A .crdownload file is a temporary file that Chrome creates while downloading something
When you download a file using Google Chrome, the browser doesn't save it with its final name right away. Instead, it creates a temporary file with the .crdownload extension while the download is still in progress. Once the download finishes, Chrome renames the file to its proper name and removes the .crdownload extension. You should never need to open a .crdownload file directly — it's just Chrome's way of keeping track of incomplete downloads.
If you see a .crdownload file sitting on your computer, it means one of three things: the download was interrupted before it finished, Chrome crashed during the download, or you paused the download and never resumed it. In most cases, you can simply delete the file and start the download again.
Key Takeaways
- A .crdownload file is a temporary file Chrome creates during downloads and automatically removes when the download completes.
- If you see a .crdownload file on your computer, the download was interrupted, paused, or Chrome closed before finishing.
- You cannot open a .crdownload file because it is incomplete — you need to finish or restart the download to get the actual file.
- Deleting .crdownload files is safe and will not harm your computer or other downloads.
Why you cannot open a .crdownload file
A .crdownload file is incomplete by definition. It contains only part of the file you were trying to download, so opening it will not work. If you try to open it with any program, you will either get an error message or the program will open but show corrupted or blank content.
The file is also locked while Chrome is still using it. Even if you rename it to remove the .crdownload extension, the incomplete data inside means it will not function as the original file was meant to. The only way to get a working version of what you were downloading is to complete the download process.
How to resume an interrupted download in Chrome
If you have a .crdownload file because your download was paused or interrupted, you can often resume it without starting over. Open Chrome and press Ctrl + J on Windows or Command + Shift + J on Mac to open your Downloads page. Look for the download that shows as paused or incomplete.
If the download is paused, you will see a pause icon next to it. Click the resume arrow (the play button) to continue the download from where it stopped. Chrome will pick up where it left off and finish downloading the file. Once it completes, the .crdownload file will automatically be renamed to the correct filename.
If the download is no longer listed on your Downloads page, the file may have been lost when Chrome closed. In that case, navigate back to where you were downloading the file from and start the download again. Delete the old .crdownload file from your Downloads folder first to avoid confusion.
How to find and delete .crdownload files
If you want to clean up incomplete downloads, you can find and delete .crdownload files manually. On Windows, open File Explorer and navigate to your Downloads folder (usually C:\Users\[Your Username]\Downloads). On Mac, open Finder and click Downloads in the sidebar.
Look through the folder for any files ending in .crdownload. Right-click on each one and select Delete, or select it and press the Delete key. These files are safe to remove — they are just temporary placeholders for downloads that never finished. Deleting them will not affect any completed downloads or other files on your computer.
If you want to prevent .crdownload files from piling up, you can change where Chrome saves downloads or set it to clear incomplete downloads automatically. Go to Chrome Settings, click Downloads on the left side, and you can change your download location or adjust other download preferences.
What to do if a download keeps getting interrupted
If the same download keeps creating .crdownload files and never completes, something is preventing Chrome from finishing. The most common causes are an unstable internet connection, a problem with the website you are downloading from, or Chrome running out of disk space.
First, check your internet connection by opening another website or running a speed test. If your connection is dropping out, wait until it stabilizes before trying the download again. If the connection is fine, try downloading the file in a different browser like Firefox or Edge to see if the problem is specific to Chrome. If it works in another browser, Chrome may need to be restarted or updated.
You can also check how much free space you have on your hard drive. Right-click your C: drive on Windows or click your hard drive in Finder on Mac and select Properties or Get Info. If you have less than a few gigabytes free, your computer may not have room to complete large downloads. Delete old files or programs you no longer need to free up space.
How to rename a .crdownload file if you must
In rare cases, you might want to rename a .crdownload file to remove the extension, though this will not make it usable. Right-click the .crdownload file and select Rename. Delete the .crdownload part at the end so the filename shows only the original name and extension (for example, change document.pdf.crdownload to document.pdf).
After renaming, try opening the file. In most cases it will not work because the download was incomplete, but occasionally a partially downloaded file can still be opened if enough of it was downloaded before the interruption. This is rare and depends entirely on the file type. If it does not open, delete it and download the file again properly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I convert a .crdownload file to the file type I need?
No. A .crdownload file is incomplete data, not a file in a different format. Renaming it or trying to convert it will not work because the file itself is broken, not just mislabeled. You must complete the download to get a working file.
Will deleting .crdownload files hurt my computer?
No, deleting .crdownload files is completely safe. They are temporary files that Chrome no longer needs. Removing them will not affect your computer's performance or any other files you have saved.
Why does Chrome use .crdownload instead of just saving the final file?
Chrome uses a temporary extension so that if the download is interrupted, the incomplete file does not get mixed up with your actual files. Once the download finishes, Chrome renames it to the correct name. This prevents you from accidentally opening a broken file.
Can I open a .crdownload file in a text editor?
You can try, but you will only see garbled text or binary data because the file is incomplete. Text editors cannot reconstruct a broken download. The only solution is to finish downloading the file properly.
What if I see .crdownload files from downloads I finished weeks ago?
This should not happen — Chrome automatically removes the .crdownload extension once a download completes. If you see old .crdownload files, those downloads were never finished. They are safe to delete, and you can re-download the files if you still need them.