Forum Discussion
Provide run / open / save / save as options when downloading files - Discussion
Hello everyone,
Thanks so much for all the feedback provided regarding Open/SaveAs. We are now introducing an option for users using Edge version 87.0.629.0 and above to choose, for each download, whether they want to Open, Save As, Save, or Cancel a download. To enable this option, navigate to edge://settings/downloads and enable, "Ask me what to do with each download." Once you download a file after enabling that setting, you will have the option to Open, Save As, Save, or Cancel it. If you choose to open it directly, it will be downloaded to a temporary folder.
Additionally, we have exposed an option to directly delete downloaded files from your computer, in the browser so that you can easily clean up after downloading your files without leaving the browser.
To learn more about these features, please check out our post.
DinosaurTim, for this record, I strongly disagree with eliminating the "Open" or "Run" options we've had in IE and classic Edge. However, to your point that it causes confusion, I do think your naming suggestions of something like "Run once" or "Open and delete" could help. I have no objection to that. I'd think for clarity with other terminology, it would probably be "Run/Open without saving."
But I really want to emphasize that lacking this ability is the biggest negative to me with the new Chromium Edge browser and the chief reason I go to another browser (classic Edge, in my case) so please, MS, don't let DinosaurTim's feedback discourage adding this.
GraniteStateColin My main focus is on reducing the number of clicks needed to accomplish things and streamlining workflow. Old IE/Edge always asked what to do with stuff before downloading, waiting for me to choose, and not starting the download until I do.
It's not that I hate the Open button; I hate the pre-download prompt with the Open button. The only reason that prompt existed was to choose between Save, Save As, and Open. Considering that Save and Open both download a file first, I think they are technically redundant. If you disagree, I'd honestly like to know what unique purpose the Open button serves for you? If it is just temporary file deletion, I think that can be better handled by downloading first, then having an "Open (and Delete)" button.
Regarding the pre-download Save As... button, that can be also replaced with a post-download Move Downloads... button on the download bar, which streamlines organization of multiple downloads at once.
DinosaurTim What you think about my proposal on the first page? It was about a "save/move to... " to recent locations. Could you also consider the total amount of clicks needed to download three photos into three different folders? The count is similar but the navigation clicks go **bleep** high.
DinosaurTim wrote:GraniteStateColin My main focus is on reducing the number of clicks needed to accomplish things and streamlining workflow. Old IE/Edge always asked what to do with stuff before downloading, waiting for me to choose, and not starting the download until I do.
It's not that I hate the Open button; I hate the pre-download prompt with the Open button. The only reason that prompt existed was to choose between Save, Save As, and Open. Considering that Save and Open both download a file first, I think they are technically redundant. If you disagree, I'd honestly like to know what unique purpose the Open button serves for you? If it is just temporary file deletion, I think that can be better handled by downloading first, then having an "Open (and Delete)" button.
Regarding the pre-download Save As... button, that can be also replaced with a post-download Move Downloads... button on the download bar, which streamlines organization of multiple downloads at once.
Save and Open are NOT REDUNDANT. Save stores a file someplace. Run/open is for a single use, don't want to think about where to put the file and don't want to ever think about deleting it -- just open it and be done with it. Technically, of course both actually save the file someplace, so I understand what you mean when you say redundant, but from a UX perspective, they're as opposite as they are on the file menu in Word or Excel.
"Run/Open" is a HUGE TIME SAVINGS. Granted, the "Open" option that appears at the bottom of Chromium Edge helps compared with having to navigate to the saved file and open it, but it's still much slower.
A few examples:
- Voice messages in email -- I just want to play the attachment. I don't want to save it. I don't even want to look at the browser. Just play it. This is Open.
- Software updates -- Just want to run the update. I don't want the file after it runs. I don't want to have to go somewhere to clean it up. These can be large files, hundreds of MB, so forgetting to delete is a space risk. This is Run.
- Excel, Word, PDF documents that I may want to save, but I won't know until I've read it, so I want to open in the proper application, then I'll use that app's full File Dialog to save if I want to keep it, maybe after making some minor edits.
To do any of those without a Run/Open option, I would need to: Save it. Open it from the browser bar (an admitted improvement over the old much worse way of needing to navigate to the file), make a mental or physical note that I'll need to delete the file which I can't delete now, because the file is open. That last step is huge -- it absolutely destroys my flow. As soon as I have to pause to think about file management, my workflow and the UX is destroyed.
DinosaurTim, from the UI in classic Edge, it's true that you had to select what to do (but only if you selected "Ask me what to do with each download," if that's not on, it just downloads directly to the Downloads directory)
but the actual download operation still began in the background immediately, before you made a selection. You can test this by selecting a large file that will take several seconds or longer to download. Click the link, but don't answer the question of what do do with it for a few minutes. Then answer and you'll notice the file is already ready for you. Your response to the question just determines where it copies the file from appdata. It does not hold up the download.
GraniteStateColin wrote:DinosaurTim, from the UI in classic Edge, it's true that you had to select what to do (but only if you selected "Ask me what to do with each download," if that's not on, it just downloads directly to the Downloads directory)
but the actual download operation still began in the background immediately, before you made a selection. You can test this by selecting a large file that will take several seconds or longer to download. Click the link, but don't answer the question of what do do with it for a few minutes. Then answer and you'll notice the file is already ready for you. Your response to the question just determines where it copies the file from appdata. It does not hold up the download.
GraniteStateColinWow you are right, and I totally did not know that. I guess they already implemented what I have been wanting all along. Sneaky Ninjacats. Well, seeing as chromium Edge does not work like this right now, I would be totally cool if they just re-implement exactly how that pre-downloading plus Run/Open/Save banner works in classic Edge.
I still think a way to organize multiple downloads to a different folder could be a neat addition, but this solves all the primary concerns for me.
Regarding your other post about Open being for avoiding having to choose where to save stuff, isn't Downloads the place where all downloads go when they aren't organized? Plus, after saving with the Save button, you can still open it with one click from the downloads bar or banner. You don't need to open file explorer.
Regardless, @Elliot Kirk i-am-kent I rescind all my earlier objections to a Run/Open/Save banner assuming you make chromium Edge start downloading things to appdata before choosing an option exactly like classic Edge did and include the option to bypass the banner as in classic Edge.
DinosaurTim wrote, "Regarding your other post about Open being for avoiding having to choose where to save stuff, isn't Downloads the place where all downloads go when they aren't organized? Plus, after saving with the Save button, you can still open it with one click from the downloads bar or banner. You don't need to open file explorer."
Thanks to that addition (the new Open button following download), I agree that part is no longer much of an issue, but that was only half of what the Open/Run option avoids. The other half is deleting the file after you're done. It's not that it's hugely time consuming to delete a file, but it can take several seconds to find and delete it. More serious is that it's a whole separate thought process that is unrelated to the work being done. At least for me, it's really destructive to my workflow processes. I can't delete the file when I download it (because it's Open and therefore not deletable until I close it), which means I have to make some kind of note to or remember to go back and find and delete it later. I know that's not a big deal to everyone, but when I'm cranking through work and trying to get through dozens of tasks in a short time, this may prevent me from getting through some of the tasks I otherwise would have completed.
