How to fix
INET_E_DOWNLOAD_FAILURE on IE and Edge
on Windows

Hello. I am using MS Edge and I can't access some websites, YouTube being among them. Instead, I receive the INET_E_DOWNLOAD_FAILURE error. I am not sure what it means, but I hope you'll be able to help me with this. Thanks.

INET_E_DOWNLOAD_FAILURE is a browser error that can only occur on Microsoft browsers, such as MS Edge or Internet Explorer. While the error can occur on only one particular website, other users reported that the problem is more universal, and they are unable to visit most of the websites due to it. Browser errors are a very common phenomenon, and each of them occurs due to various reasons.

Just like Windows has its set of codes for errors (for example, 0x8007371b or WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR), browsers also use them. Of course, they are also based on the type of browser, for example, a Google Chrome error ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED can only be seen on that particular browser, although corresponding errors are present across other browsers as well - they just use different names.

Essentially, the INET_E_DOWNLOAD_FAILURE error means that your MS Edge or Internet Explorer browsers have some corrupted temporary files, cache, and cookies,[ref en-2] and the content of the site was unable to be downloaded. 

When you browse the internet, several components are delivered to your web browser for convenience. For example, once you visit YouTube with a Google account logged in, you don't have to enter your credentials every time. 

Cached files also serve a major purpose. If you have previously visited a website, the browser will create cache data for it, which includes JavaScript[ref en-3] scripts, HTML files, and other page components. This allows to reduce the bandwidth for the visitor (makes websites load faster) and the website server (preventing overloads).

However, the accumulated data might cause several problems. First of all, security experts recommend cleaning website data from time to time for security reasons. For example, if you had adware installed on your device, it can continue tracking your browsing activities as long as its cookies remain within your browser. INET_E_DOWNLOAD_FAILURE is another instance when cached files can cause problems.

Below you will find several ways on how to fix INET_E_DOWNLOAD_FAILURE error - it will allow you to visit all the websites once again without interruptions. Keep in mind that corrupted temp files might not be the only reason why this occurs, so you might have to check several solutions before one works for you.

Before you begin, we would like to recommend performing a system scan with [d1]. It can clear temporary files for you and remove cookies and other data automatically, which might ultimately result in INET_E_DOWNLOAD_FAILURE fix.

Clear temporary files from MS Edge or Internet Explorer

Since this particular error code is only present on MS Edge and IE browsers, we will provide solutions from those only. 

Clear temp files from MS Edge

1. Open MS Edge and click Menu
2. Select Privacy & security
3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear
4. Pick everything (you can leave passwords) and click Clear.

   

Clear temp files from MS Edge (Chromium)

1. Click on three horizontal dots (Settings) located in the top-right corner
2. Select Settings
3. Go to Privacy, search, and services section
4. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear

   

5. Under Time range, pick All time
6. Select everything and pick Clear now.

   

Clear temp files from Internet Explorer

1. Type in inetcpl.cpl in Windows search and press Enter
2. Under Browsing history, press Delete...
3. Select the following sections:

   Preserve Favorites website data
   Temporary Internet Files and website files
   Cookies and website data
   History

4.  Press Delete.

   

Restore advanced settings in Internet Options

Restoring advanced settings in Internet Options could help you fix INET_E_DOWNLOAD_FAILURE issue.

1. Type in inetcpl.cpl in Windows search and press Enter
2. Go to Advanced tab
3. Click on Restore advanced settings
4. Scroll down to Security section under Settings and untick Do not save encrypted pages to disk
5. Finally, click Apply and OK.

   

Run System File Checker

Since the issue might be related to corrupted system files, we recommend you run System File Checker - it can find and replace broken files after a full system scan:

1. Type cmd in Windows search and press Run as administrator
2. In the new window, type in the following command and hit Enter:

   sfc /scannow

3. Now wait until Windows finishes the scan (do not interrupt the process)

   

4. Once complete, it will provide scan results and explain what was repaired
5. Finally, reboot your PC.

Renew your IP address and flush DNS

In case the content was not downloaded because of your internet connection problems, you should try resetting your DNS[ref en-1] and IP via Command Prompt:

1. Type cmd in Windows search and press Run as administrator
2. Use the following commands, pressing Enter after each:

   ipconfig /release
   ipconfig /renew
   ipconfig /flushdns

Hopefully, this guide helps you to solve the INET_E_DOWNLOAD_FAILURE problem once and for all. If no luck, do not hesitate to contact us, and we will try to assist your further.