Mac users delete unnecessary files on their hard drive to free up available space. During this process, they may discover files with the .PART extension in their downloads folder that may appear to be a candidate for deletion. However, in some instances, deleting a .PART file on a Mac computer may cause problems with files that are downloading.
File Type Explanation
- A .PART file is a partition of a file that is currently downloading from the Internet or a download that has been paused. These files have the same name as the file that is being downloaded, but with the .PART extension added. When a download is incomplete, the main file is a blank placeholder that will later be created when the downloading software compiles all of the .PART files.
Software
- Several different software applications for downloading files use .PART files. However, the only applications that use this file type on a Mac computer are Mozilla Firefox and JDownloader. Mozilla Firefox is an open-source Internet browser and .PART files allow users to pause and resume downloads directly within their browser. JDownloader is a download manager that downloads files in multiple parts for faster connection speeds, where each download connection is saved as a .PART file.
When to Delete .PART Files
- Mac users who have cancelled a download may find that the partially downloaded .PART files are still in their "Downloads" folder. If a Mac user has no intention of resuming the download, then the .PART files can be deleted without any problems. However, Mozilla Firefox and JDownloader should automatically delete any .PART files of a canceled download, as long as it is deleted from the download queue.
When to Save .PART Files
- If a file is currently being downloaded, deleting the .PART files will cause the download to fail. Also, if a .PART file of a paused download is deleted, you will not be able to resume the download. When a paused download is resumed and the .PART files are missing, the download will have to start downloading the file from the beginning.
