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Jun 17 13

Solved: Chrome downloading file instead of displaying page

by Finn Espen Gundersen

A lot of developers are experiencing the same problem: while all other browsers display your latest web creation perfectly, Chrome just downloads the script source file – yes, source.

Several support threads describe the same problem, suggesting everything from security flaws and misconfigured servers to a chrome bug.

chrome_download

The answer is simple: you visited your unfinished site in Chrome before it was configured correctly. Chrome correctly just downloaded your front page script file – and it has cached that result, showing it to you again and again.

A simple curl invocation will confirm this, just goes to show how useful simple command-line tools can be.

Finally..solved!

Finally..solved!

The solution, with the cause now found, is equally simple: menu, settings, scroll to bottom, click advanced, click clear browsing data and select how long a time you have been frustrated: last day usually does it for me. And then click Clear browsing data.
At least Chrome has the choice of time period, to avoid having to erase the entire cache. That would both have taken some serious disk activity as well as slowed down browsing for a few days.