Can't download Google Chrome files?

If you are using the Google Chrome browser in version 86, which was released on September 6, 2020, you may have noticed that some file downloads do not work.

Click on the download link and nothing happens. Chrome does not display any alerts and there is virtually no information to explain what is happening.

Google announced in early 2020 that it would block content viewed through the insecure HTTP protocol if the homepage uses HTTPS.

The company decided to release the feature gradually by adding more and more file types to the block list. Thus executable files, e.g. .exe or .bat were the first to be blocked with the release of Chrome 86. Future versions of Chrome will block more file types such as PDF, ZIP, or JPG.

Currently, the easiest option available is to right-click on the download link and select "save link as". The download will take place without any problem.

However some download links are supported with JavaScript, and right-clicking will not work.

What can you do;

• Use a different browser for downloads. But most browsers will follow Google's policy and block unsafe downloads. Currently, browsers Firefox, Brave, Vivaldi and new Edge allow downloads.
• Use a download manager. There are many applications for all Internet Download Manager, uGet or Xtreme Download Manager, Kget platforms that continue to download files from HTTP pages.