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  "$type": "site.standard.document",
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  "path": "/t/downloading-files/176662#post_4",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-11T04:41:09.000Z",
  "site": "https://discuss.huggingface.co",
  "tags": [
    "Download files from the Hub",
    "Hugging Face Hub CLI guide",
    "MDN: HTTP range requests",
    "aria2 manual: --continue",
    "HF CLI: hf download",
    "HF CLI: download timeout",
    "Environment variables: HF_HUB_DOWNLOAD_TIMEOUT",
    "Xet: our Storage Backend",
    "Using Xet Storage",
    "Migrating to huggingface_hub v1.0: hf_transfer",
    "huggingface_hub issue: HTTP download fails for files >50GB",
    "huggingface_hub issue: Large downloads via HF hub stuck",
    "Hugging Face status page"
  ],
  "textContent": "Hmm, without knowing exactly what you are downloading, how you are downloading it, and which browser or tool you are using, nobody can give very precise advice here…\n\nAlso, there really are occasional cases where the problem is on Hugging Face’s side, in a recent deep change in the download stack, in a temporary incident, with your ISP, or somewhere along the network path between you and HF. So the first step is to narrow down where the failure is happening. The same kind of issue may also affect other large downloads, not only HF.\n\nVery roughly, for Hugging Face downloads, I would think about it like this:\n\n* * *\n\n## First, identify the download path\n\n“Downloading from Hugging Face” can mean several different things:\n\nDownload path | What it means | First thing to check\n---|---|---\nBrowser download button | Clicking a file in the Hub web UI and letting the browser save it | Browser, OS, Wi-Fi/network, VPN/proxy, file size, where it stops\nBrowser default downloader | Chrome/Firefox/Edge/Safari’s built-in download UI | Try another browser or a download manager\nDownload manager | IDM, aria2, browser extension, etc. | Whether it actually resumes or restarts from zero\n`hf download` CLI | Hugging Face Hub command line download | `hf --version`, `hf env`, auth, cache, timeout\nPython `huggingface_hub` | `hf_hub_download()` or `snapshot_download()` | Python version, `huggingface_hub` version, cache path\n`transformers` / `datasets` | Automatic downloads via `from_pretrained()` or `load_dataset()` | Exact function call and package versions\nGit / Git LFS / Xet | Repository-style clone/pull/download behavior | Git/LFS/Xet path, file size, repo type\nThird-party app | LM Studio, ComfyUI, Ollama-related tooling, etc. | App name/version, then compare with browser or CLI\n\nThese paths can fail for different reasons. A browser download problem is not the same diagnostic situation as a Python cache problem, a `datasets.load_dataset()` problem, or a large-file Xet transfer problem.\n\nThe official Hub Python docs describe `hf_hub_download()` as the main function for downloading a single file and caching it locally, while `snapshot_download()` downloads an entire repository snapshot. The CLI command `hf download` uses the same underlying helpers, but gives you more visible logs than a browser download:\n\n  * Download files from the Hub\n  * Hugging Face Hub CLI guide\n\n\n\n* * *\n\n## If you are using only the browser\n\nStart with the simple checks first.\n\nPlease post:\n\nDetail | Why it matters\n---|---\nBrowser and version | Browser downloaders behave differently\nOS | Windows/macOS/Linux/Android/iOS can matter\nExact repo link | People need to know what file is involved\nExact filename | A model repo may contain many files\nFile size | 500 MB, 5 GB, 50 GB are different cases\nWhere it stops | Immediately, halfway, near the end, after sleep mode, etc.\nWhether it restarts from zero | Important for resume diagnosis\nWhether another browser works | Separates browser-specific behavior from network/HF behavior\nWhether VPN/proxy is enabled | VPN/proxy/corporate/campus networks can affect large transfers\nWhether other large downloads fail | Helps separate “HF-specific” from “general network path”\n\nSimple things worth trying:\n\n  1. Try another browser.\n  2. Try a more stable network if possible.\n  3. Disable VPN/proxy temporarily if you can.\n  4. Avoid letting the machine sleep during a large download.\n  5. Try a download manager if you are using the browser’s default downloader.\n  6. Try downloading a smaller file from the same repo.\n  7. Try downloading another large file from a different site.\n\n\n\nThis is not about blaming your Wi-Fi. It is just the fastest way to separate local network instability from a site-specific or transfer-stack issue.\n\n* * *\n\n## Why a download manager may help\n\nThe suggestion to try something like IDM is practical.\n\nDownload managers sometimes help because HTTP supports “range requests”: instead of requesting the whole file from byte 0 every time, a client can request only a byte range. If the server/path/session supports it, this can allow partial download, multi-part download, or resume behavior.