It can be very frustrating when downloads from the web automatically open on your Mac. Part of the reason is that some web files are not safe and may be infected with malware. Also, when downloads are in the form of pictures, video, or other types of media, they can cause disruptions when they open.

Jun 11, 2018 The first setting, regarding closing windows when quitting apps, will affect every application on your Mac. However, it won’t automatically make every app open in full-screen mode. You’ll need to set that up individually within each app. Other apps will, however, open in the last state you left them in. Turn Off Updates Notifications. The App Store in macOS pushes update notifications for installed apps whenever they become available. To turn them off, you can now simply do the following: Click on the Apple menu in the top bar. Open System Preferences. Find the App Store. Turn off the “Automatically check for updates” option.

In this article, we will not only show you how to disable your Mac from automatically opening downloads from the web, but also provide tips on how to protect your computer and data in general.

How to Disable Your Mac from Automatically Opening Downloads from the Web

To stop your Mac from opening downloads automatically, you will have to adjust your browser settings. The native browser of Macs, Safari, has a default feature that automatically opens all downloaded files that are considered safe. You have to disable this.

The following is a list of files that the Safari browser considers safe:

• Pictures
• Movies
• Sounds
• PDF files
• Text documents
• Disc images, such as DMG files
• Some other archive types

Disable Safari’s ‘Open Safe Files’ Setting on MacOS

Open Mac Apps On Windows

To disable the Open Safe Files settings on your Safari, you need to go to Preferences. Better yet, follow the instructions below:

1. Launch the Safari browser and click on the Safari menu at the top of the screen.
2. Click on Preferences and go the General tab.
3. Untick the Open “safe” files after downloading checkbox.

This will prevent files from being automatically opened once they are downloaded to your computer.

Stopping Downloaded Files from Automatically Opening on Google Chrome

Mac Apps Open On Startup

Stopping downloaded files from automatically opening on Google Chrome is a little more complicated because it has no “Open ‘Safe’ files after downloading” feature as is the case with Safari. Some versions of Chrome have a setting that asks Always open files of this type instead. The latest version of Chrome lacks this feature entirely.

To access this feature in the older versions of the browser, take the following steps

1. Navigate to the Downloads page by clicking on the three-dot menu on the right side of the browser.
2. On the list of downloads, right-click on file types, such as images, videos, audio, etc.
3. On the list of options, click on Always open files of this type. Choose the file types that you don’t want to automatically open after being downloaded.

Again, Chrome seems to have done away with this feature, and if it really bothers you that files are opening automatically when you download them using Chrome, the solution might be just to quit the browser.

Stopping Download Files from Automatically Opening on Mozilla Firefox

Whenever you download a file on Firefox, the Internet Media type or MIME determines what action the browser will take. Some downloads are handled automatically by apps installed on your Mac. In other cases, a dialogue box will ask whether you want to save the file or open it with a specific application.

How you deal with the files will tell Firefox what to do next time. Checking the “Do this automatically for files like this from now on” option will guide the browser’s actions the next time around for a file of the same type. Thus, if you want to disable downloads from automatically opening on Firefox, you will have to tweak this setting to reflect your preferences.

Here is how to change the actions of Firefox for different content types:

1. Click on the browser’s menu button and navigate to Options.
2. Navigate to the General panel and choose Applications.
3. Select the entry for the file type whose actions upon download you want to change. Note that some file types include more than one Internet Media type, images, for instance, can be gif, jpg or png.
4. On the Actions column, you will see a drop-down menu that will give you options to take whenever you download or click on the type of file.

The following is a detailed description of the Action options:

• Preview in Firefox – This will give you the option of opening the file on Firefox.
• Always Ask – This option will let you select the action that Firefox should take whenever you click a specific file type.
• Save file – This option will let you save the file on your computer.
• Use – This option will let you open the file with an application of your choosing.

How to Reset Download Actions for All Content Types on Firefox

If you are experiencing problems with how Firefox is handling download files on your Mac, you can revert the file handling settings to default. This can be done by deleting the file that handles these settings. The following are the steps to take:

1. Open your profile folder by clicking the menu button > Help > Troubleshooting Information.
2. Under the Applications Basics section, choose Open Folder.
3. Close Firefox by choosing Exit on the menu.
4. Delete (or rename) the handlers.json file.
5. Restart Firefox.

This will reset the download actions for all content on the browser. Check if the problem has been resolved.

Tips on How to Protect Your Computer and Data

Stopping downloads from automatically opening is just one way to protect your computer and data. The following guide will help you become more aware of the threats that exist in the cyberspace and how to protect yourself.

