All files download INSIDE a Safari tab - not in Downloads window

Question

One of my several Macs has now developed a very annoying problem. Anytime I click on any weblink that links to a file (say, a ZIP), that ZIP doesn't auto-open in Safari's Downloads window. Instead, Safari opens a new tab and tries to download it in a dark gray window, but never completes downloading the file. See the linked screenshot.
http://www.daviddas.com/clients/safariproblem.png
I can't figure out how to fix it. Any help? (Note: if I copy the URL to the clipboard, open a new tab, and hit option-return, I can successfully force Safari to download it. However this is a tedious workaround every time I want to download a file, and it doesn't work when a more complex PHP app is not giving me the file's true URL.)

Answer 1

HI,
Go to Safari/Preferences and click the General tab.
If you have the Safari preference "Open 'safe' files after downloading" selected, and Safari considered that a downloaded file was safe:
*Safari will automatically open the file after it's downloaded.*
*If the downloaded file is an archive (.zip file), Safari will decompress it.*
*If the downloaded file is a disk image (.img file), Safari will mount the image volume.*
*If Download Validation cannot determine that a downloaded file is safe, it will be stored in your default download directory just as if the "Open 'safe' files after downloading" preference was disabled.*
If Download Validation determines that a downloaded file is unsafe, you will be asked if you wish to download or cancel. If you download the file, it will be placed in your download location, as configured in Safari preferences. If you cancel, it will be saved as a web download in your download location, as configured by Safari preferences. It will be named the same as the original file with ".download" at the end of it. This can be moved to the Trash.
Carolyn