.CRDOWNLOAD File Extension

A CRDOWNLOAD file is a partially downloaded file created by the Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Chromium web browsers. It stores the contents of a file as it is being received by the browser and uses the .crdownload extension to mark the download as incomplete until it is finished, at which point the .crdownload extension is removed. CRDOWNLOAD files are similar to .PART files, which are used by the Mozilla Firefox web browser for partial downloads.

You will most likely only encounter a CRDOWNLOAD file if you use Chrome, Edge, or Chromium to browse the Internet and download files. These browsers create a CRDOWNLOAD file in the "Downloads" folder on your computer when you begin downloading a file. You may see the CRDOWNLOAD file if the file is currently downloading or if the download was interrupted before completion. A download interruption is often due to a lost Internet connection or due to you pausing the download.

As Chrome downloads the file, a CRDOWNLOAD file appears in your "Downloads" folder as Unconfirmed [set of numbers].crdownload. For example, the myDoc.docx file would appear as Unconfirmed 47128.crdownload during the download, but then be changed to myDoc.docx once the download is complete.

Chrome may also append the .crdownload extension to files as they are downloaded. For example, the file myMovie.avi would have the name myMovie.avi.crdownload when it is being downloaded. Once the download is complete, Chrome removes the .crdownload extension and the file is ready to be used.

If your download was interrupted before it was finished, it may be possible to recover a portion of the file. Simply delete the .crdownload extension then attempt to open it with the appropriate program. For example, some audio and video file types can still be played by a media player even though they are not yet fully downloaded.

If you are unable to open the file, you can resume the download in Chrome by pasting chrome://downloads/ in the address bar of the web browser, navigating to the incomplete download, and clicking Resume. If you are unable to resume the download, delete the CRDOWNLOAD file and download the file again.