Errors

Failed to Download File, The File Contents Differ From What was Expected.

August 14, 2022

If your system’s firewall interferes with Minecraft’s operation, it will give the “Failed to download file” error. Additionally, a corrupt Minecraft file or mods could be the root of the problem.

This happens when a user launches the Minecraft Launcher but receives the following message (this can also happen occasionally after installing a mod):

The following factors predominately contribute to this download error:

Older version of the Minecraft game or launcher: The launcher is updated frequently to address bugs and keep up with other OS components. The download process may become unresponsive if a critical update is missing from your Minecraft installation.
Minecraft mods are improvements to the game, but if any of the ones you have installed on your computer are flawed (or incompatible) with the OS or the game, it could lead to conflicts within the game itself.
Firewall/Network Restrictions: To protect your system/data, your firewall and network provider suggest various techniques and protocols; however, the download will be unsuccessful if your firewall or network prevents access to the Minecraft servers.
Minecraft installation corruption: If your system lost power while you were playing the game or you forcibly quit it, the installation of Minecraft may have become corrupt, which is what ultimately caused the “download failed” Minecraft error.

Remove any programmes that are incompatible with Minecraft from your system, such as ByteFence, before continuing.

Contents

Fix Damaged Files

To scan and recover corrupt and missing files, download and run Restoro from this page. After that, continue with the following solutions.

Install the Most Recent Version of Minecraft

An outdated Minecraft launcher may be the cause of the failed download issue; in this case, updating Minecraft to the most recent version may fix the issue.

Launch the Minecraft Launcher and select Options next to your username.
Once the Minecraft launcher has been updated, click Force Update and see if the download file problem has been fixed.

Switch to the Vanilla Launcher.

Opening Minecraft using the Vanilla launcher may fix the issue if it has been caused by a bug in a mod that became apparent after the mod was installed on a launcher other than Vanilla.

Exit the system tray and close the non-Vanilla launcher (if present).
Next, launch the vanilla (or native) version of Minecraft and select Play.
After it displays the Create Game Screen, shut down the vanilla launcher (from the system tray as well).
Check to see if the download file issue is resolved by opening the other launcher you were using.

Twitch users may need to open the game and switch to Vanilla mode by clicking the Mod Pack button on the launcher screen. Let it load completely now, then shut it down. Do the same with the Mod Pack to see if the problem has been fixed.

Open The.Jar Extension in Java.

The downloaded files wouldn’t be correctly parsed and would result in incompatibility if Java (or JDK) is not set as the default application to open the.Jar (or.Java) file extensions. The problem can be fixed by altering the file opening preferences.

Click Windows and select Run.
Go to the following page now:

appdata percent.minecraft assets indexes percent

Next, choose Properties by using the right-click menu to select a file with a.Jar or.Java extension (if extensions are not displayed, you may need to enable file extension display).
Then choose Java or OpenJDK Platform Binary by clicking the Change button next to Opens With.
Apply your modifications now, then launch the launcher to see if the download file problem has been fixed.

Connect to a VPN to Download the File.

A VPN connection to a different server may be able to resolve the download file issue if it is caused by a regional Minecraft server bug (in the past, UK servers have been reported to experience the bug). Make sure to close the launcher from the system tray and exit it before continuing.

Download and set up a VPN programme on your computer (if already not installed).
Open the launcher after connecting to a different location to see if the download file issue has been fixed.

Disable Your PC’s Firewall

If your PC’s firewall prevents the Minecraft launcher from working properly, you might not be able to download files from Minecraft. In this situation, turning off the firewall on the computer might help.

Warning:

Proceed at your own risk because disabling your PC’s firewall could put your computer and its data at risk.

Locate your security application in the System Tray by clicking it with the right mouse button (like ESET).
After selecting Pause Firewall (Allow All Traffic), confirm that the firewall should be stopped.
After that, turn off Windows Firewall as well, and then open the Minecraft launcher to see if it can download the file.

Get Rid of the Corrupt Mod.

A corrupt Minecraft mod may be the cause of the download file problem, and removing that mod may fix the current problem.

First, expel the Minecraft Launcher from the system tray and close it.
Choose Run by using the right-click menu on Windows.
Next, carry out the following:

percentage of appdata

Click on the Mods folder by double-clicking in the.Minecraft directory now.
Next, remove the mods from the Mods folder and copy them to another location.
Open the Minecraft Launcher now to make sure everything is operating properly.
If so, close it from the system tray and exit it.
Then, open the Minecraft launcher to see if it is functioning properly after copying one of the mods to the Mods folder.
If so, copy each mod back into the Mods folder one at a time until you locate the problematic mod. When one is discovered, either update it (if possible), or else get in touch with the mod’s creator, to fix the problem.

Manually Place the Downloaded File in the Minecraft Directory.

Manually downloading the file and updating it in the directory may work since the launcher is unable to do so automatically. Copy the error message to a text file before continuing, and then quit the Minecraft launcher.

Copy the URL provided in the error message, for example, the address shown below:
Open a web browser (such as Chrome) and paste the copy of the address into the address bar.
After letting the file download, copy it.
Choose File Explorer from the context menu when you next click the Windows button.
Next, navigate to the address listed in the error message (without the file name at the end of the address), for instance, the address listed below:

C:Users%username% AppDataRoaming.minecraftlibrariesnetsfjopt-simplejopt-simple4.5

Next, remove the file with the name jopt-simple-4.5.jar that is listed at the end of the error message’s address.
After that, if prompted, confirm deleting the file, and then paste the file you copied in step 3.
Open the Minecraft launcher right away to see if the download file problem has been fixed.
If that didn’t work, see if the problem can be fixed by unzipping the downloaded file and putting it in the location specified in step 5.
If you are using a launcher other than Vanilla, launch Vanilla after installing the downloaded file, then press Play. Exit the launcher after reaching the Create Game screen and use a different launcher to see if the problem has been fixed.

You might also need to replace the file in the Documents directory if you use Twitch with the Vanilla launcher. Locate the following address first:

C:Users% usernameDocumentsCurseMinecraftInstalllibrariesnetjavadevjnajna

The file that was copied at step 3 should now be pasted into the version number folder, for example, 4.5. If prompted, choose Replace. To see if the problem has been fixed, first launch the Vanilla launcher, and then repeat step 12.

Installing Minecraft Again

If the problem still exists, the Minecraft Launcher may have been installed incorrectly and needs to be reinstalled, which may fix the “failed to download file” issue.

1 Click Windows and then click Run.

2 Complete the following by copying and pasting the address: