How can I track the download progress of a large file from Azure Storage Browser?

Question

How can I track the download progress of a large file from Azure Storage Browser?

Dinesh Kumar Mathiyarasan 40

How can I track the download progress of a large file from Azure Storage Browser?

I’m trying to download a large file from Azure Portal → Storage Browser → Containers. The download starts, but I’m not able to see the progress percentage or how much data has been downloaded.

Is there any way to monitor the download progress, transfer speed, or remaining time directly from the Azure Portal?

If not, what would be the recommended option—Azure Storage Explorer, AzCopy, Azure CLI, or PowerShell—to download the file and track the progress in real time?

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Answer 1

Unfortunately, there is no way to monitor real-time download progress, transfer speed, or remaining time directly inside the Azure Portal. Storage Browser initiates a browser-based HTTP download, leaving the actual transfer to your browser's download manager. For large files, this can also be less reliable because a failed or timed-out browser download may not provide the same resume/retry capabilities as dedicated Azure transfer tools.

For large files, I'd recommend AzCopy. It is designed specifically for Azure Storage transfers and provides real-time progress information, including percentage completed, amount transferred, transfer speed, and remaining data. It is also better suited to large transfers because it can handle retries and resume interrupted transfers. A typical command is:

azcopy copy "https://<account>.blob.core.windows.net/<container>/<file>?<SAS-token>" "C:\local\path"

You can obtain a read-only SAS URL for the blob or container from the Azure Portal and use that URL with AzCopy. Alternatively, if your environment permits Microsoft Entra authentication, you can authenticate AzCopy with your Azure identity instead of using a SAS token.

If you prefer a graphical interface, Azure Storage Explorer is your alternative. Select the blob and choose Download; the Activities panel provides transfer progress and related information while the download is running. It is considerably more useful for monitoring a large transfer than the Azure Portal's Storage Browser.

Azure CLI and PowerShell can also perform the download and are good choices when you want to automate the operation, but for a large file where you specifically care about transfer progress and reliability, I would use AzCopy.

If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

hth

Marcin

Dinesh Kumar Mathiyarasan 40 Reputation points

2026-09-01T16:33:13.3833333+00:00

Thanks for your response, @Marcin Policht

**How can I set up AzCopy on my Azure VM?**I’m using a Windows Azure VM and want to install and configure AzCopy to transfer files between the VM and Azure Blob Storage. guide me on the installation, authentication, and basic upload/download commands?
Marcin Policht 107.9K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-09-01T18:53:21.77+00:00

On a Windows Azure VM, download and install AzCopy from Microsoft: https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/storage/common/storage-use-azcopy-v10

Open PowerShell and verify the installation:

azcopy --version

For Microsoft Entra authentication, run:

azcopy login

The identity you authenticate with needs an appropriate Azure Storage data-plane role, such as Storage Blob Data Contributor. For an Azure VM, you can also use the VM's managed identity, which avoids storing credentials on the VM.

To download a blob to the VM:

azcopy copy "https://<storageaccount>.blob.core.windows.net/<container>/<file>" "C:\Downloads<file>"

To upload a file from the VM:

azcopy copy "C:\Uploads<file>" "https://<storageaccount>.blob.core.windows.net/<container>/<file>"

If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

hth

Marcin