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Download Stuck at 100% — How to Finish It

A download that sits at 100% but never completes is almost always stuck on the final antivirus/SmartScreen scan, not on the network. The file is already on your disk. Pause-and-resume, or disable the scan briefly, and it will finish. Steps below work in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Opera.

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Why 100% isn't 'done'

At 100% the bytes have arrived, but the browser hands the file to your antivirus (or Chrome/Edge SmartScreen) for a final safety scan before releasing it. On large files or slow machines that scan can hang — so the progress bar freezes at 100%.

Fix it in order

  1. Pause and resume. Open downloads (Ctrl+J), pause the stuck item, wait 15 seconds, resume. This often releases it.
  2. Turn the scan off for a minute. Windows: Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Manage settings → toggle Real-time protection off, let it finish, toggle back on.
  3. Grab the partial file. Chrome/Edge keep it as name.ext.crdownload, Firefox as name.ext.part, in your Downloads folder. If it's the full size, remove the extra extension and open it.
  4. Check free disk space on the download drive — a full disk stalls the final write.

Still stuck?

Re-download in a different browser, or use a download manager (Free Download Manager, JDownloader) which bypasses the browser's scan handoff.

FAQ

Why does my download stop at 100% and not complete?

The file has fully downloaded but the browser is waiting on the final antivirus/SmartScreen scan. On big files that scan can freeze. Pause and resume the download, or disable real-time protection for a moment, and it will complete.

Is my file already downloaded if it's stuck at 100%?

Yes, the data is on your disk — look for name.ext.crdownload (Chrome/Edge) or name.ext.part (Firefox) in your Downloads folder. If it matches the expected size, remove the extra extension and open it.

Does this happen in every browser?

Yes. Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Opera all run a final scan/handoff at 100%, so any of them can freeze there. The pause/resume and disable-scan fixes work across all of them.

Will disabling antivirus to finish a download put me at risk?

Only briefly, and only disable it to release a file you already trust. Turn real-time protection back on immediately after, and scan the file manually if you're unsure of the source.

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