How to access downloaded files from chrome home page

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Viewed 5k times. I'm working on a Chrome extension and I'd like to have the extension: Click on a link to initiate a file download Once the download is complete, open and read the contents of the downloaded file Do something with the contents of the file in JavaScript I see that the chrome.

Improve this question. There might be an example of that somewhere. I'm guessing no - you just suggested that so the file ends up in the user's downloads folder which doesn't matter in my case.

Add a comment. Active Oldest Votes. I'm copying the answer I gave here. Improve this answer. WhiteFangs WhiteFangs 11 11 silver badges 18 18 bronze badges. Note that enabling file access for an extension exposes the entire file system that's available for the current OS user to the extension.

Sign up or log in Sign up using Google. Sign up using Facebook. Sign up using Email and Password. Click a file in one of the compatible formats to open it, and it will appear in a new tab. Local Explorer is a Chrome extension that enables you to open any file you want on your computer using its default software package.

Adding Local Explorer to Chrome is a two-part process. You need the add-on in Chrome, and you need an integration module to run the default programs for the files. Take note that this extension does not work on Chromebooks or Linux operating systems. Also, the reason this feature never gets built into Chrome is due to security policies.