How to Fix Downloads not Showing up in Download Folder [solved]

How to fix Downloads not showing up in Downloads folder in Windows 10

"A few days ago, I bought a brand new Windows 10 laptop and updated all the apps so that I could download what I needed. When I downloaded the file using the Edge browser, I went back to the downloads folder and wanted to view , but found it was blank. So I opened the Edge browser again, and viewed the previously downloaded file by showing the folder, and it still showed blank. I don't know what to do, can anyone give some good advice? "

In fact, Disk Cleanup. Windows Updates. Corrupted download files can all cause the problems described in the above cases that the downloads do not appear in the Downloads folder and cause headaches for many users. So, how can we solve this problem? Please try the following two methods to resolve. Note that these two methods can also solve the problem of the Downloads folder not showing up in Windows 7.

Method 1. Change the default download location of the browser

When you're having issues with downloads not showing up in the Downloads folder in Windows 10, the first thing you should consider is changing where your browser's default downloads are stored, this is a method worth trying. Next, the operation steps on different browsers will be introduced separately for your better understanding.

Google Chrome

1. Open the Google Chrome browser, click the ⋮ icon in the upper right corner, and select Settings from the expanded menu.

2. In the Settings window, click the ≡ icon in the upper left corner, click and expand Advanced, and then choose Downloads.

3. In the downloads window, click the Change button next to the location to change the default location for downloads. If you have additional needs, you can also enable the Ask where to save each file before downloading each file option.

Firefox

1. Open the Firefox browser, click the ≡ icon in the upper left corner, and select Settings from the expanded menu.

2. On the General tab, find the Files & Applications section and click the Browse button to change the download storage location.

Internet Explorer

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the gear button in the upper right corner, and then select View Downloads (you can also use the Ctrl+J shortcut).

2. Click the Options button in the lower-left corner, click the Browse button in the new window to change the storage location, and click OK to save the changes.

Microsoft Edge

1. Open the Microsoft Edge browser, tap the ... icon in the upper right corner, and select Downloads.

2. Click the... icon at the top and select Download Settings.

3. In the new window, click the Change button next to Location to change the storage location.

Method 2. Restore the download folder location

From the feedback results of some users, restoring the location of the download folder will help solve the problem of not finding my download folder, you can try this method.

1. Use Windows+E to open Windows File Explorer, find the Downloads folder on the left panel, right-click on it, and select Properties from the expanded menu.

2. At the top of the downloads window, switch to the Location tab, and click Restore Default, then click the Apply and OK buttons to save the changes.

Other issues with file downloads in Windows 10

In addition to the above-mentioned solutions, you may also encounter other download problems during the use of Windows 10, which can also cause you some trouble. Next, we will introduce you to other common download problems in Windows 10 and introduce corresponding solutions.

Why is the downloaded file not showing up on the desktop?

If your files are stored on the desktop by default, but the downloaded files do not appear on the desktop, it is likely that the icon is hidden on the computer. Please use the following methods to solve the problem.

1. Right-click an empty area of the desktop and select View.

2. In the expanded menu, select Show desktop icon.

3. Right-click an empty area of the desktop again, and select Refresh.

How to Fix File Download Failed Issue in Windows 10

In fact, there are many reasons why file downloads fail in Windows 10, such as blocking by third-party antivirus software. Blocking by Windows Defender Firewall. Temporary files are corrupted, etc., so how can you fix it? Please try the following 4 solutions.

Method 1. Temporarily turn off third-party antivirus software or Windows Defender Firewall

1. Click the arrow icon on the far right of the taskbar, find the third-party antivirus software, right-click it, and select Exit. Open Windows Defender Firewall.

3. Select the Windows Defender Firewall tab on or off, turn off the private network settings and public network settings respectively, and then click the OK button.

Method 2. Disable SmartScreen Filter

Windows SmartScreen Filter is a security feature built into Windows 10, mainly used to check the integrity of websites, but it can sometimes cause file downloads to fail, so you need to disable it.

1. Open the Microsoft Edge browser, tap the ... icon in the upper right corner, and select Setting.

2. Enter SmartScreen in the search bar in the upper right corner and disable the function.

Method 3. Clear temporary files

1. Open Windows File Explorer and select a local disk.

2. Right-click the volume and select Properties.

3. Click Disk Cleanup, check the Temporary files checkbox in the list of files to delete, and click the OK button.

Method 4. Reset the Internet connection

1. Use Windows+S to open the search bar, enter cmd and select Run as administrator.

2. Enter the following commands in sequence, and press Enter to execute the commands:

ipconfig /flushdns

ipconfig /renew

ipconfig /release

How to fix downloads not showing up in download folder in android

"When I use the Chrome app on my Android phone to download a file from the Internet, it shows up in a notification window, and if I tap the notification window, it opens it, but if I close the notification window, I will Can't find and open it anywhere else. Whether it's in my files, or connecting to a computer and searching with a browser, I can't find a file I downloaded on my phone before, how can I fix this?"

Apart from Windows systems, the issue of downloads not showing up in the download folder can also occur on Android phones, and the reason may be due to the presence of a virus in the download file. The download file is corrupted. Searching for the file in the wrong folder, etc. So, how can we solve the above problems? Please try the following 4 methods.

Method 1. Check Chrome settings

If the issue you're experiencing with downloads not showing up in your downloads folder is related to the Chrome browser, then please check your Chrome settings.

