Downloads Folder Not Responding in Windows 10/11 – [Solved]

I was really scared when I was unable to open my downloaded folder in Windows 10/11 immediately after upgrading. Whenever I tried to open my downloaded folder, I got an error stating that the download folder can’t be accessed. First, I thought to roll back to the previous Windows version. But, I tried the following fixes before rolling back to the previous version and finally, I got back access to the downloaded folder.

If you are one among them who have faced a similar problem, then you can try out the following fixes.

How Do I Fix The Downloads Folder In Windows 10/11?

Solution #1: Run System File Checker

You might be facing this issue due to system files that are damaged during the up-gradation process. Hence, try to run SFC to fix damaged system files. Here are the steps to run SFC.

1. Open Run Window and type cmd
2. When the Command Prompt window appears, type “sfc /scannow”
3. And, hit Enter button

Once after the completion of the scanning process, try to open your downloaded files. If failed to do so, then try out the 2nd method.

Solution #2:  Check Disk Run

Sometimes, bad sectors that exist on your hard drive restricts yours to a certain folder. In that case, you have to fix bad sectors. For that, you have to run the Check Disk tool on your computer.

• Open Command Prompt from the admin account
• Then, type the chkdsk Drive_Name: /f /r /x.  [Replace Drive_Name with the drive letter of your drive]
• Hit Enter button

When the process gets complete, all the bad sectors present on your drive will be fixed easily. If still, your download folder shows an error, try the method mentioned below.

Solution #3: Change Properties Settings

1. Select the Downloads folder and Right-click on it
2. Select Properties and navigate to Customize > Select documents from the drop-down folder
3. And select ‘also apply the template to all subfolders’

Now, go back to the Download folder and see whether you can access the Download folder or not.

Solution #4: Recover Files from Inaccessible Download Folder

If none of the methods helps you to get back access to your download folder, then safeguard your data using recovery software like Yodot File Recovery. it easily recovers files from the download folder. Once you get back your data, you can easily roll back to the previous version.