This article explains the steps you can take to turn on or off “Ask me what to do with each download” in the Microsoft Edge browser.
The Microsoft Edge browser is the default browser in Windows 11. Users are allowed to switch to their preferred or favorite browser anytime. Edge is based on Chromium, similar to Google Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers today.
By default, when you download a file from the internet, Edge will automatically download and save it in your Downloads folder in your home directory.
If you don’t want to always download the file, but simply open it in the browser, then you can enable a feature to always prompt you whether to download and save or open the file without saving it.
Turn on or off ask me what to do with each download in Edge
As described above, you can choose the Microsoft Edge browser to always ask you if you want to save a file or open it without saving it so you don’t have to always download and save files from the internet.
Here’s how to do it.
First, open the Microsoft Edge browser.
Then click on Setting and more (Alt+F) 3 horizontal dots button on the top right corner and select Settings.
Next, click on Downloads on the left menu.
On the Settings -> System and performance settings pane, under the Downloads section toggle the button on the tile that says “Ask me what to do with each download” to On or Off.
If off, Edge will not ask you what to do with each download. If enabled, Edge will always prompt you on what to do with each download.
Always ask me if I want to save a file or open it without saving it in Edge
Alternatively, users can use the Windows registry to turn on or off Edge asking always before downloading files from the internet.
Open the Windows Registry, and navigate to the folder key path as listed below.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge
If you don’t see the Edge folder key, right-click on the Microsoft parent key, then create the subkey (Edge) folder.
On the right pane of the Edge folder key, right-click and select New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value. Type a new key named PromptForDownloadLocation.
Double-click the new value name (PromptForDownloadLocation) and enter the Value data of 1 to have the Microsoft Edge browser always prompt before downloading files from the internet.
A Value data of 0 will disable Edge prompting you whether to download or open the file in the browser.
That should do it. Restart your computer for the changes to apply.
Conclusion:
This post showed you how to enable or disable to always ask you if you want to save a file or open it without saving it in the Microsoft Edge web browser. If you find any error above or have something to add, please use the comment form below.
