Standard web browser bug are mostly network-related. Sometimes, though, you'll be faced with less common problems, such every bit the "Source file could non be read" fault message in Firefox. While the fault occurs in other web browsers as well, information technology seems to affect Mozilla'southward product particularly often.

The message shows upwards in different scenarios just mainly when yous endeavour to download a file. The full fault message usually reads as follows:

"FileX could non be saved because the source file could not be read."

FileX represents the path to the file that you lot could non save, which will be displayed in the fault message.

In this commodity, we'll show you how to fix the "Source file could non be read" error when downloading a file via the Firefox browser. The solutions in this article have worked for many users.

What causes the problem?

Finding out how to remove the 'File could not be saved because the source file could not exist read' error message from Firefox for Windows ten involves knowing the underlying crusade of the trouble.

Your cyberspace connexion is always the prime suspect, and yes, many users plant that they weren't correctly hooked upwardly. Other, less likely causes are equally follows:

  • A problematic compreg.dat file
  • A misconfigured network.http.accept-encoding setting
  • Faulty browser extensions
  • A broken Places.sqlite file

Now it's time to resolve the underlying causes of the mistake message.

Delete the comprag.dat file

The comprag.dat file is related to many Mozilla Firefox processes. It'south automatically created whenever you download or install any Firefox product, such as Thunderbird. If the file becomes decadent, it will cause dissimilar kinds of bug, the "File could non be saved" error being ane of them.

You'll have to delete the file to resolve the problem. In one case the file is deleted, a new i will be created.

Follow these steps:

  1. Launch Mozilla Firefox.
  2. One time the browser comes up, become to the accost bar, type "about:support," and striking the Enter button.
  3. Once the Troubleshooting Information page shows up, go to Application Basics and click on Open Folder abreast Contour Binder.
  4. Once the binder opens, search for the "compreg.dat" file and delete information technology.
  5. Restart the browser and try downloading the file.

Adjust the "network.http.accept-encoding" setting

The network.http.have-encoding setting helps tell a server what encoding an HTTP client supports. The setting could be the cause of the fault message if information technology's misconfigured. Follow these steps to adjust it and see if that will resolve the problem:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox.
  2. Go to the accost bar, blazon "about:config," and then hit the Enter key.
  3. Once the "Proceed with circumspection" warning message appears, click on the "Take risk and go along" button.
  4. Now get to the search box and blazon "enco."
  5. Navigate to the "network.http.take-encoding" setting and double-click it.
  6. Now delete everything in the box and restart the browser.
  7. You tin now check if the error persists.

Make certain the places.sqlite file is not set to Read-only

The places.sqlite file is where Firefox saves your bookmarks and keeps a record of your downloaded files. The download error could be showing up considering the file is gear up to Read-only and the browser tin't write new information to it. Turning off the Read-but office will become rid of the problem.

Follow these steps:

  1. Open a File Explorer window by correct-clicking the Start button and selecting File Explorer or pressing the Windows and E keys together.
  2. After the File Explorer window opens, navigate to C:\Users\your_user_name\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles.

C represents your Windows volume, and "your_user_name" is your current user account's folder.

Alternatively, you tin can open the folder by following these steps:

  • Launch Mozilla Firefox.
  • Once the browser comes up, get to the address bar, type "near:support" and hit the Enter push button.
  • One time the Troubleshooting Information page shows up, become to Awarding Basics and click on Open up Binder beside Profile Folder.
  1. Once the folder opens, search for the "Places.sqlite" file.
  2. After y'all discover the file, correct-click it and select Properties from the context menu.
  3. Once the Backdrop dialog window opens, ostend that the Read-Just checkbox isn't marked.
  4. If the box is marked, untick information technology and click on the OK button.

Open up Firefox in Safe Mode

Problematic browser add-ons can disrupt a lot of things, including the download process. And so, you take to confirm that this is non an add-on issue. Fortunately, performing this troubleshooting process is easy in Firefox. By starting the browser in Prophylactic Mode, you're disabling every add-on you installed. If the error bulletin doesn't show up in Prophylactic Way, then an add-on is the problem.

