Some users have reported that the Chrome browser crashes, freezes or becomes unresponsive while downloading files from the internet. If you are an affected user, this guide will help you fix the issue.
Chrome crashes or freezes when downloading a file
You can follow the below solutions if Chrome crashes or freezes when you try downloading a file from the internet:
- Change the default location of your downloads.
- Close non-essential Chrome tabs.
- Disable your extensions.
- Delete the browser cache.
- Create a new user profile.
- Reset or reinstall Chrome.
- Use a different browser to download files.
1] Change the default location of your downloads
Chrome saves its downloaded files in the Downloads folder on Windows by default. However, if there is a problem with the folder or Chrome is unable to access it, Chrome crashes or freezes whenever you try downloading a file.
If the scenario is applicable, you can fix the issue by changing the folder location where your downloads will be saved in Chrome. Here are the steps to do that:
- First, open Google Chrome and click on the three-dot menu button.
- Now, choose the Settings option and move to the Downloads tab from the left-side pane.
- Next, under the Location option, click on the Change button.
- After that, select the target folder where you want to download and save your downloaded files.
- Once done, retry downloading files and see if the problem is fixed.
2] Close non-essential Chrome tabs
If multiple tabs are opened in Chrome at the same time, it will cause an unwanted load on Chrome and deteriorate its performance. It will also cause Chrome to crash unexpectedly when downloading files. So, try closing some tabs and freeing up RAM to prevent crashes.
3] Disable your extensions
Web extensions are known to act notorious and interfere with the functioning of the browser. This problem might occur if you have installed and enabled some suspicious extensions, causing Chrome to crash whenever you try to download a file. Hence, if the scenario is applicable, you can disable or remove any problematic extension. Here’s how:
- First, enter chrome://extensions/ in the address bar.
- Now, switch off the toggle associated with the extensions you want to disable. Or, tap on the Remove button to permanently uninstall the extension.
- Check if you can now download files without experiencing crashes and other performance issues.
Read: Fix Google Chrome screen flickering issue on Windows.
4] Delete the browser cache
A corrupted or outdated browser cache can also cause the same issue. Hence, clear the browser cache and check if the problem is resolved.
Read: Internet connection drops when downloading large files on PC
5] Create a new user profile
This issue could very well be facilitated due to a corrupted user profile. So, if the above solutions don’t help, you can create a new user profile in Chrome, sign into the browser using it, and then try to download a file to check if the issue is resolved.
6] Reset or reinstall Chrome
Corrupted user data, settings, and preferences in Chrome can lead to issues like this. Hence, you can try cleaning up Chrome by resetting it to its default state. Go to the chrome://settings/reset page and click on the Restore settings to their original defaults option to reset Chrome. Once done, restart the browser to check if you can download files without crashing and freezing issues.
In case resetting doesn’t work, uninstall and then reinstall the Chrome browser. This should fix the problem for you.
7] Use a different browser to download files
As a workaround, you can switch to a different browser, like Microsoft Edge, to download your files.
Related read: Not enough memory to open this page – Google Chrome error.
Why does Chrome freeze when I try to upload files?
Chrome is likely to freeze when uploading files if there are too many tabs opened at once that are eating up memory. Besides that, if you are trying to upload large files but your internet is slow, Chrome will freeze or crash after a while. Other reasons for the same problem include a corrupted user profile, a corrupted browser cache, faulty web extensions, and enabled hardware acceleration.
Why is Chrome download freezing at 100?
If Chrome downloads are stuck at 100%, the problem might be caused due to limited bandwidth or a corrupted download cache. It might also be the case that the download is blocked by a third-party antivirus. A faulty web extension can also be the reason for the same issue.
