A large number of users find the CRDOWNLOAD file when using certain web browsers. What is CRDOWNLOAD file? How to open this file? Is it safe to delete? Now, this post of MiniTool will explain them one by one for you.
What Is CRDOWNLOAD File
If you are using certain browsers like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Chromium web browsers to download files, you may notice a .CRDOWNLOAD file extension in the Downloads directory. It is a partially downloaded file created by these browsers.
The CRDOWNLOAD file indicates that your browser is receiving a file and marks the download as incomplete. Once the download completes successfully, the .CRDOWNLOAD extension will be automatically removed.
Why Does CRDOWNLOAD File Appear
A lot of people are confused why the unconfirmed CRDOWNLOAD file appears in the Downloads directory. A .CRDOWNLOAD file appears when you begin downloading a file. Usually, the unconfirmed CRDOWNLOAD extension will be removed once the download finishes.
Google Chrome stores the file in your Downloads folder, while other web browsers may store it in a different folder and move it to your Downloads when finishing. Sometimes, you may see a CRDOWNLOAD file even though your browser isn’t downloading something. This often indicates that the download is interrupted by some conditions.
There are some conditions when the .CRDOWNLOAD file is created by Google:
- The internet connection is cut out or the server drops the connection.
- Google Chrome crashed during the download.
- User pauses or stops downloading the file.
Can You Delete CRDOWNLOAD File
Can you delete CRDOWNLOAD file? Usually, it’s not recommended you delete the file if it is still downloading. Well, you can cancel the download process in Chrome if you don’t want to download the file anymore. Once canceled, your browser will automatically delete the associated CRDOWNLOAD file. You can also click on the Resume button on Chrome to start downloading the file again.
If there are no downloads in progress and you don’t want to resume it, you can delete the unconfirmed CRDOWNLOAD file. In addition, there are some situations when you can delete the file:
- Your browser is downloading 2 same files: For instance, if you see 2 files named (1) windows8.iso and windows8.iso.crdownload, then you can delete the file with .CRDOWNLOAD extension. It is just an incomplete download file you don’t need.
- An old .CRDOWNLOAD file: The file you tried downloading a long time ago can be deleted.
- A failed download file: If you try downloading a file for a long time and come back to see a .CRDOWNLOAD file, then it indicates the file failed to download. At this time, you can delete it and retry the download.
How to open CRDOWNLOAD File
Since the CRDOWNLOAD is a partially downloaded file created by web browsers, it cannot be opened in a program directly. However, you still can utilize a part of the file by removing the .crdownload from the file name. If your browser stops downloading, you can follow the steps below to open the CRDOWNLOAD file.
Tip: If all the files fail to download and have the .CRDOWNLOAD extension, then it could indicate that there is a problem with your browser. To fix it, you can try updating the browser to the latest version.
Step 1. Open your browser and navigate to the Download page.
Step 2. Find the CRDOWNLOAD file that has stopped downloading.
Step 3. Click on the Resume button to continue downloading or start the fresh download again. After the downloading completes, you can open the file with a specific program.