I am currently experiencing this download issue as well. I see lots of questions but no answers.

Question

I am currently experiencing this download issue as well. I see lots of questions but no answers.

Rodney Stouffer 0

Do we have a solution to this sudden download location anomoly? Mine seems to originate from Outlook because the Chrome setting is set to prompt for a download location. It does not. The attachment on the email pauses then says downloaded. However, I have no clue to where as the downloaded file is not even in my downloads folder. What gives?

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Rodney Stouffer 0 Reputation points

2026-04-10T17:49:01.0333333+00:00

No sub-menu when I right-click on attachments. Only sub-menu when click down arrow on attachment, I select & it says "downloaded". To where? I search my computer for the specific file it says it just downloaded and find nothing. Am I being high-jacked here? What is going on?
Higher Standard 0 Reputation points

2026-09-15T18:52:01.7766667+00:00

This situation has appeared randomly for me as well and clearing caches, etc does not help. It only happens on Chrome and it does not matter where I download from...it says "downloaded" and the files do not appear anywhere on my computer/drive. Macbook Pro macos Monterey. No problems on firefox.
Higher Standard 0 Reputation points

2026-09-15T18:52:30.2233333+00:00

I have it set to always ask and it does not.
Hornblower409 15,140 Reputation points

2026-09-16T07:29:25.49+00:00

@Higher Standard said

It only happens on Chrome ... No problems on firefox

I understand that you have the same or similar issue to the one discussed in this thread. But you will probably not get any help by adding to an old post.

I would suggest that you start a new thread using the "Ask a question" button at the top of this page to create a new Question and include the details for your specific problem and what steps you have already tried to fix it.

This provides much higher visibility to your issue than adding on to an existing post, which is only seen by people who are already following this question.

(You can put the link for this page in your new Question for reference)

2 answers

Rodney Stouffer 0 Reputation points

2026-04-10T17:49:01.0333333+00:00

No sub-menu when I right-click on attachments. Only sub-menu when click down arrow on attachment, I select & it says "downloaded". To where? I search my computer for the specific file it says it just downloaded and find nothing. Am I being high-jacked here? What is going on?
Higher Standard 0 Reputation points

2026-09-15T18:52:01.7766667+00:00

This situation has appeared randomly for me as well and clearing caches, etc does not help. It only happens on Chrome and it does not matter where I download from...it says "downloaded" and the files do not appear anywhere on my computer/drive. Macbook Pro macos Monterey. No problems on firefox.
Higher Standard 0 Reputation points

2026-09-15T18:52:30.2233333+00:00

I have it set to always ask and it does not.
Hornblower409 15,140 Reputation points

2026-09-16T07:29:25.49+00:00

@Higher Standard said

It only happens on Chrome ... No problems on firefox

I understand that you have the same or similar issue to the one discussed in this thread. But you will probably not get any help by adding to an old post.

I would suggest that you start a new thread using the "Ask a question" button at the top of this page to create a new Question and include the details for your specific problem and what steps you have already tried to fix it.

This provides much higher visibility to your issue than adding on to an existing post, which is only seen by people who are already following this question.

(You can put the link for this page in your new Question for reference)

Answer 1

Hi @Rodney Stouffer

Thank you for sharing your concern.

I understand how frustrating this can be. When you click to open or download an attachment, Outlook shows “Downloaded,” but the file does not appear in your Downloads folder, and Chrome does not prompt you to choose a save location even though that option is enabled.

Based on my research, looks like the file is usually downloaded successfully, but it is often saved silently to a different location (such as OneDrive’s Attachments folder) instead of prompting you to choose where to save it.

You could try to follow these steps:

After the attachment shows “Downloaded”, you could try to press combine Ctrl + J (or open menu > Downloads) to view the download manager. The file should appear at the top of the list with the exact filename and a “Show in folder” option. Clicking this will open the actual location where the file was saved.

Additionally, you could try to check your OneDrive folder (both online at web and the local OneDrive sync folder on your computer), you might find attachments saved there automatically.

To better assist, could you please provide additional information for the following questions:

Does this happen with all attachments, or only with specific ones (for example, certain file types like PDF, Word, Excel, or images)?

Is this download issue happening only with attachments from one specific sender, or does it also occur when you download attachments from other senders?

If possible, could you also try opening Outlook Web App (OWA) in a different browser and download the same attachment to see whether the same behavior occurs?

Let me know the result, as this will help me better identify whether the issue is browser-related or caused by configuration.

Please understand that our initial reply may not always immediately resolve the issue. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.

Note: Please follow the steps in [our documentation] to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Hin-V 16,830 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-11T22:50:59.85+00:00

Hi @Rodney Stouffer

I hope you are doing well.

Have you had a chance to check the replies provided?

Any update would be appreciated.

If you want any further support, let me know in the comment section. I truly hope you can find the definitive solution to your concern.
Rodney Stouffer 0 Reputation points

2026-04-13T16:09:35.2533333+00:00

Yes, I reviewed the replies and though I do not know what may have initiated this issue, I was able to resolve it easily.

Thank you for your specific regard for my affairs. You demonstrate compassion and concern beyond the standard business "pay-scale" limitations. You are recognized and admired.

Peace,

[Moderator note: personal info removed]
Hin-V 16,830 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-14T16:17:05.14+00:00

Please note that our forum is a public platform, and we will modify your question to hide your personal information in the comment. Kindly ensure that you hide any personal or organizational information the next time you post an issue or other details to protect personal data.

Hi @Rodney Stouffer

Thank you for your feedback.

I’m glad to hear that the issue has resolved itself.

If you encounter this behavior again, feel free to try the approach I mentioned and let me know how it goes, I’ll be happy to assist further.

Warm thanks, and have a great day.

Answer 2

For recent, sudden issues where Outlook attachments appear to download but cannot be found, there are two main areas to check based on current guidance:

Check the actual download location in the browser
Even if Chrome (or Edge) is configured to prompt for a location, the file may still be going to the browser’s default downloads folder.

In Microsoft Edge, the current download folder is shown under Settings and more > Settings > Downloads > Location (for example, C:\Users\[name]\Downloads).
In Edge Legacy, it is under Settings and more > Settings > Downloads. Use this to confirm where the browser is really saving files and then search that path for the attachment name.

Be aware of the recent DLP-related download issue (enterprise devices)
On enterprise devices with Microsoft 365 E5/A5 and Microsoft Purview DLP, there was a known issue (Dec 11–14, 2023) where a file scanner blocked or interfered with downloads from web apps (including Outlook on the web) in all browsers. This could make downloads appear to complete but not be usable.

The affected feature has been automatically disabled on Windows devices and the issue is considered resolved.
A mitigation was deployed that specifically allowed downloads to the Downloads folder path; other paths could still be affected during that period.
If downloads to the Downloads folder still misbehave, restarting the Windows device ensures the fix and mitigation are fully applied.
Admins can verify the mitigation via the registry key:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows Advanced Threat Protection\Status
ConfigurationVersion = 10.8699.icm450350786.2023.12.14.01-2D153B40CE0194E989F549365C4CD2E400CB1005E8D404C7EBAC83CE3DF9FE0E

If using Edge with a managed download prompt policy
In managed environments, the Ask where to save downloaded files behavior can be controlled by the PromptForDownloadLocation policy:

If enabled, the user is asked where to save each file.
If disabled or not configured, files are saved automatically to the default location. If a policy is enforcing automatic saving, the browser may ignore the user-facing prompt setting and silently save to the configured default folder.

Outlook-specific attachment saving behavior
For classic Outlook on Windows:

Attachments are saved by default to the Documents folder, and this default cannot be changed globally. A different location can only be chosen per save using Save As from the attachment menu. If the attachment is being opened or saved directly from Outlook (not via the browser), check the Documents folder as well as the browser’s downloads folder.

If the device is in an enterprise environment and the behavior started recently, confirm with IT whether Microsoft Purview DLP or Edge/Chrome download policies were changed, and verify the registry value above to ensure the DLP-related fix is present. Also confirm the browser’s actual download location and check both Downloads and Documents folders for the missing files.

References: