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When you navigate to your Downloads folder, either on your phone or your computer/laptop, there are chances that you may be able to see a file named .com.google.Chrome file. So, what exactly is this file?
A .com.google.Chrome file is a file created by Google Chrome in the local storage of your device, be it your computer or your phone, which is used to contain cache and some other files and data. This other unspecified data contained inside the .com.google.Chrome file is usually junk and not really needed for the proper functioning of either your device or the Chrome application.
There can be either one of the multiple .com.google.Chrome files; in cases when there are multiple .com.google.Chrome files usually have some indefinite variable attached to the filename. For example, if you have multiple .com.google.Chrome files on your device could be named as .com.google.Chrome.RFHNO, .com.google.Chrome.KDFJP, etc.
Generally, speaking .com.google.Chrome files contain cached information and other unnecessary data, but they may also contain data from downloads that were interrupted and therefore unable to be stored in the device properly. Usually, this download data can not be opened since the file is often broken.
Thus, in conclusion, .com.google.Chrome files are nothing but junk files that can contain cache, data from interrupted or paused downloads, as well as some other unspecified data.
The file size of a .com.google.Chrome file can vary wildly depending on what it contains. Sometimes, these files can be as small as 100 kb (that’s not the minimum file size of a .com.google.Chrome file; just a reference), and some Chrome users complain that the .com.google.Chrome file eats up 5 gigabytes of their device’s storage (that is not the maximum file size of a .com.google.Chrome file).
For example, if the .com.google.Chrome file only contains cache and irrelevant (to the user) data; it is likely to be small in size. However, if it contains one or multiple uninterrupted downloads from unknown versions of Google Chrome, the file size can be huge, depending on how large the file you were downloading (the one that is broken and now contained inside .com.google. chrome) was.
Does the .com.google.Chrome file contain viruses?
Usually, the .com.Google.Chrome file will only contain some cache, unspecified junk from chrome, and interrupted downloads if you had recently tried to download something using chrome. Thus, it is safe to say that on a general note, .com.google.Chrome files do not contain viruses or malware and are therefore not harmful to the device wherein they are stored.
However, that is not all. If the .com.google.Chrome file contains some interrupted downloaded data that was initially harmful, then the .com.google.Chrome files may not be so safe.
For instance, if you were attempting to download an infected file from Google Chrome, which was interrupted for some reason, and the broken file is now contained in the .com.google.Chrome file, then .com.google.Chrome file may be considered to contain a virus
Another way to look at this is that a .com.google.Chrome file may contain a virus if the file is not created by chrome but by some malicious third-party application or software. Sometimes, malware may be replicated to look like a .com.google.Chrome file and pose serious threats to your device.
If you already have an antivirus installed, or if you recently installed one, running a scan across your files could help detect if the .com.google.Chrome file is a threat to your device or not. However, sometimes, it could be too late before you realize the file in your device is infected or not.
Thus, below we have discussed how you can check if a .com.google.Chrome (or any other file on your device) contains a virus or not.
How to check if .com.google.Chrome. File contains a virus?
Below we have enlisted two ways you can check if the .com.google.Chrome file contains a virus on Windows:
How to scan a file for viruses windows 10
If you don’t have third-party antivirus software, you can use the “Windows Defender” on your Windows 10 device and can scan the .com.google.Chrome file for viruses.
Here are the steps to scan a folder or file for viruses by Windows Defender:
- Navigate to the file or folder which you want to scan. Right-click on the file or folder, then select the “Scan with Microsoft Defender.” option.
- The Windows Security window will pop up; you will get the scan results under the “Scan Option” heading on the top right of the window.
- If no malware is detected, you get the “No current threats.” message, but if malware is detected, Windows Defender will alert you with the “Threats Found” message, and you get the list of folders and files infected.
- Click on the “Start Action” button in order to remove the threat. To get the details about the scan results, click on “Protection History” just below the scan results.
How to Scan a File for Viruses using Command Prompt
- Search for Command Prompt in the Search bar next to the Start Button. Right-click on the result and choose the Run as administrator option.
