[Solved] Unable to download files in Google Chrome browser

On this page, you'll find two solutions – simple and advanced – to help you fix the "Google Chrome won't download files" issue. If Chrome is now able to download files, feel free to pick any method from here to resolve the problem on your own:

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User Scenario: Unable to Download Files on Google Chrome

"Why has Google Chrome stopped letting me download files? I used to be able to easily download email attachments, images, and music. But since last week, it's not downloading any type of file from any website. What's going on?"

Google Chrome is a sleek and powerful browser that's loved by many. Lately, though, I've noticed a hot topic on various forums: issues with downloading files in Chrome!

When you click on a download button or icon on a webpage, the request doesn't respond. Or, the download prompt that's supposed to let you choose where to save the downloaded content doesn't show up as usual. After multiple searches online, Chrome enthusiasts report that they still can't find an exact fix for this issue.

First, learn to recover Chrome history and bookmarks.

Some fixes restore the browser to its original default settings or delete the Google folder. If you lose your browsing history or bookmarks in the process, don't worry. We have a data recovery plan to help you restore Chrome history on Windows and recover Chrome bookmarks on a Mac.

Since Google Chrome has a temporary folder that stores some cached files related to your browsing history and bookmarks, you can use one of the powerful third-party hard drive recovery utilities like Data Recovery Wizard to retrieve lost or missing Chrome data from its temp folder, even if the folder has been deleted from your local disk.

The Tool File Recovery Utility has the following prominent features:

• Recover Deleted Files on Windows 10 & Windows 11
• Restore over 1000 types of files from HDD, SSD, SD cards, USB drives, USB flash drives, external hard drives, and more
• Retrieve deleted files from Mac after emptying the Trash
• Repair corrupted files, including fixing damaged photos, videos, and documents on both Windows and Mac

Easily recover lost files. Download this free file recovery software now.

Step 1: Select the hard drive and start scanning

Launch the Data Recovery Wizard, and then hover the mouse over the partition where you lost your data. This could be an internal hard drive, an external disk, a USB, or an SD card. Then, click “Scan.”

Step 2: Preview and select the scanned files

Narrow down the scan results by using the file type filter on the left or in the top-right corner until you find the file you need. Then, click the “Preview” button or double-click the file to preview its content (if necessary).

Step 3: Recover the lost data to a secure location

Select the files you wish to recover and click “Recover” to save your lost data to a secure location. We recommend that you do not save the recovered data on the same disk from which it was lost.

Here, we present multiple methods to fix Google Chrome's inability to download files, starting with simple tricks you can try first and proceeding with more in-depth troubleshooting techniques. Hopefully, one of them will do the trick and get your favorite browser back on track.

Quick Tips to Fix Chrome's Inability to Download Files

According to the instructions on the Google Chrome Help page about how to fix file download errors in Chrome, if you receive an error message while trying to download an app, theme, or other file, try the troubleshooting steps to fix most file download errors:

• Make sure your internet connection is working properly. If it's unstable, address the issues with your internet connectivity.
• Try downloading the file again later.
• Contact the website owner.

There, you'll find more “error messages” related to issues you might have when downloading files with Chrome, such as a network failure, download interrupted, no file, virus scan failed, disk full, insufficient permissions, system busy, requiring authentication, or blocked. Any of these errors can prevent Chrome from downloading a file.

If the simple solutions above don't work, don't worry. There are other possible fixes you can try to resolve the “Chrome won't download files” issue.

More fixes for the "Chrome can't download files" error

Some people are not so lucky and can't download anything in Chrome at all. What's worse, their downloads fail without any error or warning message, leaving them clueless about what the problem might be. After reading countless stories on how to fix Chrome download issues, we've narrowed it down to four effective solutions that should solve the problem once and for all.

Method 1: Do Some Basic Cleaning

You can try clearing your entire browsing history and cache, running the Chrome Cleanup Tool, and resetting your settings to Chrome's original defaults. If you want to back up or export your Chrome history and cookies before doing so, you can do that as well.

Clearing browsing history and cache in Google Chrome:

Step 1: Open Google Chrome on your computer and click on "More" (three dots) > "More tools" > "Clear browsing data…"

Step 2: Select the content you wish to delete, then tap “Clear Data.”

Run the Chrome Cleanup Tool:

The Chrome Cleanup Tool can detect and remove harmful software from your computer. Running this tool might fix a “Chrome won't download files” issue that's caused by malware.

Step 1: Open Google Chrome on your computer.

Step 2. In the top right, click “More” (the three dots) and select “Settings.”

Step 3: Scroll down to the bottom, and tap “Advanced.”

Step 4. Under Reset and clean up, click Clean PC > Find.

Reset Chrome:

Step 1. Open Google Chrome on your computer.

Step 2. Tap on the “More options” icon (the three dots) in the top-right corner, and select “Settings.”

Step 3: Scroll to the bottom, and click “Advanced.”

4. Under “Reset and clean up,” click “Restore settings to their default values,” and then click “Reset settings” to confirm.

Keep in mind that resetting Chrome will revert settings like your homepage, new tab page, and pinned tabs to their defaults. It will also disable all extensions and clear temporary data like cookies. However, other files like your bookmarks, history, and saved passwords won't be deleted. If you want to restore your cookies without a backup, learn how to recover cache files in Google Chrome here.

Method 2: Clear the Use hardware acceleration when available checkbox

Step 1. Go to Chrome menu > Settings > Show advanced settings.

Step 2. Under the System section, uncheck Use hardware acceleration when available.

Step 3: Restart Chrome.

Method 3: Reinstall Google Chrome

To completely uninstall Google Chrome, you must first uninstall it through Settings, and then go to the Registry to delete all Google folders.

Uninstall Google Chrome:

Step 1: Click the Windows icon, then select “Settings” (the gear icon).

Step 2. Select Apps > Apps and features.

Step 3: Find “Google Chrome,” and then click on “Uninstall.”

Delete all Google folders from the registry:

Step 1: Press the "Win + R" keys and type in regedit.

< strong > Step 2. Navigate to < em > Computer > < em > HKEY_CURRENT_USER > < em > Software.

Step 3: Right-click on “Google” and select “Delete.”

Step 4. Go into the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" folder, and then click "SOFTWARE."

5. Right-click on “Google” and select “Delete.”

You have now successfully uninstalled Google Chrome from your computer. Proceed to the Microsoft Store to reinstall Google Chrome and see if the “Chrome can't download files” issue persists.

Method 4: Disable Download Managers and Similar Extensions

Disable all extensions that act as download managers, since they might interfere with Chrome's file downloads.

Step 1: Open Chrome, click on the "More" (three dots) in the top-right corner, then navigate to "More tools" > "Extensions."

Step 2. You'll then see all the extensions that are enabled in Chrome.

Step 3: Toggle the button to disable any extensions related to downloading. (The extensions shown here are not download managers, but you would use the same method to disable the ones you want to turn off.)