Chrome: The File Could Not Be Downloaded at This Time

Google Chrome may sometimes fail to download files from the Internet. Maybe the browser detected the file could not be downloaded securely.

But there are also times when Chrome does not offer any explanation as to why the download failed. It just says the file could not be downloaded. This makes the troubleshooting process a bit harder because there’s no information regarding the issue’s root cause.

Fix Chrome Could Not Download the File at This Time

Check Your Internet Connection

Internet stability issues could be the reason why the file download failed. You can restart or even unplug your modem to solve the problem. This action will flush all the temporary Internet files that might be clogging up the connection.

Test to see if a cable connection does the trick. Switch to a different Wi-Fi channel is a cable connection is not an option for you.

Or disconnect all the other devices using the connection to free up more bandwidth. This should help if you’re trying to download a large file.

Then restart your computer. Check if the download succeeds now. Or try to download the file a bit later.

Maybe there’s an issue with the server of the website you’re trying to download the file from. Or Chrome is affected by temporary issues blocking the download.

Clear Your Cache and Cookies

All those files stored as your browser cache and cookies might be blocking the download. The quickest solution is to simply clear the cache and cookies and try again.

To do that, click on the three dots (top right-hand corner) to open the menu.
Then select History twice.
Click on the Clear browsing data option.
Select the time range (start with the last 4 weeks) and the files you want to remove (cache and cookies).
Hit the Clear data button. Reload Chrome and try again.

Update Chrome

If there’s a new Chrome version available, install it and check if this was the right solution for you.

Click on the menu and select Help. Check click on About Chrome and check if there’s an Update button available.

This indicates there’s a newer browser version available. Install it, restart your computer and try again.

Save Link As

If you still can’t download the file, right-click on it and select Save link as. Instead of simply clicking the file, try right-clicking on it and use the context options to download it.

Check Your Internet Security Settings

Your current Internet security settings might be blocking the download. Make sure the File download option is not disabled.

Type inetcpl.cpl in the Windows search bar and press Enter.
Click on the Security tab.
Select the globe icon and then click the Custom Level button.
Scroll down until you find Downloads → File download.
Make sure File download is set to Enable.
Then keep on scrolling down to Miscellaneous → Launching applications and unsafe files.
Set your computer to ask for your permission whenever it detects unsafe files. Save the changes.

Disable Your Extensions

If the problem persists, try disabling all your browser extensions. Speaking of which, ad blockers and privacy-focused extensions are notorious for interfering with the scripts of the websites you’re visiting.

And it’s not uncommon for security and privacy extensions to block downloads.