How to resume a failed or interrupted download

Updated 2026-11-12 · SwiftGrab guides

Nothing is more annoying than a big download that stops at 87%. Here's why downloads fail, how to resume them in your browser, and how to stop it from happening again.

Why downloads fail halfway

• The internet connection dropped for a moment — Wi-Fi switching, a router restart, a weak signal.
• The PC went to sleep or the laptop lid was closed.
• The browser was closed or crashed while the file was still downloading.
• The download link expired. Many file hosts give you a temporary link that only works for a short time.
• The server stopped answering because it was busy, or it limits how long one download can run.
• The disk is full, or security software paused the file while checking it.

How to resume a download in your browser

1. Chrome or Edge: press Ctrl + J to open Downloads. If the failed file shows a Resume button, click it. If it only shows Retry, the download will start again from the beginning.
2. Firefox: press Ctrl + Shift + Y to open the Library, find the file and click the retry arrow.
3. If nothing works, go back to the website and click the download link again to get a fresh link.

Browsers can only resume when the website allows it and the half-downloaded file is still there. If you cleared your downloads list or the link expired, you usually have to start over.

Tips so it doesn't happen again

• Use a cable instead of Wi-Fi for very large files, if you can.
• Stop the PC from sleeping during long downloads: Settings → System → Power (Windows 11) or Power & sleep (Windows 10).
• Make sure you have enough free space — at least the size of the file plus a little extra.
• Start big downloads at night, when your connection is less busy.

Let a download manager handle it for you

A download manager like SwiftGrab is built for exactly this problem:

• It keeps what's already downloaded. If the connection drops, nothing is lost — the download continues from where it stopped, even after you restart the PC.
• It tries again by itself. When a connection hiccups, SwiftGrab waits a moment and continues automatically, so you don't have to keep clicking Resume.
• It downloads in parts. A big file is split into up to 8 parts that download at the same time, which is often faster and means one slow part doesn't hold up the rest.
• It works from your browser. With the free Firefox or Chrome add-on, downloads go to SwiftGrab automatically.
• It can wait for night time. The scheduler starts big files at night and can put the PC to sleep when they're done.

Please only download files you own or have permission to download, and follow each website's terms.