The moment it fails
A large file, an hour of waiting, and the download stops at 70%. You try again and it stops somewhere else, or it sits at the same number while the .crdownload file next to it stays the same size.
Why it keeps stopping
A connection that drops for a few seconds, a computer that goes to sleep, a server that ends the transfer: any of them stops the download. Google says Chrome resumes downloads on its own once the connection works again.
Resuming needs the server's help. The browser asks for the file from the byte where it stopped; if the server cannot send from there, the download starts over from zero or fails. Links that expire after a while add to it: by the time you retry, the address no longer works.
What to try, in order
- Use a stable connection, a cable if you can, and keep the computer awake until the download ends.
- Resume from the downloads page (
chrome://downloads) instead of starting a new download: a new one begins at zero. - If the link was valid only for a limited time, go back to the site for a fresh one.
- Try later, or ask the site's owner: Google lists both among its fixes.
When it sits at one percentage
Look at the .crdownload file's size in the folder. If it grows, data is still arriving, only slowly. If it does not, nothing is arriving: pause the download on the downloads page and resume it once.
When the source is gone
Keep the partial file, copy it somewhere safe and choose it on the home page of this site. In our tests, videos and ZIP archives cut short came back as files that open, holding what arrived before the cut. What never arrived does not come back.
Common questions
Does a faster connection help?
A stable one helps more than a fast one: a short drop is enough to stop the transfer, whatever the speed.
Why does the download restart from zero?
The server could not send the rest from where it stopped, so the browser asked for the whole file again.
Is the partial file worth keeping?
Yes, while you have no complete copy. Delete it once you do. The file types guide says how far each format can be rebuilt.
Sources
Documents consulted for this guide.