Troubleshooting Download & Transfer via USB stopped working in Chrome

[John Hopper]

I had this problem as well, so have now allowed download of "insecure" material. I was nearly panicking for a second as this is a key part of my workflow for my ebooks. So thanks.

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[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by jhowell

The Amazon Content and Devices webpage uses JavaScript to initiate downloads instead of you actually clicking on a link that downloads the file directly. Google made a change in Chrome so that it considers that type of download to be insecure. The concern is that a malicious website might deliver files to you that you have not asked for.

I hope this action by google puts pressure on the practice of requiring javascript to download to go away.

[Gardenman]

Thanks for the info everyone had the same problem. All fixed now.

[rcentros]

I use Firefox not Chrome (well sometimes I use Chrome, indirectly, via Vivaldi) but shouldn't Chrome throw some kind of error here? Just doing nothing seems kind of weird.

[haertig]

Chrome has a privacy/security setting (don't know if it's on or off by default) that will block multiple downloads from a website. The first download works, then subsequent downloads are blocked. Chrome does not give you an obvious indicator that this is happening. On the right side of the URL bar there is some icon that appears, and if you click on that icon (sorry, I forgot what it looks like!) then you can tell Chrome to allow multiple downloads from that specific website.

Actually, I am reporting the above based on my use of Chromium (not Chrome). But Chrome is built on Chromium. Chromium is the original open-source browser, Google takes Chromium, adds their own spyware and tracking stuff, and markets the result as Chrome. So since my experience with Chromium taught me about this multiple-download blocker, I am assuming that you will see the same behavior in Chrome. But you may not - Google could have removed that security feature while turning Chromium into Chrome because they intentionally want to allow multiple-downloads, possibly to assist them in their spying/tracking. Anyway - it's something worthwhile to check for.

I believe this is where the setting is stored in Chromium (I'm not sure, because I have always accessed it via the icon on the right side of the URL bar when I had a blocked download):

Settings->Advanced->Downloads->PrivacyAndSecurity->SiteSettings->AdditionalPermissions->AutomaticDownloads "Do not allow any site to download multiple files automatically"

That is poorly worded, because the setting doesn't just affect "automatic" downloads, it also affects manual downloads that are invoked rapidly one after the other. As user jhowell said above, Amazon downloads these files via Javascript, and that may be fooling the browser into thinking that the downloads are "automatic" even though you are manually initiating them.

[Jo69]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Yes, leave it like that. Amazon is a safe site with respect to downloads.

The is a separate setting for each website, so allowing this for Amazon will not open your browser to to this sort of download from anywhere else.

Thanks this is all new to me
Only ever dragged the padlock to the desktop to create a shortcut to the webpage I am on

[deborakaye]

This was very helpful.

[Jo69]

I download Library books from Borrowbox

Sorry not Bolinda Digital my mistake - typed wrong one,,I use that one too.

Never had any problems
But now chrome is creating problems with this today
Is it anything to do with my Amazon problem?

[Bookstooge]

Originally Posted by Jo69

I download Library books from Borrowbox

Sorry not Bolinda Digital my mistake - typed wrong one,,I use that one too.

Never had any problems
But now chrome is creating problems with this today
Is it anything to do with my Amazon problem?

Seems like it is the same chrome issue. Have you tried another browser? (I haven't read the whole thread, so apologies if you have tried that)

[Gardenman]

Originally Posted by Jo69

Thanks this is all new to me
Only ever dragged the padlock to the desktop to create a shortcut to the webpage I am on

I did not know you could do that. We learn something everyday.

[Fbone]

Thanks for posting the solution. It was driving me crazy.

[lkmiller]

Had this happen with Amazon and got it working with this solution. Then had to use the same fix to download epubs from Kobo.

[Jo69]

All my books download now so thanks all yet again

[rem736]

this is my experience. i visit a https site with chrome and click on a link to download a file.
it appears that when the site is https but the link leads to a server that is not https, then chrome disallows the download. good to know there is a workaround by using the lock icon.

[timtower1]

Thanks guys. I got my Kindle USB downloads to work again, per your advice. This issue had been driving me crazy.

Here is a summary of the steps, for the latest W10 64 bit, using Chrome version 87.0.4280.88 (= latest as of Jan 2, 2021. To see your version, click on the 3 vertical dots at top rt corner of Chrome, and scroll to Help. Click on "About Google Chrome").

Chrome is blocking Kindle downloads as “Insecure Content”. To allow downloading of Kindle files:

1. Open your Amazon Account and navigate to "Manage your Content and devices". (In my browser, the command line is "amazon.com/hz/mycd/myx?pageType=content&ref_=ya_d_l_manage_kindle#/home/content/booksAll/dateDsc/").

2. Rt click on the padlock icon at left of "amazon.com..." on the above command line at the top of the page.

3. Left click on "Site Settings". A long list of permissions should appear.

4. Scroll down to "Insecure Content", which is near the bottom. Change setting to "allow".

5. Click back arrow to return to Amazon. Click the refresh circle at left of command line at top.

6. Downloads should now work fine.