These steps will evidence you how to beginning Firefox in Safe Fashion:

  1. Open Firefox.
  2. Go to the browser'due south address bar and blazon "well-nigh:back up."
  3. Striking the Enter primal.
  4. Become to the top-right corner of the Troubleshooting Information folio and click on Restart with Add-ons Disabled under Attempt Safe Mode.
  5. The browser volition at present restart.
  6. Now download the file again and check if the error shows up.

Refresh Firefox

If nothing works, go to the "Nigh:support" page and click on the Refresh Firefox button under "Requite Firefox a tune-up."

Articulate out temporary files

Almost every Windows application creates temporary files that become useless over time. These files can become corrupt and start causing different bug. Try clearing them out and see if the download error volition disappear for good. In that location are various means to remove temporary files, and we'll exist walking you through each.

Go through File Explorer:

  1. Launch a File Explorer window by right-clicking the Start button and selecting File Explorer or pressing the Windows and E keys together.
  2. In one case you see the File Explorer window, navigate to the left side and click on This PC.
  3. Go to the right pane and right-click on your Windows volume, which should be Bulldoze C.
  4. Click on Properties in the context card.
  5. Later the Properties dialog window for the drive appears, click on Deejay Cleanup.
  6. After the Disk Cleanup utility scans your temporary files, select the types of files y'all desire to delete and click on OK. Click "Clean upward system files" if you're going to get rid of organisation files that are no longer in use.
  7. After that, restart Firefox and check for the problem.

Going through the Settings application:

  1. Right-click the Windows logo and select Settings from the Power User carte du jour or tap the Windows and I keyboard buttons together.
  2. One time Settings opens, click on the Arrangement icon.
  3. After you meet the System interface, navigate to the Storage pane.
  4. Under your Local Disk, click on Temporary Files.
  5. After the Temporary Files window shows up, select the file categories you desire to clear out, and and then click on Remove Files.

Run the CHKDSK utility

Firefox might be unable to download the file because one or more than sectors on your difficult deejay are faulty. Run the CHKDSK utility to ready that problem, and then cheque if the file tin can download afterward.

Follow these steps to run the CHKDSK utility via File Explorer:

  1. Right-click the Windows logo in your taskbar and click on File Explorer once the Power User carte du jour shows up.
  2. After the File Explorer window appears, go to the left side and click on This PC.
  3. Navigate to the correct side of the window and correct-click on your Windows book.
  4. Subsequently the context menu drops down, click on Backdrop.
  5. One time the Properties window appears, switch to the Tools tab.
  6. Next, click on the Cheque button under Mistake Checking.
  7. Click on Scan Drive if you see the "You don't need to scan this drive" dialog.
  8. The CHKDSK utility volition at present begin to scan your drive.
  9. In one case the scan is complete, a dialog volition appear and show y'all the results.

You tin run a more thorough scan in the elevated Control Prompt surroundings. These steps volition walk you through the procedure:

  1. Summon Run by correct-clicking the Start button and clicking on Run in the Power User menu. Tapping the Windows and R keys simultaneously volition likewise launch the dialog box.
  2. Once Run opens, type "CMD" into the text field, and so press Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
  3. One time the User Account Control dialog requests permission to run Command Prompt as an ambassador, click on Yep.
  4. Immediately the Command Prompt window appears, blazon in the control below and hit the Enter key:

chkdsk C: /f /r /x

Note that the letter "C" in the control is a placeholder for your Windows book drive letter.

The boosted command switches do the following:

The "/f" switch prompts the tool to fix any error that it finds during the browse.

The "/r" switch prompts the tool to await for bad sectors and recover any readable data.

The "/x" switch prompts the tool to unmount the volume before it is scanned.

If the message below shows upwardly, then the volume you are trying to scan is currently busy. Tap the Y key if the Command Prompt asks you to schedule the scan for your next reboot:

"Chkdsk cannot run considering the volume is in utilise past another procedure. Would you similar to schedule this book to be checked the next time the system restarts? (Y/N)"

After pressing Y, reboot your PC to complete the check, then endeavor carrying out your backup and check for the mistake.

Conclusion

The "Source file could non be read" issue is relatively simple to resolve. It will also assist to make sure your arrangement is fairly protected confronting malicious programs capable of attacking your drive. Using a competent anti-malware program that tin work alongside Windows Security is a great idea.

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