How to Open a DOWNLOAD File
A .download file (or .crdownload, .part) isn't a real file format at all — it's the temporary name your browser gives a file while it's still downloading. There's nothing to "open" until you find out what it's supposed to become.
Identify & Finish a DOWNLOAD File Online
Drop a .download, .crdownload or .part file below. This tool reads its bytes to identify what the finished file actually is, and lets you download a copy renamed with the correct extension — without installing anything.
🔒 Nothing is uploaded — your file never leaves this deviceOn this page
What is a .download file?
Unlike every other extension on this site, .download isn't a file format — it's a temporary marker your web browser adds to a file's name while the download is still in progress. Browsers do this so that a partially-downloaded file can't be mistaken for the finished one and accidentally opened or run before it's complete. Different browsers use different temporary suffixes for the exact same purpose:
- .crdownload — Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge (both Chromium-based)
- .part — Mozilla Firefox
- .download — Safari, and some other browsers/download managers
The moment the download completes successfully, the browser strips the temporary suffix and renames the file to what it was always going to be — report.pdf.crdownload becomes report.pdf, for example. If you're seeing the temporary name, either the download is still running, or something interrupted it before that final rename happened.
My download is stuck as .crdownload / .download / .part
- Open your browser's Downloads page (Chrome/Edge:
chrome://downloadsoredge://downloads; Firefox:about:downloads). - Check the download's status — it may show Paused, Failed, or still actively downloading.
- Click Resume if it's paused, or Retry if it failed. Most browsers can resume a broken download from where it left off rather than starting over.
- If nothing happens after a few minutes, cancel it and download the file again — this is the most reliable fix for a genuinely stuck download.
Found a leftover .download file with no active download
Sometimes a .download/.crdownload/.part file sticks around in your Downloads folder long after the browser session that created it is gone — usually from a download that failed silently or was interrupted by a crash. Since the filename itself gives no clue what the file actually was, use the identification tool above: it reads the file's first bytes (its "magic number") to tell you the real format — an image, a document, an archive, and so on — and offers to download a copy renamed with the correct extension.
Keep in mind that a partial download is, by definition, incomplete: even correctly identified, it may be missing data from the end of the file (an archive's index, a video's final frames, and so on). If the rename doesn't produce a working file, the safest fix is simply to re-download the original from its source.
Is it safe to open or rename one?
Renaming the file back to its real extension doesn't change what's inside it — the same safety rules apply as for any file you download from that source. Only open or run the renamed file if you trust where it originally came from, and if the tool identifies it as an executable or installer, treat it with the same caution you'd give any .exe. It's always safe to simply delete a .download/.crdownload/.part file if you no longer need it; it's just an incomplete copy.
Common DOWNLOAD file problems and how to fix them
"Failed - Network error" in the downloads list
Your connection dropped during the download. Click Retry, or check your internet connection and try again.
File shows 0 bytes or never grows past a tiny size
The download likely never actually started transferring data. Cancel it and try downloading again, ideally from a different browser tab or after refreshing the source page.
Renamed file still won't open in the program it should
The download is probably incomplete/truncated. Delete the partial file and download the original again rather than trying to repair a partial file.
Frequently asked questions
What program opens a .download file?
No program opens a .download file directly, because .download isn't a real file format — it's a temporary label browsers use while a file is still downloading. Once the download finishes, the browser automatically renames it to its real extension and removes the .download/.crdownload/.part suffix. If one is left behind, identify what it actually is (the tool on this page does this) and rename it to the correct extension yourself.
Is it safe to delete a .crdownload or .part file?
Yes, if the download is no longer active or needed — it's just an incomplete copy of the real file and deleting it doesn't affect anything else. If you still want the file, it's usually easier to delete the partial file and download it again from the source than to try to repair it.
Why is my download stuck as .crdownload or .download?
Usually because the download was interrupted (lost connection, browser closed, or the download was paused) and never resumed. Check your browser's downloads page — most browsers can resume an interrupted download; if not, canceling and re-downloading is the reliable fix.
Can I open a .download file before it finishes downloading?
Generally no — an incomplete file is usually missing data the real format needs to be read correctly (like a file's end-of-archive marker or trailing metadata), so most programs will fail to open it or report it as corrupted, even if a media player occasionally plays a partial video or audio file with some content missing at the end.
Last updated September 21, 2026.