Free online CRDOWNLOAD to WMV converter

A video saved by Chrome as a .crdownload file cannot be opened by a WMV-only editor or player until the download has finished and the media is converted. Converting the completed video to WMV can improve compatibility with older Windows software, Windows Media Player, or devices that require ASF/WMV media.

What the CRDOWNLOAD format is

.crdownload is a temporary filename used by Google Chrome and Chromium-based browsers for an active or interrupted download. Chrome usually creates a file such as video.mp4.crdownload while downloading, then removes the temporary suffix when the transfer completes.

The file is not a separate video format. It is a partially downloaded copy of the original file, and its actual media format may be MP4, WebM, MKV, or another type. You encounter it in the browser's download folder when a download is still running, paused, canceled, interrupted, or failed.

Do not convert an incomplete file. Resume the download in Chrome through Menu → Downloads, or restart it from the original source. If Chrome has finished but the suffix remains, verify that the file size is stable and identify the underlying format before changing its name.

What the WMV format is

WMV, or Windows Media Video, is a Microsoft video format commonly stored in an ASF container, usually with the .wmv extension. It was designed for Windows playback, streaming, and relatively small files at moderate quality.

WMV is useful when a legacy Windows application, Windows Media Player installation, presentation system, or hardware device specifically expects WMV. Its main practical advantage is compatibility with older Microsoft software; newer phones, browsers, and editing applications generally support MP4 with H.264 more consistently.

How to actually convert CRDOWNLOAD to WMV

Using FFmpeg on a completed download

FFmpeg is suitable when the completed download is a recognizable video. Install FFmpeg, open Command Prompt or a terminal in the download folder, and inspect the file:

ffprobe "video.mp4.crdownload"

If FFmpeg reports a video and audio stream, convert it directly without relying on the temporary extension:

ffmpeg -i "video.mp4.crdownload" -c:v wmv2 -b:v 2000k -c:a wmav2 -b:a 128k "video.wmv"

wmv2 produces Windows Media Video 8/9-compatible video encoding, while wmav2 produces Windows Media Audio 9.2-compatible audio. Adjust -b:v for the desired size and quality; 1,500–3,000 kbps is a practical range for ordinary 720p material.

If the download has completed but FFmpeg cannot detect it because the temporary name interferes with probing, rename it to the format indicated by the source or by ffprobe. For example:

ren "video.mp4.crdownload" "video.mp4"

Then run:

ffmpeg -i "video.mp4" -c:v wmv2 -b:v 2000k -c:a wmav2 -b:a 128k "video.wmv"

On macOS or Linux, use mv instead of ren:

mv "video.mp4.crdownload" "video.mp4"

Using a desktop converter

A graphical converter that uses FFmpeg can perform the same operation. Add the completed file, select WMV or Windows Media Video as the output format, choose a WMV2 video encoder and WMA audio encoder if separate options are available, set the output filename to video.wmv, and start the conversion. Do not add the file while Chrome is still writing to it.

Converting online

You can use the free converter on 101convert.com without installing software. Upload only a completed download; an active or partial .crdownload file normally cannot be decoded, and uploading private or copyrighted material may be unsuitable for an online service.

Quality, compatibility, and limitations

Renaming .crdownload to .wmv does not convert the media and usually makes the file invalid. Renaming is appropriate only for removing a leftover temporary suffix after the browser has completed the original download, and the new extension must match the actual source format.

Conversion re-encodes the video, so quality can decrease. Use a higher video bitrate for source material with fast motion or fine detail, and avoid repeated conversions. If the source has no audio stream, omit the audio settings; if it has multiple streams, FFmpeg normally selects the first video and audio streams unless you specify mappings.

A damaged or incomplete download cannot be repaired by changing containers or codecs. If ffprobe reports truncated data, missing headers, or no media streams, resume or download the original file again. WMV output may also lose subtitles, chapters, embedded artwork, or uncommon codec features unless they are explicitly mapped and supported by the selected ASF/WMV encoders.