\n\nUseful references:\n\n  * MDN: HTTP range requests\n  * aria2 manual: --continue\n\n\n\nBut this is not magic.\n\nA download manager can help only if the server response, URL/session/auth state, and network path allow the tool to resume correctly. Some URLs may expire. Some authenticated or redirected downloads may not resume cleanly. Some large-file backend paths may not behave like a simple static HTTP file.\n\nSo the useful report is not just “I tried IDM.” The useful report is:\n\n\n    Browser default downloader:\n      result: failed at <where>\n\n    Download manager:\n      tool: <tool name and version>\n      result: resumed / restarted from zero / failed at <where>\n      error: <exact error if any>\n\n\n* * *\n\n## If you are comfortable with the command line\n\nThis is optional. If you only use the browser, say that.\n\nIf you can use the terminal, `hf download` is often a better diagnostic path than a silent browser download because it gives clearer output and uses the official Hub client path.\n\nInstall/update:\n\n\n    pip install -U huggingface_hub\n\n\nCheck your environment:\n\n\n    hf --version\n    hf env\n    hf auth whoami\n\n\nTry a single file:\n\n\n    hf download <repo_id> <filename>\n\n\nFor example, if the repo is `org/model-name` and the file is `model.safetensors`:\n\n\n    hf download org/model-name model.safetensors\n\n\nIf the file is inside a subfolder, use the path inside the repo:\n\n\n    hf download <repo_id> <path/inside/repo/file>\n\n\nYou can also preview what would be downloaded:\n\n\n    hf download <repo_id> --dry-run\n\n\nThe CLI docs mention `--dry-run` as a way to list which files would be downloaded and their sizes before actually downloading them:\n\n  * HF CLI: hf download\n\n\n\nFor slow connections, the CLI docs also mention increasing the download timeout:\n\n\n    export HF_HUB_DOWNLOAD_TIMEOUT=30\n    hf download <repo_id> <filename>\n\n\nReference:\n\n  * HF CLI: download timeout\n  * Environment variables: HF_HUB_DOWNLOAD_TIMEOUT\n\n\n\n* * *\n\n## If the problem is with Python, Transformers, or Datasets\n\nPlease say the exact code path.\n\nThese are not the same:\n\n\n    from huggingface_hub import hf_hub_download\n\n\n\n    from huggingface_hub import snapshot_download\n\n\n\n    from transformers import AutoModelForCausalLM\n    AutoModelForCausalLM.from_pretrained(...)\n\n\n\n    from datasets import load_dataset\n    load_dataset(...)\n\n\nThe `transformers` and `datasets` libraries may call `huggingface_hub` under the hood, but the visible symptom can look different from a direct `hf download` test.\n\nUseful details to post:\n\n\n    Python version:\n    OS:\n    huggingface_hub version:\n    hf_xet version, if installed:\n    transformers version, if relevant:\n    datasets version, if relevant:\n    exact function call:\n    repo id:\n    filename or dataset config/split:\n    public/private/gated:\n    cache path:\n    exact error or stall point:\n\n\nA quick version check:\n\n\n    python - <<'PY'\n    import platform\n    print(\"python:\", platform.python_version())\n\n    try:\n        import huggingface_hub\n        print(\"huggingface_hub:\", huggingface_hub.__version__)\n    except Exception as e:\n        print(\"huggingface_hub unavailable:\", repr(e))\n\n    try:\n        import hf_xet\n        print(\"hf_xet:\", getattr(hf_xet, \"__version__\", \"unknown\"))\n    except Exception as e:\n        print(\"hf_xet unavailable:\", repr(e))\n\n    try:\n        import transformers\n        print(\"transformers:\", transformers.__version__)\n    except Exception:\n        pass\n\n    try:\n        import datasets\n        print(\"datasets:\", datasets.__version__)\n    except Exception:\n        pass\n    PY\n\n\n* * *\n\n## A note about recent Hugging Face large-file downloads and Xet\n\nFor large model or dataset files, Hugging Face downloads are not always just “one simple static file over one simple HTTP connection.”\n\nThe Hub stores very large binary files differently from ordinary Git text/code files. Hugging Face’s Xet docs explain that large files are tracked through pointer files and stored remotely, while the repository itself stays small:\n\n  * Xet: our Storage Backend\n\n\n\nThe newer Hub client stack also uses `hf_xet` for Xet-backed transfers. The Xet docs say that as of `huggingface_hub` 0.32.0, installing/updating `huggingface_hub` also installs `hf_xet`, and `transformers` / `datasets` use `huggingface_hub` underneath when their versions are in that range:\n\n  * Using Xet Storage\n\n\n\nThis matters because old advice may be stale. For example, the `huggingface_hub` v1 migration docs say that `hf_transfer` support was removed, `HF_HUB_ENABLE_HF_TRANSFER` is ignored, and `HF_XET_HIGH_PERFORMANCE` is the current high-performance Xet knob:\n\n  * Migrating to huggingface_hub v1.0: hf_transfer\n\n\n\nSo if you see older posts saying:\n\n\n    HF_HUB_ENABLE_HF_TRANSFER=1 hf download ...\n\n\nthat may no longer test what you think it tests on current clients.