Help finding a downloaded file on my computer

[johnsemlak]

I recently downloaded the freebie product of the week at DTRPG, Warcraft: Lands of Intrigue. I used the Firefox browser. I opted the 'save to desktop' option, and downloaded the file. I viewed the file, but I didn't save it in any particular location, and now I can't find it.

Ive done searches for the file and can't find it.

Is there any way I can find/retrieve it? How is it possible that a file I actually downloaded onto my computer just disappeared?

 

[Andre]

Well, if it helps, the actual file name is "Arhs-WC_LandsConflict.pdf". If your search function doesn't find it, I'm guessing it's not there. Can you download it again (I believe you get 3 attempts)?

 

[WingOver]

It might have ended up in whatever temp directory Firefox uses when you open/view files. You can try the advanced search features of Windows Search to locate it.

Open windows explorer.
Go to C: and right click and select "Search..."
Put "Arhs-WC_LandsConflict.pdf" in the file name textbox or better yet, just ".pdf" (Firefox may have used a temporary name)
Click "When was it modified" and specify the date range (yesterday to current date should be good)

Click Search and see if the rascal pops up.

Good luck!

 

[johnsemlak]

Well, I downloaded it again, and made sure I saved it to the folder I wanted. It was a bit of a hassle because I have dialup at home and its a 10 MB file.

I'm still confused how I lost it however. Most of the files I download on Mozilla are by default sent to the desktop and saved there. Is it possible that files which are too large get put somewhere else? The second time I DLed it, the file went to a temp folder in the windows system. The file might have been there the first time I DLed it.

 

[Krieg]

If you do a search for *.pdf it will pull up every .pdf that is on your local drives.

 

[reveal]

Also, if you go to Tools|Options, in Firefox, you can look at what it does with files that end in extension .PDF. That may give you a clue as to where to find it.

 

[cybertalus]

I solved this type of problem by making a folder in the root of c: called "Downloads" and telling my browser, e-mail, usenet, and download manager programs to default to saving stuff there. I also set the folder view to sort chronologically so I can find the newest files quickly.

 

[Darth K'Trava]

Also, to narrow down the search of .pdf files (if you have a gazillion of them) is to use the "advanced search" in windows. Just go to the spot where it can ask for when you got/modified the file. Put in either a date or a time frame (week, month...). That'll make it go quicker.

If you're using an internet service like aol (like I do), it likes to put it into a download folder in the directory where the program was loaded to. It may be in a similar folder for your internet provider. You can choose, however, to send it wherever you want to put it.

 

[jezter6]

Not sure if it helps in this instance, but if you go to Tools >> Downloads, it shows a list of recently downloaded files, with the option to open the file or remove it from the list. If you can open it and re-save it to a location you're sure is there, you might be able to get a file back that way.