Users have reported the issue of not being able to download files in Google Chrome, while previously they had no problem downloading PDF files, photos, music, books and email attachments.
If Google Chrome is not downloading an app or program, the problem could be due to installation of third-party apps being disabled on the computer or due to the download being blocked by the antivirus program installed on the computer.
In other cases, the reason for this problem could be due to the browser cache being corrupted, incompatible browser extensions/plugins, the browser being unable to write to its default save location and other reasons.
Google Chrome Not Downloading Files
If Google Chrome browser is not downloading files on your computer, you should be to fix the problem using the following troubleshooting steps.
1. Download Using the Link
The problem could simply be due to the download button on the download page being stuck or not functioning properly.
In such cases, you should be able to download the file by right-clicking on the download link (not the Download button) and selecting Save As option.
2. Try Incognito Mode
If the above method did not work, try to download the file by switching Google Chrome to Incognito mode.
1. Open the Google Chrome browser on your computer.
2. Click on 3-dots menu icon and select New Incognito Window option in the drop-down menu.
3. Once you are in Incognito mode, try to download the file again.
3. Update Chrome Browser
Make sure that you are using the latest version of Google Chrome browser on your computer.
1. Open the Google Chrome browser on your computer.
2. Click on 3-dots menu icon > Hoover mouse over Help and click on About Google Chrome.
3. On the next screen, wait for Google Chrome to check and apply the Updates (if available).
4. Clear Browser Cache & Cookies
1. Open the Google Chrome browser on your computer.
2. On the browser screen, click on 3-dots menu icon > select Delete Browsing Data option in the drop-down menu.
3. On the next screen, switch to Advanced tab > select All Time as the Time Range > make sure Passwords and other sign-in data and Autofill form data entries are selected and click on Clear Data button.
4. After clearing browsing cache, try to download the file again on your computer.
5. Disable Browser Extensions
As mentioned above, incompatible browser extensions can block certain file downloads and interfere with proper functioning of the Chrome browser.
1. Open the Google Chrome browser on your computer.
2. Click on 3-dots menu icon > Hoover mouse over Extension > click on Manage Extensions.
3. On the next screen, you can disable extensions by moving the toggle to OFF position and delete extensions by clicking on the Remove option.
Note: If an extension is unnecessary, click on Remove to uninstall the extension.
4. Restart the browser and try to download the file again.
6. Reset Google Chrome to Default Settings
You can reset the Google Chrome browser on your computer to its original default settings and see if this helps in fixing the issue.
1. Open Google Chrome > click on 3-dots menu icon and select Settings in the drop-down menu.
2. On the Settings screen, select Reset Settings in the left-pane. In the right-pane, click on Restore Settings to their original defaults option.
3. On the confirmation pop-up, click on Reset Settings button to confirm.
7. Enable Installation of Third-party Apps
This fix is applicable, only if you are unable to download third-party apps and programs on your Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer.
As mentioned above, the reason for this issue is due to Installation of third-party apps being disabled on your device.
1. Open Settings > click on the Apps tab in the left-pane. In the right-pane, click on Apps & Features tab.
2. On Apps & Features screen, click on the Down Arrow next to “Choose where to gets Apps” entry and select Anywhere or Warn while installing Non Microsoft Apps option.
After this, you should be able to download Install Google Chrome on your computer.
Windows 10: Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & Features > select Anywhere or Warn while installing Non Microsoft Apps option.
8. Change Chrome Download Location
The problem could be due to the path to default Chrome download location (Downloads Folder) becoming corrupted. Hence, change the download location to Desktop and try to download the file again.
1. Open Google Chrome > click on 3 dots Menu Icon and select Settings in the drop-down menu.
2. On the settings screen, select Downloads in the left pane and click on the Change button in the right-pane.
Note: Make sure “Ask Where to Save Each File Before Downloading” option is turned OFF.
3. On the next screen, select Desktop and click on Select Folder button.
After this, try to download the file again.
9. Reinstall Chrome
If above methods did not help, the installation of Chrome browser on your computer might be corrupted. The only remaining option in this case is to delete and Reinstall Google Chrome browser on your computer.