How to Fix a Stuck Chrome Download [5 Methods]

Reading time icon 4 min. read


Readers help support MSpoweruser. We may get a commission if you buy through our links. Tooltip Icon

Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help MSPoweruser sustain the editorial team Read more

chrome download stuck

Looking for the working methods to fix the Chrome download stuck issue on your PC? I’ve got you covered.

You may often see that the download process is stuck at 100% or is showing 0b/s speed. It may remain there forever or may show a failed network error on Chrome.

Luckily, there are easy solutions.

What to do when Chrome download is stuck?

Before jumping into the main methods, you may try some preliminary steps to see if they help:

  • Cancel and initiate the download again to see if it fixes the problem.
  • Power-cycle your network router and modem and ensure that your internet connection is up and running.
  • Disable your antivirus or firewall to see if it works.
  • Make sure that Chrome is up to date.
  • Confirm that you have enough storage space.

In case these quick solutions fail, you can apply the following methods one by one to see which one fixes the download stuck problem on Google Chrome:

1. Change DNS

As a DNS problem may interrupt the download process between your computer and the remote server, changing the DNS address may help.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Press Win + I on the keyboard to open Windows Settings.
  2. Go to Network & Internet.going network internet windows 11 settings
  3. Then click on Ethernet or WiFi, depending on the connection you’re using.clicking on ethernet windows 11 settings
  4. Click on Edit next to the DNS server assignment.clicking on edit next to dns server assignment windows 11 settings
  5. Select Manual from the dropdown option on the top side.
  6. Enable IPv4.
  7. Set your preferred DNS as 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.
  8. Click on Save.saving dns server address windows 11 settings
  9. Restart your PC.

Please note that if you don’t restart our PC, the DNS cache won’t be cleared. Alternatively, you can type ipconfig /flushdns in the terminal and press Enter to clear the cache without restarting.

2. Disable Hardware Acceleration

Disabling hardware acceleration may help reset a stuck download on Chrome. To do it, follow these steps:

  1. In the Chrome address bar, type chrome://settings/system and hit Enter.
  2. Toggle the switch off next to the Use hardware acceleration when available.disabling hardware acceleration chrome
  3. Relaunch Chrome.

3. Try to download in Guest Mode

  1. Click on the Profile icon on Chrome and then on Guest.going guest mode chrome
  2. Now, try to download the file again and see if it solves the problem or not.

If you see that the download is working fine in guest mode, I recommend you disable all Chrome extensions. Then, enable them one by one to see which one is problematic, and remove it.

4. Reset Chrome

Resetting will clear all cache, cookies, bookmarks, and browsing history. So, ensure that everything is synced correctly on your Google Account.

Then, follow these steps to reset the browser to solve download freezing on Chrome:

  1. In the Chrome address bar, type chrome://settings/reset and press Enter.
  2. Then, click on Restore settings to their original defaults.
  3. Now, click on Reset settings.resetting chrome
  4. Relaunch the browser.

5. Try in Clean Boot

  1. Press Win + R on the keyboard to open Run.
  2. Type the following command and click on OK to open the System Configuration window: msconfig
    opening msconfig run command windows
  3. Go to the Services tab.
  4. Tick Hide all Microsoft services and then click on Disable all.disabling all third-party services windows system configuration msconfig
  5. Click on  Apply and then OK.

Is everything working fine in the clean boot? If yes, I suggest you enable the services one by one until you face the problem again. Then, uninstall the problematic service or related app from your PC.

I’ve shown you what to do when the download is stuck forever at 0 B/s or 100% on Google Chrome or any Chromium-based browser.

However, if none of the methods work, I advise you to re-install the browser, uninstall any third-party download manager, and try a different internet connection, preferably through a VPN.

Hopefully, the above suggestions will help to fix the Chrome download stuck problem. If you have any feedback, feel free to let me know in the comment box.

More about the topics: chrome