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What Is a .crdownload File, and Can You Open It?

A .crdownload file is a download that Chrome or Edge has not finished — either it is still going, or it was cut off. Until the last byte arrives the browser keeps the file under this name so nothing opens it half-written.

.crdownload .part .download
Open it on this site

Why it will not open

  • It is incomplete. The browser writes the download to disk under a temporary name and only renames it to the real one when the transfer ends. A .crdownload left behind means that never happened.
  • The real name is gone. If the download was named "Unconfirmed 123456.crdownload", the browser had not yet settled on a filename, so the extension tells you nothing about what is inside.
  • Renaming rarely fixes it. Taking the .crdownload off gives the file its original extension back, but the missing tail is still missing — a truncated PDF or ZIP will not open, and a truncated video plays only up to the cut.

How to open it

First, try to finish the download

  1. 1 Open the downloads list in Chrome or Edge (Ctrl+J, or ⌘+Shift+J on a Mac). A download that stopped shows a Resume button.
  2. 2 If the site still has the file and supports resuming, the transfer continues from where it stopped and the .crdownload becomes the real file on its own.
  3. 3 If Resume fails or the entry is gone, download the file again from the original page. This is usually faster than trying to rescue the fragment.

If you cannot download it again, find out what it is

  1. 1 Drop the .crdownload into the file identifier on this site. It reads the first bytes, which arrive first, so a partial file still reveals its real format — MP4, PDF, ZIP and so on.
  2. 2 When the content is recognised, a "save a copy as" button appears; it writes the file out with the right extension. This only renames a copy; nothing is uploaded and the original is untouched. If nothing was recognised, the fragment is too short or too damaged to place.
  3. 3 Then try to open the copy. Video and audio often play up to where the download stopped. Archives, PDFs and Office documents usually need the whole file and will not open.

Is it safe to delete?

If the download is not still running, yes. The fragment is useful only as a clue to what the file was. Check the downloads list first. On Windows, Chrome keeps the file open while it downloads, so the delete itself is refused with "open in Google Chrome" — that refusal is the sign the download is still alive.

Other browsers use other names

Firefox leaves a .part file next to an empty placeholder with the real name. Safari uses a .download bundle, which on a Mac looks like a single file but is a folder. Same idea, same limits: the content is incomplete.

Not sure what your file is? Identify it

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I just rename .crdownload to .mp4 (or .pdf, .zip) and open it?
You can, if you know what the file was. Whether it then opens depends on the format: media files play up to the point where the download stopped, but PDFs, ZIPs and Office files normally need their final bytes and will not open at all.
Why does the file keep growing or disappear on its own?
Because the download is still running. Chrome and Edge write into the .crdownload until the transfer ends, then rename it. Wait for it to finish rather than touching the file.
Chrome shows "Failed - Network error" and I cannot resume. What now?
The server did not allow resuming, or the link expired. Download the file again from the source. If the source is gone, the identifier can at least tell you what format the fragment was, which helps when you ask someone to send it again.
Is a .crdownload file dangerous?
No more than the file you were downloading. It is the same content, incomplete. It cannot run or open on its own. If you do not remember starting the download, treat it with the same caution as any unexpected file.