Pale Moon resets SAVE path

SlayerM · Unread post by **SlayerM** » 2014-01-16, 18:36

Hi there. PM x64 is great browser (moved to it from FF x86) but it's one thing i can't figure out. It reset SAVE path every time i closes browser. I can manually configure it in browser settings and through FlashGot, but after restart it resets (always aks me to save files to Palemoon\Downloads). What i do wrong, any ideas?

Operating system: Windows 7 Ultimate Sp1
Browser version: 24.2.2 x64 Portable
Theme: Noia 4 (1.8.9)

Unread post by **Moonchild** » 2014-01-16, 19:01

For a portable browser, this is by design!
Pale Moon Portable is designed to be run from a portable medium (e.g. removable drive, USB stick), so the save path is by default set to a self-contained folder in the portable folder at the start of a session. If you change it to something on a host system, that is not remembered by design because it is assumed you move the browser to different systems (hence portable) and assuming certain folders exist on a host system is a bad thing in that case - this is why it gets reset.

If you wish to use Pale Moon on a single system, it's strongly recommended to install the desktop version, instead.

If you want to go against this recommendation, you can prevent resetting of the download path in palemoon-portable.ini by finding the following code:

Code: Select all

;(download directory)
browser.download.lastDir=$Download$|\\"

and commenting out the second line with a semicolon. Save the resulting file as user.ini

SlayerM · Unread post by **SlayerM** » 2014-01-17, 14:24

Thanks a lot man!

I use portable software on my PC - in all cases possible, it guaranties no sh*t on system disk, and it is very comfortable to use on 2 OS (i have XP SP3 and W7 SP1).

Trinoc · Unread post by **Trinoc** » 2014-01-18, 10:49

Moonchild wrote:If you wish to use Pale Moon on a single system, it's strongly recommended to install the desktop version, instead.

I suspect that, like me, a lot of Palemoon users run portable versions of software from hard disk directories to make them easier to backup, uninstall or copy to other machines, and to avoid cluttering up the registry and system directories. It might be useful to provide two versions of palemoon-portable.ini: the default set up for removable drive use as at the moment, and a version for hard disk use with changes like the one recommended here and other things such as enabling disk caching. Or if maintaining a complete separate ini file is impractical, maybe just a readme file telling the user which parameters to change for best hard disk use.

If you want to go against this recommendation, you can prevent resetting of the download path in palemoon-portable.ini by finding the following code:
Code: Select all
;(download directory)
browser.download.lastDir=$Download$|\\" 
Thanks, that's fixed it.

and commenting out the second line with a semicolon. Save the resulting file as user.ini

Is this the preferred way to change ini parameters, rather than modifying palemoon-portable.ini itself? If user.ini is present, is palemoon-portable.ini completely ignored, or is it only necessary to put parameters which are being modified in user.ini?

Unread post by **Moonchild** » 2014-01-18, 11:17

Trinoc wrote:I suspect that, like me, a lot of Palemoon users run portable versions of software from hard disk directories to make them easier to backup, uninstall or copy to other machines,

You know, there is a reason why:

Backup: I provide a profile backup tool
Uninstall: the desktop version has an uninstaller which removes everything (program and, if desired, data)
Copy: sync exists for a reason, and you can also use the backup tool to copy your profile to a different machine and restore it there.

and to avoid cluttering up the registry and system directories.

What you call clutter, is desired functionality:

Being able to pin the browser to the task bar
Being able to open files and URLs with Pale Moon
Ability to have multiple Windows users use a single installation and keep their individual profiles separate (and optionally system-encrypted)
Other desktop integration options

Pale Moon puts nothing in system directories. Unless you call your profile folder under your user account a "system directory"...

It might be useful to provide two versions of palemoon-portable.ini: the default set up for removable drive use as at the moment, and a version for hard disk use with changes like the one recommended here and other things such as enabling disk caching.

Because of what I stated above, there is no reason to consider the portable for this kind of use and it would just cause confusion among users. If you have a few separate installations on otherwise static systems, install Pale Moon on the machines. If you want them to stay in sync, use sync. If you want to backup, use the backup tool...

