I've had an issue saving files

Question

Routinely I download and save files the same way I've always done for years, but now for the past few weeks I've routinely noticed that a download will stop downloading or only save as a TMP file instead of the designated file type and the download will not complete nor will I be able to try and save anything else until all temp files area deleted and/or the whole computer is restarted

I never had this issue until recently and now it's returning time and time again, how do I prevent it from happening in the first place?

Answer 1

Hi sonic,

I’m sorry to hear that the downloads that used to work reliably now stall or leave only .TMP files and block further saves until a restart. Normally, Edge saves downloads as temporary files first, then renames them when completes. If something interferes mid‑download, the .TMP file never gets finalized. If the Q&A Assist's suggestions couldn't help, here’s something else you can check out:

1 - Clear Edge download cache only (not browsing history)

• Open Edge > Press Ctrl + Shift + Del to open Clear browsing data
• Checked Cached images and files only > Clear now > Restart Edge.

2 - Change Edge’s default download location

• Open Edge > Settings > Downloads > Location > click Change
• Make a new folder for testing, e.g. D:\Downloads_Test
• Disable Ask where to save each file before downloading
• If downloads work, the original has a permission/sync issue.

3 - Check Windows Security folder protection

• Open Windows Security > go to Virus & threat protection
• Ransomware protection > If Controlled folder access is enabled:
  • Turn it off temporarily for testing
  • Or add msedge.exe to the allow list

4 - Temporarily pause OneDrive sync

• If OneDrive is running, click the logo in the taskbar tray
• Click the Settings > choose to pause OneDrive sync
• Test downloads again if it’s working. If yes, it's a sync issue.

5 - Test with a new Windows user profile

• Open Settings > Accounts > add a new local account
• Sign into this one and test the downloads there
• If they work, the original profile is broken.

Let me know if any of the suggestions above works, or it’s still blocked. We will go through more nuclear options depending on the results of the solutions above.

---

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Answer 2

The behavior matches known issues where downloads fail or temporary/cache files are deleted or blocked before the final file is created. Several system components can cause this: Internet/Edge security settings, Attachment Manager, antivirus integration, or underlying Windows/IE download bugs.

To reduce or prevent this from happening:

1. Verify that file downloads are allowed
   • Open the Internet Properties dialog (press Windows key, type inetcpl.cpl, press Enter).
   • Go to the Security tab, select the Internet zone (globe icon), and choose Custom level.
   • In Security Settings:
     • Scroll to Downloads → File download and set it to Enable.
     • Scroll to Miscellaneous → Launching applications and unsafe files and set it to Prompt (recommended).
   • Select OK to apply.
   • This ensures downloads are not being blocked by security zone configuration.
2. Check for antivirus/Attachment Manager interference
   • If messages like Virus scan failed or Virus detected appear, the download is typically being blocked by antivirus or Attachment Manager, not by Windows itself.
   • If the download source is trusted, temporarily disable virus scanning only for testing, then re-enable it immediately after confirming behavior.
   • Attachment Manager behavior is controlled under the registry key:
     • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Attachments
   • Misconfiguration here can cause downloads to be blocked or temp files to be removed before completion. Adjustments should be done carefully because incorrect registry edits can expose the system to attacks.
3. Keep Windows and browser components fully updated
   • Several known download issues (including cache/temp file handling and failures when saving) have been fixed by cumulative security updates for Internet Explorer and related components. Even though Edge is used, the underlying Windows networking and download stack shares components with IE.
   • Install the latest cumulative security updates for Windows and browser components via Windows Update (Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates). This includes fixes where cache files were deleted before being copied to the final temp file, causing intermittent download failures.
4. Clear temporary Internet/cache files when the issue appears
   • When downloads start failing and only .tmp files appear, clearing the browser cache and temporary Internet files can release locked handles and allow new downloads to complete.
   • If clearing cache does not help, a full restart (as already done) resets the download stack and usually restores normal behavior temporarily.

If the problem keeps recurring even after confirming download settings, checking antivirus behavior, and applying all Windows updates, the next step is to look for a specific update or hotfix for the download component in use and ensure it is installed, as Microsoft has confirmed and fixed multiple download-related bugs in past updates.

---

References:

• Information about the Attachment Manager in Microsoft Windows
• File downloading intermittently deletes cache file before it copies to temp file in Internet Explorer 11