How to Fix Chrome Unstable Internet Errors/Download Errors?

Google Chrome is a very popular web browser in the world. You can use it to visit websites, watch videos, download files, etc. However, some users report that it runs into issues when they use it to download files or this browser seems unstable when downloading files. At times, they might receive an error message like failed network error, download failed, forbidden, or something similar.

Chrome might be blocking downloads or the internet connection is not stable. You can try the methods mentioned in this post to solve the issue.

Method 1: Restart Chrome

This is the easiest and most commonly used method to solve Chrome internet stability errors. This operation will remove the temporary issues in the browser, and these temporary issues could be the causes of the issue. After restarting Chrome, you can go to download your needed files again and see if it can successfully download files again.

Method 2: Clear Cache and Cookies in Chrome

Corrupt cache or cookies can also be the cause of Chrome internet stability issues. To rule out this possibility, you can just clear cache and cookies in Chrome.

Method 3: Update Google Chrome

As a software, Chrome also has bugs in it. Google always released new versions of Chrome to fix bugs and bring new features. If you don’t want your Chrome always has internet connection issues, you’d better keep it up-to-date.

How to install the latest version of Chrome?

Step 1: Open Chrome.

Step 2: Click the 3-dot menu on the top-right corner and go to Settings > About Chrome.

Step 3: Chrome will automatically begin to check for updates and install the latest.

Step 4: Click the Relaunch button to restart Chrome. Then, check if the issue is solved.

Method 4: Use Chrome Incognito Window

Some users have installed extensions in Chrome. But extensions could cause some issues. To rule out this possibility, you can try to download your needed file in a Chrome incognito window. If you don’t see any errors, it means that your extension is the cause.

To fix unstable Chrome while downloading files, you can disable or remove your recently installed extensions. You can do this one by one to find the real cause.

Method 5: Change the Download Folder for Chrome

Step 1: Open Chrome.

Step 2: Click the 3-dot menu on the top-right corner, then select Settings.

Step 3: Click Advanced > Downloads from the left menu list.

Step 4: Click the Change button on the right panel and select your preferred folder as the Chrome downloads folder.

After changing the Chrome downloads folder, you can try to download your needed files again to see if the error is removed.

Method 6: Disable Antivirus or Firewall Programs on Your PC

Your antivirus or firewall can also prevent you from downloading files using Chrome. The tool might treat your downloads as viruses or malware. If you are sure that your downloads are safe, you can temporarily disable them to continue your downloading.

Method 7: Restart Your Router or Internet Connection.

Restarting your router or internet connection is an effective solution to solve your Chrome internet connection issues. You can also do this to have a try.

Method 8: Remove Recently Installed Software

If your Chrome becomes unstable or you can’t download files using Chrome after installing new software, this newly installed software could be the cause. You can uninstall that software to try.

On the other hand, your Chrome might contain some pop-ups or malware that disturb your usage of Chrome. You can remove ads, pop-ups & malware from Chrome to make your Chrome go back to normal.

Method 9: Use another Network Connection

The network connection you are using currently might be not stable or faulty. If there are some other available network connections in your hands, you can switch to another network connection. Then try downloading files again to see if the process can be completed.

Method 10: Reset Google Chrome to Factory Settings

Some users solve the issue by resetting Chrome settings to the default. You can also do this to have a try.

Method 11: Use Chrome Canary

Chrome Canary is a version of the Chrome browser that is under-tested. If you think your Google Chrome has issues (preventing you from downloading files or having an unstable connection), you can use this version to have a try.

Method 12: Re-Register Windows urlmon.dll (Windows Computer Only)

If you are using a Windows computer, you can try to solve the issue by re-registering Windows’ urlmon.dll.

Step 1: Click the search icon in the taskbar and search for cmd.

Step 2: Select the first result to open Command Prompt.

Step 3: Type regsvr32 urlmon.dll into Command Prompt and press Enter to run the command.

Step 4: A small window will pop up, saying the re-register is successful. Click OK to close the window. Then, close Command Prompt.

After these steps, you can go to check if you can use Chrome to download files successfully.

Method 13: Reinstall Google Chrome

If all of the above methods can’t help you solve the Chrome unstable network issues, you can consider reinstalling Chrome.

Method 14: Use another Web Browser

If you still can’t use Chrome to download files or it runs slowly/unstably, you can use another web browser like Edge, Firefox, or Opera to have a try.

Bottom Line

These are the methods you can use when Chrome won’t download files or it runs unstably. We hope you can find a suitable method here. Should you have any other related issues, you can let us know in the comments.