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Edge not handling name collision on downloads and no option to change this

Anonymous
2023-02-22T15:44:45+00:00

I am trying to download files. Not with right click save as, but clicking a link that on chrome would immediately prompt the "where to save" dialog, if you select the option to ask where to download.

On edge, I selected the same option, but it doesn't immediately prompt the dialog, it adds it to the downloads list in the header of the browser. There, I go and click on "save as". File has a generic name, let's say "download". The folder the dialog opens to (I do not navigate at all, I want to be perfectly clear, we are already in the context of a certain folder from the very start). In this folder, the file "download" already exists. Chrome would change my file name to "download (1)", edge does not.

I am fine with saving duplicates, I never ever, under any circumstance, unelss I manually rename the file, do I want to have a name conflict with the folder I'm already in.

If I then, after the dialog has already opened, decide to navigate to a new folder where a file with the same name exists, then fine. I get why my pending-to-download file might have a name collision. This also happens on chrome.

So to be clear:

Scenario 1:
Expected behaviour: When clicking "save as", dialog opens. Checks if file with identical name exists. If yes, add disambiguator at end, i.e. (1) or (2) and so on.
Actual behaviour: Does not check, just suggests same name, clcicking save will ask if you want to over-write.

Scenario 2:
Expected behaviour: Click "save as". Dialog opens. Checks for duplicate name. No duplicate exists. Sugests original file name. I navigate to new folder where that file name already exists. Suggested file name does not change.
Actual behaviour: no check is ever made. Only suggests the file's name from the download server.

I'm not advocating for scenario 2, that's what chrome does, I don't particularly care. But scenario 1 bothers me to no end.

But I still expect, to at least have the option in settings, to avoid name collision on start folder.

Microsoft Edge | Favorites, history, and downloads | Windows 11

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-02-23T03:42:39+00:00

    Hello Just Paul_

    Welcome to Microsoft Community.

    Regarding to your information I assume that your Edge can't change the file name automatically.

    According to our test, we can't reproduce your situation 1 but can reproduce situation 2.

    It seems caused by the download rules. The Edge handle duplicate names seem determined by the default download path.

    For example if your default download path has a file name called"test.txt" when you download the "test.txt" again and click save as save to

    any path it will called"test1.txt." So if you deafult download path don't have the "test.txt" it will duplicate when you using save as to download

    the file.

    You can submit your feedback about the download feature in Edge by pressing Alt+Shift+I in Edge and pressing the Win+F in Feedback Hub.

    If there is anything not clear, please do not hesitate to let me know.

    Best Regards,

    Tommy-MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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