I saved web page as html file, but can't open saved file as web page
I did a FILE, SAVE PAGE AS, then chose 'WEB PAGE COMPLETE' - and a directory is created on my hard drive - with the directory name, for example - "c:\....\Ask a Question _ Mozilla Support.htm". (for this web page).
When I try to open the saved web page from Firefox, using FILE, OPEN, I see a new window that looks like a file manager window, I then select that saved .html file and click OPEN, and a new window opens that looks like file manager - displaying with all the files in that directory - "Ask a Question _ Mozilla Support.htm". That is, it does not open and dislpay the web page as I expect it should (that I saved earlier).
However, if I go to the file manager, I can see that directory is saved, and has the Windows Explorer icon associated with the directory "ask a question ....html", and also has a file type of HTML listed. If I double click that directory in file manager, Windows Explorer will open that directory and dis[play it as a web page, as I expected.
I would like to know why Firefox does not open the directory name as a web page from the FILE, OPEN command, but instead shows me the directory contents(all the files in that directory)?
BTW, if I try FILE, OPEN, using Windows Explorer the same thing happens - it opens a new window listing all the files in that directory.
Is this the way the FILE, OPEN is supposed to work?
It seems confusing, because if I am in any other program, for example WinWord, and do a FILE, OPEN command on a Word file, it opens the file as a Word Document - it does not just show the file in a "file manager window.
But when I click FILE, OPEN on an HTML file(directory using Firefox, it does not open that html directory as a web page?
All Replies (7)
Firefox uses a *_files directory to store additional (image and CSS and JS) files used on a saved web page.
You need to open the HTML file to make Firefox display the content.
See also:
- Mozilla Archive Format: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/mozilla-archive-format/
When you use the "complete" option, Firefox saves a .htm or .html file and also a folder of files used in the page (this is not guaranteed to be complete, but should have the inline images, for example). Make sure you open the HTML file and not the folder.
Edit: It might be helpful to use the Details view to more clearly distinguish the file types.
Ilungisiwe ngu jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
I am in the Windows Explorer 'Details' view, and I see the folder with 'Type' of FILE FOLDER. In that folder are all the .js and .css and .png files - as cor-el said.
But now I also see that there is also an htm file - with the exact same name as the folder, but it has a 'Type' of 'HTML Document'. When I have Firefox do a File, Open on the HTML Document - it does open the web page that I saved and does display it as a web page.
I did not realize that Firefox saves both:
1) a Directory (Type 'File Folder') ', and,
2) an html file (Type 'HTML Document')
... and that they are the exact same names!
I was clicking on the wrong one! Instead of clicking in the .html file, I was incorrectly clicking on the folder!
(The archive add on looks interesting, but shouldn't I be able to open the saved web page, from the browser, using File, Open File) ?
the add-on makes it possible to save the complete page in one archive, so you do not end up with an HTML file and a folder. That is easy for backing up a saved page to an USB jump drive or external hard drive and for placing a such a file on the desktop.
So what are the other differences save as 'web page' vs 'web page complete' in regards to what files and what content is saved - besides the 'web page complete' option saving both a FOLDER and an HTML FILE?
If you use save as "Web Page" then you only save the main html page and not additional files, so you won't be able to display the file properly as you are missing the additional files. It can work if there are only absolute references in the HTML file, but will fail in case of relative references. You can try to edit the HTML file in this case and add a <base href="<link to domain>"> element to link to the website form where you saved the file.
Hi mnalep, it depends on your purpose in saving the page. If you want the source of the page as it was sent to Firefox, save as web page "HTML only". When you save web page "Complete" then the file is edited to incorporate the files in the accompanying folder instead of linking back to the website. Neither of these is guaranteed to capture dynamically inserted content. You can hedge your bets by printing to PDF or using an add-on to generated a PDF of the page.