panel, along with options for handling the pending download. You can open the Downloads panel to view completed and pending downloads by clicking on the Downloads button (the down arrow on your toolbar). See the articles and How does built-in Phishing and Malware Protection work? for more information.

Clear the download history

Clearing the download history can fix some problems with downloading files:

Choose a different download folder

Firefox may not be able to download files if there is a problem with the folder in which downloaded files are saved:

Reset the download folder

If you have tried the above suggestions, you can restore the default Firefox download folder settings:

  1. In the address bar, type about:config and press EnterReturn.

    • The about:config "This might void your warranty!" warning page may appear. Click I accept the risk!
  2. to continue to the about:config page. In the Search field, enter.
  3. browser.download If any of the following settings have a status of user set modified , reset their values. To reset a value, right-click hold down the Ctrl key while you click
    • the setting and select Reset from the context menu:
    • browser.download.dir
    • browser.download.downloadDir
    • browser.download.folderList
    • browser.download.lastDir
  4. If desired, you can revert back to your preferred download folder settings by changing your Firefox settings .

Choose a valid download folder in Safari Preferences

If you receive the error could not be saved, because an unknown error occurred., your problem might be caused by an interaction with the Safari browser and your operating system.

To fix the problem, open Safari"s Preferences and change the Save downloaded files to: setting to a valid folder (such as your Desktop). Then restart Firefox.

Delete corrupt plist file

If you receive the error could not be saved, because you cannot change the contents of that folder. Change the folder properties and try again, or try saving in a different location., your problem might be caused by corrupt plist files.

To fix this problem, go to your home directory and delete this preference file:

  • ~/Library/Preferences/ com.apple.internetconfig.plist

Change file type settings

If downloading certain file types does not work, check to make sure Firefox is not set to handle those file types differently from others. See Change what Firefox does when you click on or download a file for instructions on how to view and change how different file types are handled.

Reset download actions for all file types

To reset how all file types are handled by Firefox back to default:

Remove Download Manager plugins

On Windows, third-party download manager plugins can interfere with Firefox downloads. Download Manager plugin files that get added to the Firefox plugins folder include the following, listed by the download manager program and the associated plugin filename:
  • GetRight: NPGetRt.dll
  • WinGet: NPWinGet.dll
  • Download Accelerator Plus: npdap.dll
  • FreshDownload: npfd.dll
  • Net Transport: NPNXCatcher.dll , NPNXCatcher(Audio).dll , and NPNXCatcher(Video).dll

See Troubleshoot issues with plugins like Flash or Java to fix common Firefox problems for instructions on how to disable or remove plugins.

Configure Internet security software

Internet security software, including firewalls, antivirus programs, anti-spyware programs, and others can block certain file downloads. Check the settings in your security software to see if there is an setting that may be blocking downloads.

To diagnose whether Internet security software is causing problems, you can try temporarily disabling it, seeing if downloads work, and then re-enabling the software.