# Where is the file while I'm downloading it?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-file-while-im-downloading-it/241520>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 22, 2004, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-file-while-im-downloading-it/241520 "2004-04-22T22:07:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![aerodave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f08c70/32.png) [@aerodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aerodave)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-file-while-im-downloading-it/241520/1 "2004-04-22T22:07:08Z")

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Internet Exploer 6, Windows XP Pro

I was downloading a large video file today, and partway through the download, I wanted to preview it to make sure it was the right thing. But, for the life of me, I couldn’t find it. I told IE to save it to my My Documents\My Videos folder.

I checked the Temporary Internet Files Folder (C:\Documents and Settings[user]\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files), but the partially downloaded file wasn’t in there. After the download was complete, a box popped up momentarily that said it was moving the file from a folder named something like “MHTGYFR” to “My Videos.” I recognize that kind of odd folder name from the temporary internet files in previous versions of Windows/IE. But that folder doens’t appear anywhere I can find it, nor do any other strangely named folders show up anywhere.

So, while a download is in progress, where is the file that’s being written, before it’s moved to its final destination?

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-file-while-im-downloading-it/241520/2 "2004-04-22T22:10:58Z")

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It is in the Temporary Internet Files folder, but as a cache object, rather than a valid, properly-named version of the file.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-file-while-im-downloading-it/241520/3 "2004-04-22T22:12:50Z")

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Plus it might be a hidden file, which you might not have asked Windows to reveal (Tools\>Folder Options\>View\>Hidden files/folders)