How to fix “The source file could not be read” error in Firefox?

Question

Problem: How to fix “The source file could not be read” error in Firefox?

I cannot download the necessary files from the Internet using the Firefox browser. I get a message that the source file could not be read. I have tried downloading and saving files using other browsers, so I think the problem is related to Firefox itself. How can I solve that?

Resolved answer

“Source file could not be read” is an error that can occur when users try to download files from the Internet and save them to their preferred location using the Mozilla Firefox browser. The error message may appear when downloading any type of files, including music, games, documents, etc.

Instead of executing the download process, the browser returns the following error message:

“Could not be saved, because the source file could not be read. Try again later, or contact the server administrator. “

Although users encounter the error “The source file could not be read” in Firefox, the problem has also been seen in other browsers, including Google Chrome or MS Edge. The error message does not seem to provide any solutions, as trying later is also unsuccessful.

One of the main sources of the problem is the loss of Internet connection. Therefore, if Firefox gives you this error, you have to make sure that you are connected to the Internet. However, if you keep trying again and the message keeps appearing, you should try the methods below to fix Firefox’s “Could not save because the source file could not be read” error.

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Methods to solve the error “Could not save because the source file could not be read”

Method 1. Check the Internet connection

You should start to solve the problem with the simplest option – check your Internet connection. However, if you can access other web pages without any problem, you should try other methods to fix the Firefox error.

Method 2. Find and remove the corrupt Compreg.dat file

File corruption is one of the most popular sources of various errors. In this case, the error “The source file could not be read” is often related to the corruption of the Compreg.dat file. Therefore, you have to remove it:

1. Opens Firefox.
2. type in the browser tab about: support and press Enter.
3. In the new tab find the option Open Folder (or Show Folder) to open the folder of the firefox profile.
4. Close Firefox
5. Right click on the file Compreg.dat in the Firefox profile folder and choose Remove from the drop-down menu.

Method 3. Turn off Firefox extensions

Sometimes Firefox extensions can cause a lot of problems. Therefore, you should check if there is something that may also be causing the error “Could not save because the source file could not be read”. Disable them and try to download the necessary files:

1. Opens Firefox and access the menu.
2. Go to Add-ons and click on Extensions.
3. Click on the button To disable next to the installed extensions.

Additionally, you can click on the button Remove to remove them completely.

Method 4. Check if Attributes for Places.sqlite is not set to read-only

If the Attributes setting for Places.sqlite is set to read-only, it may be the reason why you are dealing with this error in Firefox. Therefore, you should check and adjust these settings if necessary:

1. Open Firefox.
2. Writes about: support in the address bar and click Enter.
3. Click on the button Open Folder to open the folder Firefox profiles in the File Browser.
4. In the folder that appears, find places.sqlite, right click on it and choose Properties from the menu.
5. Window places.sqlite Properties will appear. Clear the option box Read only in the section of Attributes.
6. Click on Apply and then in To accept to save the changes.

Method 5. Restart / Refresh the browser

If none of the methods have helped you to get rid of the error “The source file could not be read”, you have to restart the browser. Currently, Firefox has the option to refresh instead of restart. However, it still restores the default browser settings. Follow the guide to refresh Firefox:

1. Open your browser.
2. Writes about: support in the address bar and hit Enter.
3. In the tab Troubleshooter Information, find the button Refresh Firefox …
4. The dialog window will appear Click again on Refresh Firefox.

Method 6. Disable the VPN

Some users have reported that the problem occurs when using a VPN. Therefore, you should disable the connection through it, trying to download the file without it. If you need to download the file while remaining anonymous, you can try using a different VPN service, such as Private Internet Access.

Alternatively, you can also use the Tor browser to remain anonymous, but the download speed within the tor network is abysmal, so you will have to wait, regardless of the capabilities of your internet connection.

Method 7. Reinstall Firefox

You can try uninstalling and reinstalling Firefox to fix the “Could not save because source file could not be read” error.

• Writes Control Panel in Windows search and press Enter.
• Go to Programs> Uninstall a Program.
• Here, find the entrance Mozilla Firefox.
• Right click in it and select Uninstall.
• Follow the onscreen instructions to finish the process.
• Now go to the Firefox official download page and reinstall the app.

If you have any questions regarding “Source file could not be read”, or are encountering other complicated errors, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will do our best to provide further assistance.

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