Chrome Download Stuck — How to Fix It
If a Chrome download is frozen — stuck at 100%, or stalled part-way — the most common cause is <strong>antivirus scanning the file</strong> before Chrome can hand it over, or a dropped connection. The fastest fixes are to <strong>pause and resume</strong>, then temporarily turn off antivirus scanning. Here's the order to try.
Fix it (fastest first)
- Pause, then resume: press
Ctrl+J, pause the download, wait a second, and resume. This often nudges a stalled transfer to finish. - Stuck at 100%? That's almost always antivirus/Defender scanning the finished file. Temporarily disable real-time scanning (only for a source you trust), and it releases immediately.
- Check your connection: a slow or intermittent network stalls large downloads. Switch networks or retry on a stable connection.
- Clear Chrome's cache: Settings → Privacy → Clear browsing data (cached files). Corrupt cache can freeze downloads.
If it still won't finish
- Free up disk space — a full drive silently halts a download near the end.
- Update Chrome and restart it; relaunch clears a wedged download process.
- Try a direct tool: for big files,
wget -c URLor a download manager resumes far more reliably than the browser.
About the leftover .crdownload
A stuck download leaves a .crdownload partial file holding what you already got. Don't delete it while you're still trying to resume — it's the only way to continue without starting from zero. If you give up, cancel the download in Chrome to release and remove it cleanly.
FAQ
Why is my Chrome download stuck at 100%?
Because antivirus (or Windows Defender) is scanning the finished file before Chrome hands it to you. Temporarily disable real-time scanning for a trusted source and the download completes immediately. A full disk can cause the same freeze.
How do I fix a Chrome download that won't finish?
Pause and resume it (Ctrl+J), check your connection, temporarily disable antivirus scanning, and clear Chrome's cache. For large files, a download manager or wget -c resumes more reliably than the browser.
Should I delete the stuck download file?
Not while you're still trying to finish it — the .crdownload partial holds what you already downloaded, so deleting it means starting over. If you've given up, cancel the download inside Chrome to release and remove it cleanly.