.crdownload vs .opdownload: What's the Difference?
Both files are downloads that never finished — the only real difference is the browser. .crdownload comes from Chrome and Edge; .opdownload comes from Opera.
Short answer: same job, different browser. .crdownload is the placeholder Chrome, Edge and Brave write while a file is downloading; .opdownload is the placeholder Opera writes. Both are renamed to the real file the moment the download completes, so a leftover .crdownload or .opdownload means the transfer was interrupted.
Side by side
- .crdownload — Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave and most Chromium browsers.
- .opdownload — Opera (which is also Chromium-based but uses its own name).
How to finish either one
The fix is identical: open the browser's Downloads page, find the paused or failed item, and click Resume. If it failed for good, re-download from the original page. Don't rename a .crdownload or .opdownload to the real extension — it holds only part of the file and will be corrupt.
FAQ
Is .opdownload the same as .crdownload?
Functionally yes — both are in-progress downloads. .crdownload is written by Chrome, Edge and Brave; .opdownload is written by Opera. Each becomes the real file when the download completes.
Why does Opera use .opdownload instead of .crdownload?
Opera is Chromium-based but brands its temporary download file with its own name. The behaviour is the same as Chrome's .crdownload.
How do I open a .opdownload or .crdownload file?
You can't open it directly — it is a partial download. Resume it from the browser's Downloads page, or download the file again from the source.