Why won’t my downloads start?

Find out why downloads are queued, skipped or waiting instead of starting.

If a download does not start, it can be caused by the current download state, a host waiting period, captcha, account restriction, storage problem, or network issue.

Checklist

1. Start state: Confirm downloads are actually started and not stopped or paused. Check whether a scheduler or speed-limit setting is active.
2. Exact status: Look at the file's status column. A waiting period, captcha request, offline status, or plugin error each requires a different solution.
3. Captcha: Resolve any waiting captcha prompts. Some hosts require captcha verification even for normal downloads.
4. Account: If login is needed, check the account status. See premium account not accepted.
5. Parallel downloads: Reduce simultaneous downloads and connections temporarily, especially if a host is rate-limiting requests. See maximum simultaneous downloads.
6. Disk and permissions: Check available storage space and write permission for the download folder.
7. Network: Check VPN, proxy, firewall, antivirus, or DNS interference. Only disable security software briefly for a controlled diagnostic test if you understand the risk, then re-enable it.
8. Updates: Install available JDownloader updates, restart, and try another known-working link.

If only one website fails, that host or its plugin is a likely cause. If all websites fail, investigate network, installation and local settings first.

Need help?

Share the exact status, affected website, a safe example URL, whether an account is used, and a JDownloader session log through the support portal.