Files disappear when downloaded to desktop

[Thank The Cheese]

This is a weird one. It's difficult for me to explain, so I have provided a link to a video I quickly created which shows what is happening:

View video (132KB Quicktime Movie, H.264)
Will only host this movie for a day or two

What is happening in the video:

1. I download a .tar file through safari, which saves to the desktop. The download completes, but leaves an incomplete ".download" file on the desktop, as though the download failed.

2. I click on the file on the desktop, only to have it disappear.

3. I go into the finder and move to the Desktop, then perform a search for the file I just downloaded. It appears in the list.

4. I click once on the file, only to have it now appear on the desktop, too.

5. From that point on, the file will never disappear again.



This has been happening for months, and I keep thinking it will be fixed in the next 10.4.x update, but several OS X updates later it is still happening. It is a relatively minor issue, but something that does irritate me on a daily basis.

This only happens for files saved to the desktop, and occurs when using both Safari and Firefox.

Specs:
MacBook Pro (see signature) -- does not happen to my iMac
OS X 10.4.8 (always update using the Combo updater)
Permissions repaired


Any ideas on what is happening?

 

[nixgeek]

Has this happened with any other browsers?

 

[Flying Meat]

My guess is that if you do not click on that *.download file, that the file will still disappear on it's own, then appear again with the appropriate icon and file name.
At least that is what's supposed to happen...
Did you try creating a new user account on the machine and downloading a file logged in as that new user?

Any Finder/contextual menu hax installed?

 

[Thank The Cheese]

Thanks for the replies.

@nix: yes, it happens in Firefox, too. Have not tried other browsers.

@Flying Meat: Thats a good idea, creating a new account. I just did so and the problem doesn't seem to happen with the new account. Having said that though, it is currently not happening on my regular account either (the problem comes and goes).

I guess the next step is to wait until it happens again and then start terminating processes, one by one. I'm wondering if maybe a Net app that is running is causing the issue. Will post back with results.