What is the CRDOWNLOAD file format?
Files with the .crdownload extension contain data partially downloaded by the built-in download manager of Google Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers - including Microsoft Edge since 2020. The file can be of any type; until the download is complete, its extension is stored as .crdownload. If a download is interrupted or paused, the file may remain in the Downloads folder. Sometimes it is possible to resume such a download directly in Chrome, or to access the partial content by renaming the file and removing the .crdownload suffix.
.crdownload files are created automatically, with the extension appended to the full name of the target file. For instance, a file named movie.mp4 will appear in the Downloads folder as movie.mp4.crdownload while the transfer is in progress. A zero-byte .crdownload indicates the transfer was queued but never actually started. Because the file holds the first received bytes of the target, it carries no signature of its own - a partially downloaded MP4 video begins with MP4 header bytes, and a partial ZIP archive starts with a ZIP header.
The default location for these files is the Downloads folder in the user's home directory. It is worth checking its contents periodically to delete unnecessary files that take up disk space. Similar temporary download placeholders used by other browsers include .part (Firefox) and .opdownload (Opera).
Security & safety
RISK: LOWA .crdownload cannot execute and is exactly as risky as the file being downloaded - no more, no less. Two practical notes: (1) the suffix prevents Windows from running incomplete executables, which is part of its purpose; (2) if you didn't initiate the download that created it, treat the source file as suspicious and delete it. Orphaned .crdownload files are safe to delete and only waste disk space.
Format details
in a nutshellFULL NAMEChrome Partial Download File
DEVELOPERGoogle (Chromium project)since 2008 (Google Chrome 1.0; used by all Chromium-based browsers, including Microsoft Edge since 2020)
CATEGORYWeb Files
MIME TYPEapplication/octet-stream
TYPEIncomplete copy of whatever file is being downloaded - no format of its own
Programs that open CRDOWNLOAD files
Windows3 apps
Google Chrome
Free Press Ctrl+J (chrome://downloads), find the entry and click Resume; if Resume is missing, click the link to re-download from the source. 
VLC media player
Open-source For partially downloaded video/audio only: drag the .crdownload into VLC - it plays the downloaded portion of MP4/MKV/MP3 files. 
Microsoft Edge
Built-in Edge is Chromium-based and uses .crdownload too - Ctrl+J → Resume, or restart the download. 
macOS2 apps
Linux1 app
Technical details
deep spec| Format type | Incomplete byte-for-byte copy of the target file in progress - the format has no structure of its own |
| MIME type | application/octet-stream |
| Created by | Google Chrome download manager; also produced by all Chromium-based browsers including Microsoft Edge (since 2020), Brave, and Vivaldi |
| Filename pattern | Full target filename with .crdownload appended as a second extension (e.g., movie.mp4.crdownload) |
| File signature (magic bytes) | None of its own - opening bytes match the target file type (a partial MP4 starts with an ftyp atom, a partial ZIP starts with PK\x03\x04) |
| Zero-byte state | A 0-byte .crdownload file means the download was queued but data transfer never actually began |
| File growth during transfer | File size increases in real time as the browser flushes received TCP segments to disk |
| Default storage location | User's Downloads folder; path is configurable in Chrome Settings → Downloads |
| Resume support | Chrome stores HTTP/1.1 Range-request metadata internally, allowing a paused download to continue from the last received byte when the server supports Accept-Ranges |
| Recovery method | Strip the .crdownload suffix to expose the partial content directly, or reopen the transfer in Chrome's Downloads panel (Ctrl+J on Windows/Linux) |
| Deletion safety | Safe to delete manually; Chrome will restart the download from byte 0 if resumed afterward, discarding any partially transferred data |
| Similar formats | .part (Firefox), .opdownload (Opera), .partial (Internet Explorer / Edge Legacy), .download (Safari on macOS) |
| Platform support | Windows, macOS, Linux, and ChromeOS - wherever Chrome or a Chromium-based browser runs |
| Released | 2008 (Google Chrome 1.0; used by all Chromium-based browsers, including Microsoft Edge since 2020) |
CRDOWNLOAD conversions
Possible
.CRDOWNLOAD .MP4GUIDE
No conversion needed - rename the file once the download finishes, or resume it in Chrome/Edge if it is still…
How to convert
.CRDOWNLOAD .ZIPGUIDE
You can get a working ZIP from a .crdownload only by resuming or re-downloading in Chrome or Edge -- renaming…
How to convert
.CRDOWNLOAD .PDFGUIDE
A CRDOWNLOAD file that was downloading a PDF becomes a working PDF by resuming or re-downloading in Chrome;…
How to convert
Not possible
Community Q&A
asked by usersFrequently asked questions
How do I resume a .crdownload file?
In Chrome/Edge press Ctrl+J to open Downloads, find the interrupted item and click Resume. It works only while the entry is still listed and the server supports resuming; otherwise re-download - Chrome will reuse or replace the partial file.
Can I just rename .crdownload to the real extension?
Only if the download actually completed (compare the file size with the source). The rename does nothing to the data - an incomplete file stays corrupt regardless of its name.
Can I delete .crdownload files?
Yes, if no download is currently running. Deleting one also abandons any chance of resuming that download, so resume first if you still want the file.
Why did my download stay as .crdownload even though it finished?
Usually the final rename failed: antivirus quarantined/scanned the file, the browser crashed at the last moment, or disk/permissions issues. If the size matches the expected size, renaming away the suffix recovers it; otherwise re-download.
Can I open a .crdownload file to see what's inside?
For media, VLC plays the downloaded portion. For anything else, a hex/text editor shows the leading bytes (useful to identify the real type), but partial archives, installers and documents are generally unusable.
What is the Firefox/Safari equivalent of .crdownload?
Firefox uses .part files, Safari uses .download bundles, old Edge (pre-2020) used .partial - all the same mechanism of staging unfinished downloads under a temporary name.
References
1Google Chrome Help - Pause or resume a downloadsupport.google.com
2Google Chrome Help - Fix file download errorssupport.google.com
