Firefox is a popular web browser and one of the most popular download managers in use. It has a number of features that make it an excellent choice for online users, but it can be difficult to modify its behavior. This article will show you how to modify Firefox’s Download Manager with Download Manager Tweak, which will make it easier to manage your downloads and improve the overall experience. First, open Firefox and click on the three lines in the top left corner of the window. This will open a menu that will include options such as “Tools”, “Options”, and “Settings”. In this setting, you can change many aspects of Firefox’s behavior, including how downloads are handled. In the “Tools” menu, you can find “Download Manager Tweak”. This tool is used to modify Firefox’s behavior when downloading files. To use it, first click on it and then select one of the following options:

  • Modify download manager settings so that all downloads are completed successfully before they are stored in your Downloads folder (this is called “Default”)
  • Modify download manager settings so that only certain downloads are stored in your Downloads folder (this is called “Advanced”)
  • Disable automatic downloading of files (this is called “No Downloads”)

Modifying Your Download Manager

Once you have installed the extension and restarted Firefox, there are two methods for accessing the options (nice!). The first method is through the Add-ons Manager Window and is shown here. This is the better of the two options if you are wanting access to all options in one window.

You can manage the default download location, options for the download window configuration (i.e. separate window, sidebar, or new tab), commands/buttons to be included in the toolbar, and advanced options (i.e. toolbar location, infobar display, theme changes, additional buttons, alerts).

The second method for accessing the options for Download Manager Tweak is through the Options Window. It will be the last “tab” area in the window. Notice that part of the options are displayed directly in the Options Window…to access the additional options you will need to click on “Advanced Options”.

Once you click on “Advanced Options”, this is the window that you will see. Here are the remainder of the options that you may want to modify to best suit your purposes.

Download Manager Tweak in Action

Once you have the Download Manager set up to suit your preferences and start to download an item, you will see that download information displays in the lower right corner of your browser window. Click on the download information display to access your Download Manager Window.

If you selected to have your downloads display in a separate window, this is what it will look like with all toolbar options and the infobar enabled. It is very similar to the default download window but does have the additional components.

For those choosing the sidebar option, this is what you will see. At this time there is no option to set the sidebar to the right side…

If you like the tab option, downloads will display in a new tab (very nice!).

Conclusion

This can be an extremely useful add-on if you are looking to keep all of your activity contained in your browser window or if you are just looking for an enhanced downloading experience.

Links

Download the Download Manager Tweak extension (Mozilla Add-ons)

Download the Download Manager Tweak extension (Developer Homepage)