How to Fix Chrome Download Problems

Many users experience issues with Google Chrome not downloading files correctly, which can be frustrating. Whether you encounter a download stuck at 100%, a “Download failed” error, or Chrome not downloading files at all, this guide will help you resolve these common download problems.

Quick Fixes to Try First

1. Check your internet connection by loading other websites.
2. Pause and resume the download.
3. Cancel and restart the download.
4. Try downloading in Incognito mode (Ctrl+Shift+N / Cmd+Shift+N).
5. Try a different download link if available.
6. Check if you have sufficient disk space.

Solution 1 – Check Download Location and Permissions

Windows

1. Go to chrome://settings/downloads.
2. Check the download location path.
3. Ensure you have write permissions to that folder.
4. Try changing the location to Desktop.
5. Make sure the drive has enough free space.

Mac

1. Open Chrome menu and go to Settings > Downloads.
2. Check the download location (usually the Downloads folder).
3. Ensure proper permissions: System Settings > Privacy & Security > Files and Folders.

Linux

1. Check chrome://settings/downloads for location.
2. Verify folder permissions with ls -la command.
3. Change ownership if needed: sudo chown -R $USER:$USER ~/Downloads.

Solution 2 – Clear Browser Data

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Cmd+Shift+Delete on Mac).
2. Select “Cached images and files” and “Cookies and other site data”.
3. Choose “All time” as the time range.
4. Click “Clear data”.
5. Restart Chrome and retry the download.

Solution 3 – Disable Extensions Blocking Downloads

1. Go to chrome://extensions.
2. Disable all extensions, especially:
   • Ad blockers (e.g., uBlock Origin, AdBlock)
   • Security/antivirus extensions
   • Download manager extensions
   • Privacy extensions
3. Try the download again.
4. Re-enable extensions one by one to find the problematic one.

Solution 4 – Disable Antivirus Temporarily

Windows

1. Go to Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Manage settings.
2. Turn off Real-time protection temporarily.
3. Or add Chrome/download folder to exclusions.
4. Re-enable after the download completes.

Mac

1. Check third-party antivirus settings.
2. Add the download folder to the exclusions list.

Common antivirus software that might block downloads include Norton, McAfee, Kaspersky, Avast, and AVG.

Solution 5 – Fix “Virus Scan Failed” Error

Windows

1. Open Registry Editor (regedit).
2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Attachments.
3. Set SaveZoneInformation to 1.
4. Or disable “Scan downloads” in antivirus settings.

Alternatively, try downloading in Incognito mode, or use Chrome Canary or another browser temporarily.

Solution 6 – Reset Chrome Settings

1. Go to chrome://settings/reset.
2. Click “Restore settings to their original defaults”.
3. Confirm by clicking “Reset settings”.
4. This keeps bookmarks and passwords but resets other settings.
5. Retry the download after the reset.

Solution 7 – Allow Downloads in Chrome Settings

1. Go to chrome://settings/content/automaticDownloads.
2. Ensure “Sites can ask to automatically download multiple files” is enabled.
3. Check if the specific site is blocked and remove it from the blocked list if needed.

Also check: chrome://settings/security – Safe Browsing settings. Disable “Enhanced protection” temporarily to test.

Solution 8 – Fix Download Stuck at 100%

1. Wait a few minutes as large files may need time to write to disk.
2. Check Task Manager for disk activity.
3. Try downloading to a different drive (HDD vs SSD).
4. Clear Chrome cache and retry.
5. Disable “Ask where to save” option temporarily.
6. Check if antivirus is scanning the completed file.

Solution 9 – Fix Slow Downloads

1. Close unused tabs to free up memory.
2. Disable extensions that might throttle downloads.
3. Try downloading at off-peak hours.
4. Check if your ISP is throttling downloads.
5. Use a download manager extension like Chrono.
6. Try using Chrome flag: chrome://flags/#enable-parallel-downloading.

Solution 10 – Update or Reinstall Chrome

1. Go to chrome://settings/help.
2. Install any available updates.
3. If issues persist, uninstall Chrome completely.
4. Delete Chrome data folder:
   • Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome
   • Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome
5. Reinstall from google.com/chrome.

Solution 11 – Check Windows Attachment Manager

Windows blocks certain file types by default:

1. Open gpedit.msc (Group Policy Editor).
2. Navigate to: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Attachment Manager.
3. Enable “Do not preserve zone information in file attachments”.
4. This prevents Windows from blocking downloaded files.

Solution 12 – Fix Network Errors

1. Flush DNS: ipconfig /flushdns (Windows) or sudo dscacheutil -flushcache (Mac).
2. Reset network adapter: Settings > Network > Network reset.
3. Try different DNS servers (Google: 8.8.8.8, Cloudflare: 1.1.1.1).
4. Disable VPN if using one.
5. Try downloading on a different network (e.g., mobile hotspot).

Mobile Solutions

Android

1. Check storage space: Settings > Storage.
2. Clear Chrome app cache: Settings > Apps > Chrome > Clear Cache.
3. Check download permissions: Settings > Apps > Chrome > Permissions > Storage.
4. Try downloading to internal storage instead of SD card.
5. Update Chrome from Play Store.

iOS

1. Check available storage: Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
2. Downloads on iOS are limited – files must be supported by iOS.
3. Try opening files directly instead of downloading.
4. Use Chrome menu > Downloads to access downloaded files.
5. Clear Chrome data: Settings > Chrome > Clear Browsing Data.

Advanced Solutions

• Check proxy settings: chrome://settings/system > Open proxy settings.
• Disable hardware acceleration: chrome://settings/system.
• Run Chrome as administrator (Windows).
• Create a new Chrome profile to test: chrome://settings/manageProfile.

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve most issues with Chrome downloads, including when downloads are stuck, fail, or are extremely slow. If problems persist, consider reaching out to Chrome support for further assistance.