File uploads fail in Chrome for about 70% of users.
File uploads fail in Chrome for about 70% of users.
Watch the video to understand the situation better.
I own a windows pc built myself six years ago that is now experiencing problems.
When I attempt to download from Google Chrome, something unusual occurs:
If I get lucky, the download works when I click a "download" link (as shown in the video).
But about 70% of the time, my pc behaves like in the video—when I click "save as," the pop-up appears but doesn’t respond or show the usual files.
I usually have to wait 3 to 5 minutes before it becomes normal again.
Sometimes closing the window and trying downloads again helps.
Anyone know how to resolve this? As a video editor, I rely on downloading from Google regularly.
I think the issue might be related to my hard drive—specifically the 2TB Kingston model, which is separate from the OS and just for extra storage.
When I try to play a video from that HDD, Windows tries to load it for up to 10 minutes but then reports "server execution failed."
However, when I import a 10GB video into a Premiere Pro project from the same HDD, it plays perfectly without problems.
The Google Chrome files are stored on a separate 500GB SSD.
I didn't realize Kingston produced HDDs.
Have you attempted:
1. Restarting your PC
2. Updating Chrome to the newest version
3. Deinstalling Chrome, restarting the PC, then reinstalling Chrome
4. Using a different browser (such as Firefox)
How complete is the "HDD" you possess?
Have you tried:
1. Another video playback program besides Windows Media Player (for example VLC player)
2. Checking if the video file is intact
🤔
Did you use the same video file or a different one?
When saving to your Windows drive, does it consistently function? If yes, it may indicate a faulty drive.
Thank you for your response. I mistakenly mixed up the HDD manufacturer in my mind; it’s actually a Seagate 2TB Barracuda ST2000DM008 HDD with 7200RPM specifications.
😉
My PC has been restarted many times, but the issue persists. Still grateful for your advice—I’ll try uninstalling and reinstalling Chrome to check if it helps.
My drives aren’t overly full. Here’s what I see:
C: (SSD with Windows) = 464 GB total – 98 GB free
D: (250 GB NVMe SSD) = 237 GB total – 135 GB free
M: (2 TB Seagate HDD) = 1.81 TB total – 510 GB free.
I confirmed the videos I try to open are intact and not corrupted.
Recently, I tested opening ten videos using Windows Media Player and then VLC. Here’s the outcome:
Videos on HDD & SSD – comparing how quickly they load with VLC versus Windows Media Player
VLC (first time opening. From “Open with → VLC” to video play) = 18 seconds
VLC (already open) = instant
Windows Media Player: consistently 2 minutes and 5 seconds across six videos of 100–500 MB each. Three came from my 500 GB C: SSD, three from the 2 TB Seagate HDD.
Interestingly, once Windows Media Player is open, opening new videos is almost immediate. But if you don’t have it open, it takes about 2 minutes and 5 seconds before the video loads. After double-clicking a video, VLC opens instantly, but WMP just shows a white screen with its logo for two minutes and five seconds. Then the video appears after that delay. The same happens with VLC—very fast when it’s already running.
Both apps are installed on my C: drive (500 GB SSD, where Windows is also stored).
Regarding this experiment, I recorded the time from clicking the Download button to fully opening the “Save As” window and being able to click “Save.” The real issue isn’t the download itself; after the window loads, downloading files is usually fast on both drives. The delay happens only in the “save as” step.
I can easily download to all drives without trouble. The problem lies with the loading of the “save as” interface.
To help compare, I checked the download times for Google Chrome and Brave Browser:
Google Chrome: file 1 – 0 sec, file 2 – 2:04:66 (2 min 4 sec), file 3 – 2:04:45, file 4 – 2:05:09, file 5 – 2:04:26
Brave Browser: file 1 – 2:04:10, file 2 – 2:04:34, file 3 – 2:04:19, file 4 – 2:04:80, file 5 – 2:04:37
I’m puzzled by the 2 minutes and 4–5 seconds I keep seeing. It might relate to Windows opening new apps? Since both Media Player and Chrome’s “Save As” window take similar times, or freeze alike.
It might be a RAM problem. However, because VLC player runs videos much quicker than the outdated Windows Media Player, I think the issue lies with the software.
The simplest solution is to format the C:/ drive and perform a fresh Windows installation.
This will eliminate all software-related problems, including most bloatware and nearly all malware (except rootkits).
Just remember to disconnect other drives before starting the clean installation, as Windows often places the boot manager on a different drive than the OS installation.
A fresh Windows setup should resolve your issue. But if the problem persists after this step, consider hardware as the cause. Adjustments in BIOS or replacing a component might be necessary. From a hardware standpoint, RAM is my primary suspect. Still, opting for a clean install is beneficial since it removes software as the culprit.