\n\n* * *\n\n## Optional advanced CLI/Xet tests\n\nOnly use these if you are already using CLI/Python downloads.\n\nThese are diagnostic switches, not universal fixes.\n\nTry the default path first:\n\n\n    hf download <repo_id> <filename>\n\n\nTry Xet high-performance mode:\n\n\n    HF_XET_HIGH_PERFORMANCE=1 hf download <repo_id> <filename>\n\n\nTry disabling Xet to test whether behavior changes:\n\n\n    HF_HUB_DISABLE_XET=1 hf download <repo_id> <filename>\n\n\nIf disabling Xet makes the same file stable, that is useful evidence. It suggests the problem may be related to the Xet path, Xet cache, client version, filesystem, route, CDN path, or local environment.\n\nBut do not assume `HF_HUB_DISABLE_XET=1` is a permanent fix. For some very large files, the non-Xet HTTP path may not be available or may be limited. There are GitHub reports where a roughly 59 GB file failed through the regular HTTP method with a message saying the file was too large and that `hf_xet` should be installed:\n\n  * huggingface_hub issue: HTTP download fails for files >50GB\n\n\n\nThere are also reports where large downloads behaved differently depending on environment, for example Colab versus local machine:\n\n  * huggingface_hub issue: Large downloads via HF hub stuck\n\n\n\nGitHub issues are not proof that your exact case has the same cause. They are useful examples of why “download failed” needs more detail.\n\n* * *\n\n## Sometimes it really can be HF or the route\n\nIt is also fair to say that the problem is not always local.\n\nHugging Face’s status page has recorded incidents involving stalled or hung large-file downloads. For example, one April 2026 incident affected Hub file downloads for XET-enabled repositories, especially users routed through certain US Central CDN endpoints:\n\n  * Hugging Face status page\n\n\n\nThat does not mean every current download failure is an HF incident. It just means the possibilities include:\n\n  * local Wi-Fi instability\n  * ISP routing\n  * VPN/proxy/corporate/campus network behavior\n  * regional CDN path\n  * browser downloader behavior\n  * download manager behavior\n  * expired/redirected/authenticated URL behavior\n  * Hugging Face temporary incident\n  * Hub client version issue\n  * Xet transfer path issue\n  * cache or filesystem issue\n  * third-party app behavior\n\n\n\nThe only practical way forward is to narrow it down.\n\n* * *\n\n## Quick decision tree\n\n\n    Download failed or restarted\n    ├─ Are you using the browser?\n    │  ├─ Yes\n    │  │  ├─ Try another browser\n    │  │  ├─ Try a stable network / no VPN / no sleep mode\n    │  │  ├─ Try a download manager\n    │  │  └─ Post repo, filename, size, browser, OS, failure point\n    │  └─ No\n    │\n    ├─ Are you using a third-party app?\n    │  ├─ Yes\n    │  │  ├─ Name the app and version\n    │  │  ├─ Try the same file in the browser\n    │  │  └─ If possible, compare with `hf download`\n    │  └─ No\n    │\n    ├─ Are you using CLI?\n    │  ├─ Yes\n    │  │  ├─ Post `hf --version`\n    │  │  ├─ Post `hf env`\n    │  │  ├─ Post `hf auth whoami`\n    │  │  ├─ Try `hf download <repo_id> <filename>`\n    │  │  └─ If advanced, compare default / Xet high-performance / Xet disabled\n    │  └─ No\n    │\n    └─ Are you using Python / Transformers / Datasets?\n       ├─ Post package versions\n       ├─ Post exact function call\n       ├─ Post cache path if known\n       └─ Compare direct `hf download` if possible\n\n\n* * *\n\n## Minimal information that would make this diagnosable\n\nA useful follow-up would look like this:\n\n\n    Download method:\n      Browser / download manager / hf CLI / Python / transformers / datasets / third-party app\n\n    Repo:\n      <repo_id>\n\n    File:\n      <filename>\n\n    File size:\n      <size>\n\n    OS:\n      <Windows/macOS/Linux/etc.>\n\n    Browser or tool:\n      <browser/tool/app name and version>\n\n    Network:\n      Wi-Fi / wired / VPN / proxy / corporate / campus / cloud / home\n\n    Failure point:\n      immediately / after <amount> downloaded / near the end / after retry / after sleep\n\n    Resume behavior:\n      resumes / restarts from zero / unknown\n\n    Exact error:\n      <copy exact error message if any>\n\n    Other tests:\n      another browser:\n      download manager:\n      another network:\n      `hf download`:\n\n\nWithout at least some of that information, people can only guess.\n\n* * *\n\n## Short version\n\nThe other replies are pointing at useful first checks: network stability and browser/download-manager behavior. I would start there.\n\nBut the broader point is that “Hugging Face download failed” is not one single problem. It can be browser, Wi-Fi, ISP route, CDN path, temporary HF incident, third-party app behavior, Python cache, CLI client version, Xet transfer path, auth, or file size.\n\nSo the best next step is not to assume the cause. The best next step is to identify the exact download path and give enough details for others to reproduce or narrow it down.",
  "title": "Downloading files"
}