So, in short:

Desktop version: recommended for all static and semi-static use of the browser; i.e. anything but removable media.
Portable version: designed for use on removable media.

Using either not as-intended will cause issues that can't necessarily be mitigated.
To keep things clear for everyone I will only supply packages that fulfill intended use. Static use of the portable is possible but not intended because of the lack of normal features you'd expect from a browser when installed.

Or if maintaining a complete separate ini file is impractical, maybe just a readme file telling the user which parameters to change for best hard disk use.

There are basic instructions on the Pale Moon Portable web page to this effect.

Is this the preferred way to change ini parameters, rather than modifying palemoon-portable.ini itself? If user.ini is present, is palemoon-portable.ini completely ignored, or is it only necessary to put parameters which are being modified in user.ini?

You can use both methods. However, if you upgrade/update the portable by downloading the portable and unpacking it "in place", palemoon-portable.ini will be overwritten and you lose custom changes. User.ini is a replacement for, not an addition to, the portable.ini file, so yes, you want to save a full copy of palemoon-portable.ini as user.ini, or it will break the portable's behavior. Follow the instructions I gave (Open -> edit -> save as...) and you're good.

EDIT: moved topic to the correct board.

Unread post by **Moonchild** » 2014-01-23, 13:41

It needs a little addendum. A little further down in the .ini:

Code: Select all

;(download)
browser.download.useDownloadDir=false
browser.download.manager.retention=1

comment out these two lines as well, so it doesn't automatically reset to the default, and will remember the settings as set in options.

SlayerM · Unread post by **SlayerM** » 2014-01-25, 07:31

Thanks a lot!

SlayerM · Unread post by **SlayerM** » 2014-01-28, 06:56

Hmmm... PM again resets save path, even with lines commented

;(download directory)
;browser.download.lastDir=$Download$|\\"

;(download)
;browser.download.useDownloadDir=false
;browser.download.manager.retention=1

I have tried this in user.ini and in Palemoon-Portable.ini - do not helped.

Unread post by **Moonchild** » 2014-01-28, 12:02

Make sure you also make the proper selections in the Pale Moon options. You'll have to set it to either ask, or define a proper pre-set path of your choice.

In addition, if you already have another copy of Pale Moon running, the portable shell will remain loaded (it will stay loaded until all copies of Pale Moon are exited) so any .ini file changes will not be picked up until then.

Quantum Reality · Unread post by **Quantum Reality** » 2014-01-30, 06:47

Actually, I have a related question.

I'd like Pale Moon to always default to asking me to save to the Download directory. As it is now it seems to "memorize last saved folder" for every website I've been to, which has caused me some annoyance. Obviously if I set "save always to Downloads" I can avoid it BUT I like the ability to last-minute cancel a save because the "File Save" dialog lets me abort a download.

For the record I am running the NON portable desktop x64 install.

SlayerM · Unread post by **SlayerM** » 2014-02-05, 16:31

I tried everything, nothing works. Palemoon x64 portable will save files on my desktop but until i restart PC, after that it save files to \downloads. The "browser.download.lastDir" always resets to Palemoon\Downloads

Unread post by **Moonchild** » 2014-02-06, 08:58

If it's linked to system restarts, then my suspicion is that things don't get saved - which in turn may be caused by overzealous security software or similar. I have no further suggestions to make. It should work as instructed, and does so on any system I've tried.

SlayerM · Unread post by **SlayerM** » 2014-02-06, 14:41

I use many portable software and none of them (firefox also, btw) resets save (or any) paths. I have uploaded my Palemoon-Portable.ini and user.ini here - http://www.u-sm.ru/downloads/pm.rar

Please take a look and tell me what's wrong with INIs.

SlayerM · Unread post by **SlayerM** » 2014-02-12, 19:08

Only thing helped is commenting
;browser.download.useDownloadDir=true
;browser.download.manager.retention=1

AND write this: browser.download.lastDir=c:\downloads|\\" (example)

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