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Common Issues with Downloading Files

uploads , End User , Troubleshooting , Uploads and Downloads , webapp_swarm , Download , webapp_swarm_kb , Article , Product Utilization , Box Web Application , Established

If you are encountering problems downloading files from your Box account, we recommend that you try:

  • Updating your browser to the latest version
  • Clearing your browser's cache
  • Using Box with an alternate browser, computer, or network. If possible, Test using both Ethernet and Wi-Fi connections. Wi-Fi is typically slower than an Ethernet connection. Increased distance from your router can further decrease your speeds. If there are walls or other obstructions between you and your router, this could cause your internet speed to decrease. In that case, try moving closer to your WiFi router.
  • Temporarily disabling any internet security/firewall programs to test whether they conflict with Box (Note: you may need clearance or assistance from your organization’s IT department/helpdesk to do this)
  • Temporarily disabling any plugins/extensions in your browser
  • Removing unwanted extensions, plug-ins, ads, pop-ups & malware:
  • To check download performance, do the steps here: Testing your Network Connection

Other things to keep in mind:

  • Bulk download is limited to 150GB. Recommended download is 25GB.

  • Files will download into the default location determined by your browser (ex. Downloads folder)
  • Downloaded files from Firefox will download in Read Only mode if the download option "Open In" is selected. If you would like to edit the downloaded file, please choose the Save As option when downloading the file.
  • If the option to download a file within a collaborative folder is not available to you in Box, then you may not have the proper Access Level for that collaborative folder to download the file. Please check your access level on the collaborative folder. If you are a Previewer, Uploader or Previewer-Uploader on the folder, you would not be able to download files in this folder.
  • Files and Folders that are Watermarked may not be able to be downloaded normally by some collaborators. Please refer to Watermarking Files for expected behavior for each collaboration permission level on Watermarked content.
  • Folder Download slowness: When you download a folder from Box, the folder will be downloaded to your computer as a zipped file. This zipping of the folder may cause your download to be slower than if you downloaded single files.
    • Note: There is a 100,000-file limit per folder when downloading complete folders in a browser.  Recommended download is 10,000 files. You may need to split large folders into subfolders to get below this limit.
    • You will have to unzip the folder once it has successfully downloaded to your computer.
    • Please note that empty subfolders will be ignored and not included in the zip file.
  • Box measures bandwidth usage based on downloads from "People with the link" shared links. All downloads from any public shared link count towards the bandwidth limit. Depending on the size of the files being shared and the frequency of downloads, you can reach this limit quite quickly based on the file format (TIF, MP4, MP3, and so forth). For more info see: Understand How Box Measures Bandwidth Usage.

Next steps:

If you still have problems downloading after running through the steps above, please follow these steps: Testing your Network Connection. Once you have done this, please submit a support case and let us know the results of your tests.

 

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