Troubleshooting
What to do when a download doesn't go as expected. Every message a download can show, with its cause and what to do, is in the complete list of download messages.
A download waits
| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Retrying in … or Waiting to retry | The download failed in a way worth retrying | Nothing: Apollo Download Manager tries again by itself. If it ends as Failed, the message says why |
| Waiting for network | No connection could be made: no Wi-Fi or cable, or the server's name didn't resolve | Nothing: it continues when the network is back. If the network works and it still waits, check the link and the proxy in Settings, then Retry |
| No data received | The server stopped sending | Nothing at first: after 30 seconds Apollo Download Manager resets the connection and tries again. If it keeps happening, check your network connection |
| Queued | The queue already runs as many downloads as Settings allows (2 by default), or the schedule is outside its hours (the list says Scheduled: … with when it starts), or it has its own start time (Starts …) | Wait, or raise Simultaneous downloads in Settings, Queue and performance |
| Needs its login | Apollo Download Manager restarted, and didn't keep the download's login, headers or key | Resume it and enter them again. Tick Remember this login next time |
| A notice that the transfer engine isn't running | The engine stopped, and the downloads wait for it | Usually nothing: Apollo Download Manager starts it again. If it crashed more than 5 times in 5 minutes, use Restart transfer engine in Settings, About and diagnostics |
| Waiting for peers (a torrent) | No one is sharing the torrent right now | Wait. A private torrent added before a restart may need to be added again (Torrents) |
A download stopped and asks something
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| Trust this server? (SFTP) | Check the fingerprint with the server's owner first (Downloads) |
The server redirected from https:// to http:// | The rest would come over an unencrypted connection. Continue over http in the details panel goes on for this download only. Choose it only if you trust the network |
| A link from the browser to this computer or the local network | Apollo Download Manager holds links from the browser to addresses such as 127.0.0.1 or 192.168.x.x before sending anything. Download anyway in the details panel goes on |
| A name already taken | Keep both (rename) or Skip: Apollo Download Manager never replaces a file |
A download started again
The details panel says "…, so the download started again." when Apollo Download Manager dropped what it had downloaded and began again, with the reason. Most often the file on the server changed: Apollo Download Manager never mixes two versions of a file, so it starts once more with the new one. There's nothing to do; the download continues by itself. If the file changes again while it downloads, the download fails, and you can retry it later.
A download failed
The details panel shows the message, the server's HTTP status when there is one, and a hint about retrying:
"Retrying may help once the cause is fixed." A network problem, such as a lost connection or a timeout.
"The server asked Apollo Download Manager to slow down. Retrying later may help." The server is busy or limits how many requests it accepts.
"Retrying is unlikely to help without changing the request." For example a missing file, a refused login or a full disk: fix the cause first.
The message says what happened in plain words. When the download engine has more to say, such as a library's error code, Technical details under the message shows it, with a button to copy it for a bug report.
The most common messages:
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| "The server name could not be resolved. Check the link's spelling, …" | Check the link's spelling, the proxy's address if you set one in Settings, Proxy, and your internet connection. Some servers can be reached only over IPv6: if your network has no IPv6 internet access, they can't be reached from it. Apollo Download Manager tries a few times on its own before it shows this, then waits for you to Retry |
| "This computer has no network connection to the server. …" | Check that Wi-Fi or the cable is connected. Some servers can be reached only over IPv6: if your network has no IPv6 internet access, they can't be reached from it. A download that had already started keeps trying for about 5 minutes on its own, and goes on from where it stopped once the network is back. Otherwise, Retry once it's back |
| "The file was not found on the server. The link may have expired." (HTTP 404) | Get a new link from the site |
| "The download link expired. Get a fresh link from the browser." | Copy the link again from the site, and add it again |
| "The server requires a user name and password." (HTTP 401), or "The server refused the login. Check the user name and password." | The login window opens on its own: enter the right login and choose Log in and retry |
| "The server denied access to the file. …" (HTTP 403) | The link may have expired, or isn't for you: get a new link from the site |
| "The server doesn't let this user read the file." | You're logged in, but this user may not read the file. Ask the server's owner for access; a new password won't help |
| "The website's security certificate has expired, …" | The site's owner must renew its certificate. If it is your own server, also check this computer's date and time. Apollo Download Manager never skips this check |
| "The website's security certificate is for another website, …" | Check the link's address: a mistyped name, or a link to a server under another name, can cause this. Apollo Download Manager never skips this check |
| "The website's security certificate isn't trusted on this computer, …" | The certificate is self-signed or from an authority your computer doesn't know. Check whether a proxy or security program intercepts connections. For your own server, add its certificate authority to the system's trusted certificates. Apollo Download Manager never skips this check |
| "The website's security certificate was refused, …" | The certificate may have been revoked, or isn't meant for a website. Only the site's owner can fix it. Apollo Download Manager never skips this check |
| "The server's host key changed …" (SFTP) | Ask the server's owner whether the key changed, and why. Apollo Download Manager never trusts a changed key: after checking, remove the old entry from the known_hosts file in Apollo Download Manager's data folder by hand |
| "The downloaded file doesn't match its SHA-256 checksum …" | Check that the checksum is the one the site gives for this exact file. The unfinished file is kept as <name>.vdmpart |
| "There is not enough disk space." | Free some space, then Retry: the download goes on from where it stopped |
| "Apollo Download Manager isn't allowed to write to that location." | The folder stopped accepting writes (its permissions changed, or the drive became read-only). Give your user write access again, then Retry |
| "A file or folder of the torrent is no longer there." | A torrent's file or its folder was moved or deleted while it downloaded or seeded. Put it back, or remove the torrent and add it again |
| "The torrent stopped because of an error." | The torrent engine reported a problem Apollo Download Manager has no plain words for. Technical details shows its own message; include it when you report the problem |
| "The proxy refused the connection. Check its user name and password in Settings, Proxy." | Check the proxy's login, then retry. Ask the proxy's administrator whether it allows that site |
| "The server can't encrypt the connection, and this download requires encryption." | The FTP server doesn't offer FTPS. Ask for an ftps:// or https:// link |
| "The destination file already exists; it is never replaced" | A file appeared at the download's name while it downloaded. Apollo Download Manager kept it. Move or rename that file, or add the download again with another name |
After a disk-full or write error, if Apollo Download Manager hadn't saved any progress yet, the retry starts the file over.
The browser doesn't send downloads
See Browser integration. The extension's popup says why: Apollo Download Manager isn't running, or that browser isn't registered in Apollo Download Manager's Settings, Browser.
The diagnostics report
Settings, About and diagnostics shows the versions of Apollo Download Manager and its engines, what the download engine supports, and the recent log. Export diagnostics… saves a report to a file you choose, to attach to a bug report.
Secrets are hidden: passwords, cookies, tokens, tracker passkeys and keys are removed from the report and from the log before anything is kept.
Crash logs are kept on this computer only, in their own folder, newest first. Apollo Download Manager never sends anything anywhere: no telemetry, no automatic reports.
Restart transfer engine and Restart torrent helper are there too, and ask first.
If Apollo Download Manager closes suddenly
After a crash, a forced quit or a power cut, the downloads come back when Apollo Download Manager starts again and continue from their last saved progress.