13 Ways to Fix If Chrome Won’t Download Files

Google Chrome isn’t the default browser on Windows or Mac. Yet most users prefer it due to rich extension support, fast performance, and cross-platform availability. That said, the browser fails to respond, changes the search engine to Yahoo, and doesn’t complete the file downloads at times. The latter is irritating and confusing to users. Here’s what to do if Chrome won’t download your files.

Microsoft Store and the Mac App Store don’t house every popular app. You may need to download it from Google Chrome occasionally. Some also prefer Google’s web browser to download music, videos, and files. Google Chrome not completing downloads leaves you with broken, unusable files. Let’s fix the issue once and for all.

1. Try to Download Again

As odd as this may sound, you can pause or cancel the current download. Then, you may start the same download again after a few seconds. Here’s how you can do that.

Step 1: With Chrome open, click the kebab menu (three vertical dots) in the top-right corner.

Step 2: Click Downloads to check all the current queue of downloads.

Click the ‘x’ mark beside the download process to cancel it. Head to the same webpage to download the file again.

2. Check the Internet Connection

Due to a slow and intermittent internet connection, Chrome downloads may get stuck and take forever to complete the process. You’ll need to run tests for the internet speeds on your desktop before starting the download process.

If you use Wi-Fi to connect your computer to the internet, we recommend switching to the 5GHz frequency band if you have a dual-band router.

Step 1: Press the Windows + I keys to open the Settings app.

Step 2: Select ‘Network & internet’ from the left sidebar.

Step 3: Make sure the Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection says ‘Connected’ and check properties from the same.

If Wi-Fi is giving you trouble, use the LAN (Ethernet) cable with your computer to establish a reliable connection. Mac users can follow the steps below.

Step 1: Click the Apple icon in the top left corner and open System Settings.

Step 2: Select Wi-Fi and confirm the ‘Connected’ status.

3. Pause Other Download and Streaming Processes

If you are streaming the latest Netflix show or Spotify playlist in the background, it may consume major internet bandwidth. You’ll need to pause the download or update process from the Microsoft Store. After you have no active download process running in the background, you can start the same in Google Chrome for an error-free process.

4. Use a VPN and Try Again

Some websites prioritize specific regions to avoid an excessive load on servers. If the download process is slow in your region, you can try changing the IP address and using another server to start the download process.

When we tried to download a few videos from a website, we got download speeds in Kbps (even on a 100Mbps) connection. We used a VPN network to connect to one of the servers in the US. After we started the download process again, Google Chrome completed the process in no time.

5. Check Company Servers

If the website servers are overloaded with high traffic, Google Chrome won’t complete the download process. You’ll need to wait for the admin to fix the issues and try again after some time.

6. Clear Google Chrome Cache

Corrupt or outdated cache may lead to issues like Google Chrome can’t complete downloads problems. You can clear the cache from a specific website and try again.

Step 1: Head to an affected website and click the horizontal lines in the address bar.

Step 2: Open Site settings.

Step 3: Delete data from the following menu.

If the issue persists, clear the Chrome browser cache.

Step 1: Open the kebab (three vertical dots) menu in Google Chrome (refer to the steps above).

Step 2: Expand ‘More tools’ and open ‘Clear browsing data.’

Step 3: Slide to the Advanced menu and hit Clear data.

Restart Google Chrome and try downloading files from the web.

7. Check Device Space

If your Windows PC or Mac has low space, you may face errors when completing downloads from Google Chrome. You should check the storage breakdown on your desktop and take the necessary steps before starting a download process.

Windows

Step 1: Press the Windows + I keys to open Settings.

Step 2: Select System and open the Storage menu.

Step 3: Check the storage breakdown on your PC. You can expand Advanced storage settings and go through suggestions to free up space.

You can also read our dedicated post to free up space on Windows.

Mac

Step 1: Head to System Settings on Mac (check the steps above).

Step 2: Scroll to General and open the Storage menu.

Step 3: Check the space breakdown. Check the recommendations to free up space if your Mac is low on storage.

8. Try Another Google Chrome Profile

You can try another Google Chrome profile and complete downloads in no time.

Step 1: Launch Google Chrome and click your account picture in the top-right corner.

Step 2: Click Add.

Step 3: Sign in with your Google account details and try again.

You can also click the three-dot menu at the top and open Chrome’s private mode to complete downloads. It disables all the extensions on the Chrome browser.

9. Remove Google Chrome Extensions

If your Chrome downloads work fine in the private mode, one of the installed extensions is the main culprit here. You should uninstall unnecessary Chrome extensions and try again.

Step 1: Launch Google Chrome and click the three-dot menu at the top. Expand Extensions and select Manage Extensions.

Step 2: Disable or uninstall unnecessary Chrome extensions.

10. Disable Third-Party Anti-Virus Apps

An active third-party anti-virus app may block the download process for security reasons. You should completely close such apps in the background for an error-free download process in Google Chrome.

11. Tweak DNS Settings

If your local ISP or network admin has blocked your IP address due to excessive data downloads, you may run into errors like downloads not working in Google Chrome. You may also notice a download failed network error. The issue is more apparent on public Wi-Fi networks or school networks. You should change the DNS settings and try again. You can check our dedicated post to tweak DNS servers on Windows.

Mac users can go through the steps below to tweak DNS settings.

Step 1: Head to Mac System Settings (refer to the steps above).

Step 2: Click Wi-Fi and open Wi-Fi details.

Step 3: Select TCP/IP, expand Configure IPv6, and select Manually.

Step 4: You can use Google DNS like 8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4 and try again.

12. Update Google Chrome

Google frequently releases updates with new features and bug fixes. Chrome downloads not finishing might be due to an outdated browser on your desktop. Let’s update Google Chrome to the latest version. Shall we?

Step 1: Open the kebab menu in Google Chrome. Head to Settings.

Step 2: Select About Chrome from the left sidebar, and the browser will start installing the update.

Step 3: Restart Google Chrome to complete the update.

13. Try Google Chrome Alternatives

If Google Chrome downloads are still stuck, it’s time to ditch it in favor of other Chromium browsers. You can go with Microsoft Edge, Brave, or Vivaldi without losing access to your preferred browser extensions.

Complete Downloads in Google Chrome

Google Chrome not completing downloads may frustrate you. Watching abysmal download speeds on a fast internet connection even gets painful. Which trick worked for you? Share your findings in the comments below.