- Type in the following command: cd c:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Platform and press Enter.
- Enter dir command to identify the latest version of the antivirus command tool, then press Enter.
- Enter cd 4.18.2009.7-0 command, and press Enter to access the folder with the latest version.
- Type in mpcmdrun -Scan -ScanType 3 -File “C:\PATH\TO\FOLDER,” don’t forget to replace the C:\PATH\TO\FOLDER with the path of the folder which you want to scan. This command will scan all content in a folder.
- Type in mpcmdrun -Scan -ScanType 3 -File “C:\PATH\TO\FILE.TXT” to scan a specific file and press Enter. Don’t forget to replace the “C:\PATH\TO\FILE.TXT” with the path to the specific file.
- Once the scan is completed, check the results as Windows may or may not notify you once the scan is complete.
Is it safe to delete .com.google.Chrome files?
Think of it this way: If you are someone who likes to keep your device clean and junk-free, you must be in the habit of clearing junk files and cache from different applications.
It is no different with the .com.google.Chrome files. Since these files usually contain junk, broken downloads, and cache, it is safe to delete them. Removing them from your device will not hinder the functionality of either your device or Google Chrome.
What is a .CRDOWNLOAD file?
If you use Google Chrome, there is a chance that you have seen some files that use the ‘.crdownload’ extension in your Downloads directory. CRDOWNLOAD is a file extension that is used in the Chrome web browser. Google Chrome creates one each time you begin downloading a file.
When a download finishes successfully, these files are automatically renamed, but they may be stuck around if there is a download error.
When the download finishes successfully, the extension is removed from the filename; however, with interrupted downloads, also known as Chrome Partial Download files, the extension remains in place.
If you see a file with a .crdownload extension, although the download for the file is not in progress currently, it means that the file is broken or sometimes not completely downloaded.
As people download more of the file, the size of the CRDOWNLOAD file increases. For instance, if you download a large video, you’ll notice that the size of the file will go up as time goes on and more of the file is saved.
Trying to delete a CRDOWNLOAD file may prompt you with a File In Use message that says something like, “The action can’t be completed because this file is open in Google Chrome.” This means the file is locked because it’s still being downloaded by chrome. If you don’t want to finish the download, canceling it in chrome is the simplest way to fix this.
It’s possible that there’s an issue or bug with your particular version of chrome if every file that you download has the.CRDOWNLOAD file extensions, and none of them seem to be downloaded completely. The latest updates of chrome can be downloaded from the official application itself, and it usually fixes such bugs that occur when you are downloading a file using chrome.
Before installing the newest edition, you might want to uninstall chrome first. This will make sure the program is gone and that any leftover bugs are eliminated as well.
On a comparative note, CRDOWNLOAD files are similar to other file extensions such as XXXXXX, BC!, DOWNLOAD, and XLX, used by other programs to denote incomplete or partial files. Although CRDOWNLOAD files are similar to these files, they are not interchangeable and unable to be used as they were the same file type.
When (and Why) Chrome Creates These Files
These files are created for your downloads by none other than Google Chrome. If you begin to download a song named Song.mp3 in chrome, the file will show up in your Downloads in Chrome. However, a file named Song.mp3.crdownload will appear in the Downloads folder. The file is going to get bigger as the browser continues to download the original mp3 file. When the entire file is downloaded by chrome, it will be renamed to Song.mp3, and the .crdownload file extension will be removed.
The .crdownload extension shows that a file is still being downloaded. The incomplete file in your Downloads folder is what Chrome stores in progress downloads in, unlike other browsers who may store incomplete files in a different folder and then move them to your Downloads folder when they are finished.
If you see a .crdownload file, you should check your Downloads in Chrome. You can see the Downloads tray at the bottom of your browser window; click the menu and choose Downloads. If the file is still being downloaded, don’t remove or delete the .crdownload file; just allow it to finish being downloaded.
Undoubtedly, you can delete the download in chrome if you don’t want to download the file in the first place. When you cancel a download, chrome will automatically uninstall the .crdownload file.
