How to Find a File You Downloaded and Cannot See
Windows 11; Windows 10 differences noted where they exist · Last checked · Suggest an edit
https://instructions.wiki/windows/find-a-file-you-downloaded-and-cannot-see
The download finished but the file is nowhere in sight. It almost always went to the Downloads folder, and the browser keeps a record of exactly where it saved it.
Open the browser's download list
In Chrome or Edge, press Ctrl + J (Windows) or click the download arrow at the top right. Find the file and click Show in folder (Chrome) or the folder icon (Edge). In Firefox, press Ctrl + Shift + Y, right-click the file, and choose Show in Folder. In Safari on a Mac, click the download arrow at the top right, then the magnifying glass next to the file.
Open the Downloads folder
Press Windows + E to open File Explorer, then click Downloads in the left pane under Home or This PC. On a Mac, click Downloads in the Finder sidebar, or the Downloads stack at the right end of the Dock. Sort by Date modified so the newest file is on top.
Search for the file name
Click Start and type part of the file name, or type it in the search box at the top right of File Explorer. Windows Search indexes Downloads, Desktop, and Documents. On a Mac, press Cmd + Space and type the name.
Check where the browser is saving files
If the file is not in Downloads, the browser may be saving somewhere else. In Chrome, open Settings, Downloads and read Location; in Edge, Settings, Downloads. If Ask where to save each file before downloading is on, you picked a folder at download time, often the Desktop or Documents, so look there next.
Look for a failed or blocked download
A file listed with 0 bytes, or ending in .crdownload (Chrome and Edge), .part (Firefox), or .download (Safari), never finished. Delete it and download again. Also check the download list for Blocked, Insecure download, or Failed - Virus detected. The browser or Windows Security discarded the file; if you trust the source, click Keep on the entry to download it again.
If it opened instead of saving. PDFs and images often open in a browser tab rather than downloading. Click the save or download icon in the viewer, or press Ctrl + S, and pick a folder.
If it was downloaded on a different device. Browser history syncs across devices, but the file does not. Download it again on the device you are using.