1. Open the Google Chrome browser, click the ⋮ icon in the upper right corner, and select Settings from the expanded menu.

2. Select Download, click the download location and select the path.

Note: You can use any file manager to find files downloaded from Chrome. If the Downloads folder is lost, Chrome will automatically store the data in the /storage/Android/data folder.

Method 2. Allow the launcher to add new downloaded apps

If you can't see newly installed apps on your home screen, the launcher might be the culprit. At this point, you need to change the settings to allow the launcher to add new downloaded applications.

1. Tap and hold the Home screen and wait for the pop-up window to appear.

2. Select Home Settings and enable the Add app icons to the Home Screen option.

Note: This method works with all third-party launchers.

Method 3. Clear cache from default launcher

1. Tap Settings and select Apps & Notifications.

2. Open all applications, click the ⋮ icon, and then select Show system processes.

3. Find and open the default launcher, then click Save, click OK to clear cache and data.

Method 4. Find with Total Commander

From the feedback results of some users, using the Total Commander application can effectively find and download files that are not displayed in the download folder, which is a method worth trying.

1. Download and install Total Commander from the Android store that comes with your phone. If you don't find it, please download it from Google Play or Amazon App Store.

2. Go to phone settings and go to the application interface to allow installation of applications from unknown sources (no need to do this if downloaded from Google Play).

3. Run Total Commander and review all available directories for downloads that are not displayed.

How to fix downloads not showing up in Downloads folder in Mac

"I bought an old MacBook Pro three weeks ago, and when I log into my mailbox from Safari and try to download a file from an email, I always find that the downloaded file doesn't show up in the Downloads folder. I can't figure out what's causing this problem, do you have any good ideas?"

The Mac system is relatively stable. In contrast, the problem that downloads are not displayed in the download folder is rare, but it does not mean that this problem does not exist. If you unfortunately encounter the above problems while using your Mac, please use the following two methods to solve them.

Method 1. View the downloaded file

If you can't find the download on your Mac, it means the download is pointless. Therefore, when you encounter the problem that the download is not displayed in the download folder, you should first check the downloaded file, here are 3 methods recommended for you.

Find downloaded files from the Dock

Find a recent download from the right side of the dock and hover over it to get a quick preview of your recent download. Additionally, you can click the Dock download icon to access recently downloaded files.

Find downloaded files using Finder

1. Click the taskbar at the top of the screen to display the Finder (automatically displayed when you stay on the main Mac screen).

2. Click on the file and select New Finder Window from the menu.

Downloads tab in the left panel of the new window , and you can view all downloaded files in the right panel.

Find downloaded files from your browser

Open Safari browser and tap the down arrow icon in the upper right corner to open recently downloaded content. Note that you can also use the ⌘+J shortcut to view downloaded files.

Method 2. Change the default storage location of Safari browser

As with Windows, you can also fix the problem of downloaded files not showing up in the Downloads folder by changing the default storage location in Safari.

1. Open the Safari browser, and click Settings, then choose Preferences.

2. On the General tab, locate the File Download Location section and expand the drop-down menu.

3. Select the Other option and then select the appropriate directory to change the Safari download destination.

Create file backup in time to restore when needed

Whether you are having issues with downloads not showing up in your downloads folder on your Windows 10 computer, Android phone or Mac, you can find out the reasons and fix them with this article. However, it should be noted that Windows update. Disk cleanup and download file corruption may cause similar problems again. In order to ensure the safety of your files, it is recommended to use AOMEI Backupper Standard to backup files in time after downloading, so as to restore as soon as possible when needed. required documents.

AOMEI Backupper Standard is a free and professional file backup software for Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 and other system versions. In addition, the software offers the following advantages:

• It supports two file backup methods, namely File Backup and Cloud Backup (eg: backup files to AOMEI Cloud). 
• All files can be backed up quickly, including newly added or newly edited files. Files in use., Large-volume files, etc.
• With good compatibility, you can back up the files you need to any location, such as backing up files to the cloud , other hard drives, NAS devices, etc.

If you have never touched this software before, please read the following steps in detail to ensure that you can properly back up the required files. First, download and install the software:

Step 1. Open AOMEI Backupper Standard, install and launch the software. Select Backup > File Backup.

Step 2. Click Add File or Add Folder, then select the files or folders to be backed up.

Step 3. Choose the destination for your file backup.

Step 4. Click Start Backup to backup your files.

Notes:

• Options: It allows you to compress or split an image file and enable email notification.
• Schedule Backup: It supports setting a backup task to run automatically at fixed intervals, such as Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Event trigger and USB plug in. The last two are available in the Pro version. 
• Backup Scheme: You can choose different backup methods. To help you save disk space by deleting older backups, you can enable automatic backup cleanup feature by upgrading to the Professional or higher version.

Conclusion

In addition to Windows computers, the problem of downloads not appearing in the download folder can also occur on Mac or Android phones. The solution to different devices is different. Please read the above in detail to solve this problem. But you must be reminded that Windows update. Disk cleanup and download file corruption may cause similar problems again. For file security considerations, it is recommended to use AOMEI Backupper Standard for file backup, so that files can be restored as soon as possible when needed.  

AOMEI Backupper Standard has a clear interface and is easy to operate. You can back up the required files to any location in just a few simple steps. You can perform system backup through this software,create a complete system backup file when there is no problem, so as to quickly restore the system to normal when the system crashes, escort your computer system, in addition, partition backup and disk cloning It can also meet your other needs.