How to Open CRDOWNLOAD File

What is a THIS TEMPORARY FILE File?

A CRDOWNLOAD file is a partially downloaded file created by Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and other Chromium-based browsers. The ".crdownload" extension is added temporarily while Chrome downloads a file. Once the download completes successfully, Chrome automatically removes the .crdownload extension, and the file becomes usable.

You cannot open a THEM file directly because it contains incomplete data. Attempting to open it would cause errors or crashes. That's why Chrome adds this extension — as a safety measure to prevent you from opening corrupted files.

To open the file, you need to either complete/resume the download, rename the file to remove the extension, or re-download it from the source. Below are 4 methods that work.

Method 1: Open INCOMPLETE FILES File by Resuming Download

This is the recommended method to open CRDOWNLOAD files. When you resume a paused download, Chrome downloads the remaining data and automatically removes the .crdownload extension.

How to Resume CRDOWNLOAD Download on Windows

1. Open Google Chrome
2. Press Ctrl + J to open the Downloads page
3. Find your incomplete download in the list (shows "Paused" or "Interrupted")
4. Click the Resume button (circular arrow icon ↻)
5. Wait for download to complete — Chrome removes .crdownload automatically
6. Click the filename to open, or "Show in folder" to see in File Explorer

How to Resume THE FILE Download on Mac

1. Open Google Chrome
2. Press Cmd + J to open Downloads
3. Find your THIS TEMPORARY FILE file in the list
4. Click Resume
5. Once complete, open from Downloads folder in Finder

Method 2: Open THE DOWNLOAD File by Renaming

If your download completed but Chrome didn't remove the extension (this occasionally happens), you can manually rename the file to remove .crdownload.

How to Open THE DOWNLOAD File on Windows 10/11

1. Open File Explorer (press Win + E)
2. Navigate to your Downloads folder
3. If you can't see file extensions: Click View → Show → check File name extensions
4. Find your file (e.g., document.pdf.crdownload)
5. Right-click the file → select Rename (or press F2)
6. Delete .crdownload from the end of the filename
7. Press Enter
8. Click Yes when Windows asks about changing the extension
9. Double-click to open the file

How to Open IT File on Mac

1. Open Finder
2. Go to Downloads folder
3. Click once on the IT file to select it
4. Press Enter to enable renaming
5. Delete .crdownload from the filename
6. Press Enter to confirm
7. Click Use .xxx when macOS prompts (where xxx is your file's extension)
8. Double-click to open

How to Open THEM File on Linux

Use your file manager or Terminal:

# Navigate to Downloads
cd ~/Downloads

# List all INCOMPLETE FILES files
ls -la *.crdownload

# Rename single file
mv "document.pdf.crdownload" "document.pdf"

# Rename ALL .crdownload files at once
for f in *.crdownload; do mv "$f" "${f%.crdownload}"; done

# Open the file
xdg-open document.pdf

How to Open CRDOWNLOAD File using Command Prompt (Windows)

cd %USERPROFILE%\Downloads
ren "video.mp4.crdownload" "video.mp4"

How to Open THE FILE File using PowerShell (Windows)

cd $env:USERPROFILE\Downloads
Get-ChildItem *.crdownload | Rename-Item -NewName { $_.Name -replace '\.crdownload$','' }

Method 3: Open Partial THIS TEMPORARY FILE Video with VLC

If you have a partially downloaded video and can't resume, VLC Media Player can often play whatever portion was downloaded.

This works for: MP4, MKV, AVI, WebM, MOV, MP3, and other media files

How to Open THEM Video with VLC

1. Download VLC Media Player if not installed (free)
2. Rename the file to remove .crdownload extension (e.g., movie.mp4.crdownload → movie.mp4)
3. Right-click the renamed file → Open with → VLC media player
4. VLC plays available content up to where the download stopped

Method 4: Delete and Re-download the File

If the renamed file doesn't open or shows errors, the download was genuinely incomplete. You need to re-download from the original source.

When to use this method:

• Resume button is not available in Chrome Downloads
• Renamed file opens with errors or shows corrupted content
• File size is much smaller than expected
• Download link has expired

How to Re-download

1. Delete the broken THE DOWNLOAD file (right-click → Delete)
2. Go back to the original website where you found the download
3. Click the download link again
4. Keep Chrome open and monitor progress (Ctrl+J)
5. Use a stable internet connection to prevent interruptions
6. For large files, consider using a download manager like Free Download Manager

Open IT Files in Other Browsers

All Chromium-based browsers create .crdownload files. The same methods work for:

Troubleshooting: Can't Open INCOMPLETE FILES File?

Problem: File opens but shows error or is corrupted

Cause: The download was incomplete — data is missing.

Solution: Delete the file and re-download from the original source. Incomplete downloads cannot be repaired.

Problem: Resume button doesn't appear

Cause: Server doesn't support resumable downloads, or download link expired.

Solution: Get a fresh download link and start a new download. Many cloud storage sites use temporary links.

Problem: Can't see the .crdownload extension

Windows fix: File Explorer → View → Show → enable "File name extensions"

Mac fix: Finder → Preferences → Advanced → check "Show all filename extensions"

Problem: Download keeps failing repeatedly

Solutions to try:

• Check your internet connection stability
• Temporarily disable antivirus/firewall
• Try downloading in Incognito mode (Ctrl+Shift+N)
• Clear Chrome cache: Settings → Privacy → Clear browsing data
• Use a download manager for large files
• Try a different browser (Edge, Firefox)

Problem: "File in Use" error when trying to delete

Cause: Chrome is still downloading or has the file locked.

Solution: Close Chrome completely (check Task Manager), then delete the file.

Frequently Asked Questions About Opening THEM Files

Related Guides