• Download apps, files, and plugins only from trusted sources. Your browser will sometimes warn you about a suspicious file. Make sure you pay attention to the warning.
• Refrain from downloading plugins to view pictures, music, videos, and other online content, unless you are sure of their legitimacy. Most browsers and even MacOS have free applications and features that allow you to view and listen to these file types. You can use them instead.
• Refrain from downloading files and apps that are offered for free through email. They may contain malware.
• Configure your file sharing applications properly for the following reasons:
  • A file sharing application such as Team Viewer can give a malicious actor full access to your computer.
  • File sharing applications can be used as launchpads for malware and viruses
• Refrain from clicking ads on social media or email that redirect to sites where you have to download software of any kind.
• Avoid downloading unsolicited attachments.
• If you have to use portable media on your computer, scan it with the help of antivirus software.
• Always have your antivirus software on and up-to-date. This will help prevent infections from malware.

Lastly but most importantly, clean your computer often with a reliable Mac repair tool, such as Tweakbit MacRepair. This will remove any performance limiting issues like registry entry errors, and junk files.

(Updated on 11/6/2017)So, here’s a quick question: how long does it take for your Mac to start up? A minute? Two minutes? Five? Or just too long? One possible reason your Mac may be slow out of the blocks is that it’s trying to launch a slew of programs all at the same time.

Now, some of these programs might be actually be ones that you do want to launch automatically, such as the Safari web browser, or Apple Mail. But other, not-so-necessary programs may be piling up in your Mac’s “login items” list, too—ones that set themselves to launch automatically without asking first.

Another factor that may be slowing down your system is the Mac’s “Resume” feature, which re-opens any and all apps you had running when you shut down your Mac. That could lead to a crush of apps all trying to launch themselves at startup.

Last but not least, you may have specific programs on your Mac with “Launch at Startup” settings that you’ll need to find and disable.

Now, if you’re the patient type, waiting a little longer for your Mac to boot up so that your programs appear just as you left them might be a fair trade-off.

But if you’d rather shave a few seconds—or even minutes—off the time it takes for your Mac to settle down after hitting the power button, read on.

1. Cross items off your Mac’s “Login Items” list

Your Mac launches a series of programs each and every time it starts up. Some of these programs are critical for the smooth operation of your system; others, not so much.

To see a list of all the programs your Mac opens automatically, click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen, select System Preferences, click the “User & Groups” icon (it’s under the “System” heading), pick a user (you, most likely), and finally click the “Login Items” tab.

You should now see a list of everything your Mac is launching (or trying to launch, anyway) whenever it starts up.

Some of the items will be easy to identify—in my case, I’ve got Dropbox and Google Drive (the handy file-sharing apps) listed, as well as something called an “Eye-Fi Helper” (an app that lets my Mac receive wireless images from my digital camera) and “AirPort Base Station Agent” (which keeps tabs on my AirPort Wi-Fi base station).

To delete these or other startup items from the list (but not from your Mac, mind you), just select them and click the “-” button at the bottom of the list.

2. Keep “Resume” from re-launching previously open apps

Don’t get me wrong—”Resume” is one of the handiest Mac features, especially for those of us who like to pick up in Safari or the Calendar app right where we left off.

But if you don’t want Resume relentlessly re-launching all the apps you had open when you last shut down your Mac, you can stop it from doing so.

The next time you select Shut Down or Restart from the Apple menu, take a closer look at the window that pops up; in addition to the “Cancel” and “Shut Down” or “Restart” buttons, you’ll also see a checkbox labeled “Reopen windows when logging back in.”

Click the box to clear out the checkmark, and the only apps that’ll re-launch the next time your power on your Mac are those listed in the Login Items menu.

3. Check for program-specific “Launch at Startup” settings

So, you emptied the “Login Items” list and turned off the Resume feature, but there’s still a program that’s launching itself at startup. What gives? Well, it could be that the stubborn program has its own “Launch at Startup” setting.

Open the program, make sure it’s the active app on your desktop (just click its window if it isn’t), then find its Preferences menu; generally speaking, you’ll find it under its main menu in the Mac menu bar (like “Spotify” in the case of Spotify).

Once you’ve opened the program’s Preferences menu, look around for a “Launch at Startup” setting. If there are lots of different Preferences categories, start with “General,” then try “Advanced.” (In Spotify’s case, I found a “Open Spotify automatically after you log into the computer” setting under its “Advanced” settings.)

Found the “Launch at Startup” (or the equivalent) setting? Go ahead and disable it, then rinse and repeat for any other programs that are still launching themselves when you turn on your Mac.