Is a .CRDOWNLOAD file safe?
Generally, CRDOWNLOAD files are safe to keep on your phone or computer and do not pose any sort of threat to the device they are stored on. However, if you were downloading a file that was initially infected with a virus, then the CRDOWNLOAD version of the file will be dangerous since the original one was infected.
However, as long as you are downloading files from a reliable source on Google, having a CRDOWNLOAD version of the file is safe and not at all threatening. To be absolutely sure that the CRDOWNLOAD file does not contain some unknown risk your device could be exposed to, run a virus scan using your antivirus.
Can you delete a .CRDOWNLOAD file?
You can always remove the file at any time you please. If you don’t need to resume a download because there are no downloads in progress, then you should uninstall the file.
When you don’t need the file anymore, you should take the. crdownload file down. You can remove the one ending in. crdownload if you look at your Downloads folder and see files named Song (1).mp3 and Song.mp3.crdownload. That is an incomplete download file that you don’t need.
How to resume interrupted downloads in chrome?
Whenever you have an interrupted download, the broken file is contained either as a CRDOWNLOAD file or as a part of the .com.google.Chrome file.
Interrupted downloads may be caused by loss of internet connection; when a file is removed from the server, incomplete source files, timeouts, and incomplete proxy downloads.
Here is how you can try and fix interrupted downloads in chrome:
Solution 1: Use Google Downloader Manager to resume uninterrupted download
- Go to Google Chrome Download manager, just press Ctrl+J or simply click on the menu icon on the top right of the browser and then select Downloads from the drop-down menu.
- In the Download Manager, locate the failed download and click on Resume to resume downloading, where it got interrupted.
- If you get a “Download Failed-NetworkError” message while trying to download a file, the download will keep failing.
Solution 2: Use Wget to resume uninterrupted download
Wget is a great command-line tool that is free and an alternative to manage and download files from the web. It works efficiently even in slow or unstable network connections. If a download fails, this smart tool automatically keeps retrying until the download is completed successfully.
The executable Wget file gets saved in C:\Users\[User Name]\Downloads
A user can access or run the Wget tool by either changing the directory with the executable to the cd command or adding it as an environment variable to access it from any directory. If you are going to use Wget frequently, then use the latter method.
Here are the steps to add Wget as an environment variable.
Step 1: Set Up Wget
- Go to the Settings > About > Advanced System Settings > Environment Variables.
- Now in the new window, locate the System variables and click on the Path option, then click on edit.
- Click on the New button ( on the top right corner of the window), and type in C:\Users\[User Name]\Downloads\wget.exe and click on the OK button.
- Launch the Command Prompt and type in “wget -h” and in PowerShelltype in “wget.exe -h” to get to the Wget help menu.
Step 2: Rename the partially downloaded file.
Website URL and the location of the partially downloaded file are the two required pieces of information that you should have before downloading a file through Wget.
- Launch Google Chrome Download Manager, press Ctrl + J, locate the file and then right-click on the link of the file, and select Copy link address. Now you need to paste the copied link in the Notepad.
- Go to the More option, click on it and then choose the Open downloads folder option.
- Chrome, by default, gives the “Unconfirmed [Random Number].crdownload.” name to a partially downloaded file. The .crdownload extension is basically a by-product of chrome; it prevents you from opening or converting the file to a different format; it gets removed once the download is complete.
- You will get the original file name from the website URL. In the Downloads folder, right-click on the file with the .crdownload extension and then choose the rename option. Now remove the .crdownload extension, type in the original file name, and press Enter.
- If you get a message prompt saying that the file might become unusable if you change the extension, just click Yes.
Step 3: Resume download with Wget
- Press and hold the Shift key, then simply right-click on the file and choose the Copy as a path option. Paste this in the Notepad where you have copied the URL earlier.
- Now use the Wget Command: wget -c -O “[file-path-of-the-target-download-file]” [website-URL],” don’t forget to replace the parameters in the square brackets with the actual value, and press Enter to resume downloading.
