Nine times out of ten a failing download has a one-step cure: reload the share page and click Download again. Here is why, and what to check when that is not enough.
Why reloading works
For security, the actual download addresses are short-lived: each is valid for about 10 minutes after the page created it. A tab left open for an hour, or a copied download URL pasted somewhere, points at an address that has since expired. Reloading the page mints fresh ones. (Audio and video players refresh their own links automatically during playback — long videos are not interrupted.)
For the same reason: share the share link, never the download link. The share link is permanent; the download URL behind the button is disposable.
Checklist when reloading does not help
- Does the page itself still open? If you see "expired", "not available" or "not found" instead of the file, the problem is the share, not the download — see Link expired or not found.
- Downloading many files at once? "Download all" on multi-file shares fetches files one by one, and some browsers ask for permission to download multiple files — look for a blocked-popup or permission prompt near the address bar.
- Large folder as ZIP? Very large folders can exceed the one-go ZIP limit; the page shows a notice when that happens — download subfolders individually instead.
- "Too many requests" message? Rapid repeated attempts from one network can be rate-limited briefly. Wait a minute and try again.
- Still stuck? Try another browser or network — extensions and corporate proxies occasionally block file downloads. If nothing helps, ask the sender to re-check the share on their side.