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I prefer to work with PDF files in external PDF viewer (Foxit Reader), so I've set up Chrome to download files only and open them in Foxit Reader.

My download folder is constant, I don't need to specify the download path every time when I download something from the internet.

The problem is that Chrome automatically downloads the same file again if I've downloaded it before. As a result I have a lot of copies of the same file [file.pdf, file(1).pdf and so on] if I've searched for it several times.

Is there an option in chrome://flags or maybe an extension that checks the download folder for already existing files and stops downloading if some file with the same filename or hash is in the destination folder?

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  • You explicitly ask Chrome to download the file by clicking to a link. Chrome do everything you tell him. Why it must ask something? maybe you want to download the file again because the file was changed, the previous file occures damaged, or something else... that is YOUR task to check. Disable download without specifying the destination folder - and you will se does the file with the same name already exists in a folder.
    – Akina
    Mar 22, 2019 at 7:58
  • When I look for some datasheet I need, for me it is much more qiucker to search in Chrome that to scan the download folder, especially if there is more that one of them. Someone can say that I don't need to bother with downloaded datasheets at all and just clean the download folder periodically, but I need to keep the files because I make some notes and highlights in them the during the work. But I see that the only way to workaround my problem is to disable download without specifying the folder - a window with "Replace?" will be displayed if file with the name is in folder already.
    – kilometrix
    Mar 25, 2019 at 5:35
  • You do not need in "to scan the download folder". Simply look at the filename Chrome wants to save file with. If you see (1) at the end of the filename the file with the same name without this slack exists (of course it is possible that this part is a real part of the filename, but I have never seen such downloads yet...).
    – Akina
    Mar 25, 2019 at 5:38
  • Sometimes the file names of PDFs are informative, but mostly they are not the ones. Besides it happens that I need to keep hundreds or even thousands of them, and the quick search in file name is problematic. So first I google the required datasheet or whitepaper, then I download it and see that I already have *(1).pdf in download folder, and I open the original *.pdf, and the time is wasted.
    – kilometrix
    Mar 25, 2019 at 5:52

2 Answers 2

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Found a nice extension called No More Dublicates that works exactly as I needed and starts downloading not immediately after clicking the link, but after a user's decision. From the description:

When initiating a download the extension will check if the file already exists. If it does exist, you will be provided with a few options whether you want to download it anyway or open the already existing file.

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Not sure, if there is a build in setting, but you could use the extension "Have I Downloaded This Before?"

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  • 2
    Unclear how it detects for duplicate. Link URL only? File name? Name + datetime? And what if a link is script one? Rather doubtful plugin... and almost undocumented.
    – Akina
    Mar 22, 2019 at 8:01
  • @Akina It will detect it as already downloaded regardless of the filename (I changed the filename of the previous download), that was enough for me so I haven't done any further research. I guess by URL, but I haven't verified that. But anyway, I just wanted to suggest the solution I used, not the "perfect one".
    – Albin
    Mar 22, 2019 at 8:06
  • It will detect it as already downloaded regardless of the filename So it checks for URL? So when URL was changed whereas it is the same file (dynamic script link, for example) it will not distinguish the file seems to be the same. And when file was changed whereas the URL remaining unchanged it will report that you have already downloaded it.
    – Akina
    Mar 22, 2019 at 8:12
  • @Akina As I said, I don't know what exactly it checks, you'll just have to try it and share you're insights here.
    – Albin
    Mar 22, 2019 at 9:27
  • I checked the extension, but it starts checking after the download process started. In case when PDF files are rather small and internet connection is fast this extention is useless because files will be already downloaded before user will make a decision to continue download the file again of not.
    – kilometrix
    Mar 25, 2019 at 5:36

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