What's the best one for Win10? Or, at least, one that works consistently?

Ed


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 1/18/26 11:31 AM, Ed Cryer wrote:

What's the best one for Win10? Or, at least, one that works consistently?

Ed

I use
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube_downloader_webx/
and it seems to work fine.


--
Linux Mint 22.3, Mozilla Thunderbird 140.7.0esr, Mozilla Firefox 147.0
Alan K.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

4k video downloader as own application
video download helper as browser addon

"Ed Cryer" <ed@somewhere.in.the.uk> schrieb im Newsbeitrag news:10kj1ug$3j7q6$1@dont-email.me...

What's the best one for Win10? Or, at least, one that works consistently?

Ed

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 2026/1/18 16:31:55, Ed Cryer wrote:

What's the best one for Win10? Or, at least, one that works consistently?

Ed

If by consistently you mean keeps up with YouTube's attempts to thwart
it, then none will as downloaded - you have to keep them updated.

The one that I think is most frequently updated is yt-dlp; it's also
probably the most versatile. BUT it's command-line. If that puts you
off, fair enough - but, for most things (and certainly YouTube), it's
trivially easy to use: if you just want a download, then just invoking
it followed by the URL of what you want will do it: you type

y <paste>

in (a command prompt in) the folder you've stuck it in. (OK, I've
renamed my copy from yt-dlp.exe to just y.exe to save typing.) It only
needs further parameters if you want to do something special. [I
generally keep a command window open in my D:\videos\yt-dlp folder, so
it's just copy the URL (which you have to do for the GUI ones too),
alt-tab, y, Ctrl-V, enter.]

If by some chance it _doesn't_ work, then YouTube have probably stepped
on in the arms race, and it needs updating - you just type

y -U

and it'll update itself. (If it's already at its latest version it will
tell you so.)

If you want something with a GUI, see the other responses in the thread.
At least one - two, I think - of the offerings are actually just GUI
front-ends to yt-dlp; they still have to be kept up to date. Allegedly
at least one of them isn't as good at keeping its included yt-dlp up to
date as it might be, but I can't confirm that. Those who use them seem
happy with them.

[Actually, my "y" calls up a batch file that ChatGPT and I created,
which calls yt-dlp with enhancements to suit me.]

--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

When I was young, I was poor. Now, after years of hard work, I am no
longer young.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Ed Cryer <ed@somewhere.in.the.uk> wrote in news:10kj1ug$3j7q6$1@dont-
email.me:

What's the best one for Win10? Or, at least, one that works consistently?

Ed

I guess 'the best' is subjective, but here's one I've found to be
consistent.

You could try ClipGrab.

There are two versions of ClipGrab, one has bundled adds, and the other
does not.

If you go to Clipgrab.org, you'll see both versions:

"clipgrab-3.9.15.exe" has the adds, and when you download it, Windows
Security will notify you that it has found a Potentially Unwanted App,
which it will block. It will install, but is unreliable.

"clipgrab-3.9.15-portable.exe" has no adds. In small type, you'll see "Download version without third-party offers". This one's reliable.

Or, you can download "clipgrab-3.9.15-portable.exe" here: https://www.videohelp.com/software/ClipGrab

This site has screenshots and more information about ClipGrab.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Sun, 18 Jan 2026 21:24:38 -0500, Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> wrote:

Boris wrote:

Or, you can download "clipgrab-3.9.15-portable.exe" here:
https://www.videohelp.com/software/ClipGrab

yt-dlp and Clipgrab have both been suggested already (where Clipgrab uses >yt-dlp under the GUI anyway) so I went to my downloader folder where I've >tested all the downloaders ever suggested on this newsgroup (AFAIK).

C:\software\downloader> dir /b
clipgrab
youtube-dl
yt-dlp
3dyd
git
jdownloader
4kvd
fdm
node

As I recall, VLC can also download via a playlist text file.

As for the best, it's NewPipe (IMHO), but it only runs on Android.

In the early 2000s, a product called Free Download Manager (FDM) was the
hot ticket. I haven't used it in years but I see that it's still kicking around.

https://www.freedownloadmanager.org/


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Ed Cryer wrote:

What's the best one for Win10? Or, at least, one that works consistently?

Ed

https://youtu.be/69Fro9SvmAE
Test case for Downloaders. Try your suggestion, and let us know the results.

Ed


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 2026/1/19 17:16:32, Ed Cryer wrote:

Ed Cryer wrote:

What's the best one for Win10? Or, at least, one that works consistent

ly?

Ed

https://youtu.be/69Fro9SvmAE
Test case for Downloaders. Try your suggestion, and let us know the res

ults.

Ed

What is special about that one? Seems similar to many others like it.
(Well, it would be, but YKWIM.)

(A short - 8" - one I use for other purposes is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns9lYBISwLM ; I'm sure there are many
others.)

--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

There are two rules for success:
1. Never reveal everything you know.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

J. P. Gilliver wrote:

On 2026/1/19 17:16:32, Ed Cryer wrote:

Ed Cryer wrote:

What's the best one for Win10? Or, at least, one that works consistently? >>>
Ed

https://youtu.be/69Fro9SvmAE
Test case for Downloaders. Try your suggestion, and let us know the results. >>
Ed

What is special about that one? Seems similar to many others like it.
(Well, it would be, but YKWIM.)

(A short - 8" - one I use for other purposes is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns9lYBISwLM ; I'm sure there are many others.)

Always loved that riff. It's probably the best-known even now. Followed closely by Rolling Stones "Gimme Shelter".

I posted that particular YT file because it wouldn't come down with
either Free Download Manager nor 3DYD.

People are simply making suggestions without trying them.

Ed

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Mon, 1/19/2026 1:49 PM, Ed Cryer wrote:

J. P. Gilliver wrote:

On 2026/1/19 17:16:32, Ed Cryer wrote:

Ed Cryer wrote:

What's the best one for Win10? Or, at least, one that works consistently? >>>>
Ed

https://youtu.be/69Fro9SvmAE
Test case for Downloaders. Try your suggestion, and let us know the results.

Ed

What is special about that one? Seems similar to many others like it.
(Well, it would be, but YKWIM.)

(A short - 8" - one I use for other purposes is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns9lYBISwLM ;ÿ I'm sure there are many
others.)

Always loved that riff. It's probably the best-known even now. Followed closely by Rolling Stones "Gimme Shelter".

I posted that particular YT file because it wouldn't come down with either Free Download Manager nor 3DYD.

People are simply making suggestions without trying them.

Ed

You know, we get tired of doing these experiments... after a while :-)

It's known that youtube downloaders are volatile. What worked
yesterday, does not have to work today. I'm watching dynamic behavior
in Windows 11 right before my very eyes. While "testing" in the
WinXP era could be "definitive", we're standing on nothing
but shifting sand in the year 2026. Just because I do an experiment
here, does not mean it works anywhere else on the Earths surface.
Take me posting on imgur.com and finding that UK viewers may not
download my image. Unexpected.

Paul

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 2026/1/19 18:49:19, Ed Cryer wrote:

J. P. Gilliver wrote:

On 2026/1/19 17:16:32, Ed Cryer wrote:

Ed Cryer wrote:

What's the best one for Win10? Or, at least, one that works consistently? >>>>
Ed

https://youtu.be/69Fro9SvmAE
Test case for Downloaders. Try your suggestion, and let us know the results.

Ed

What is special about that one? Seems similar to many others like it.
(Well, it would be, but YKWIM.)

(A short - 8" - one I use for other purposes is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns9lYBISwLM ; I'm sure there are many
others.)

Always loved that riff. It's probably the best-known even now. Followed closely by Rolling Stones "Gimme Shelter".

I posted that particular YT file because it wouldn't come down with
either Free Download Manager nor 3DYD.

People are simply making suggestions without trying them.

Ed

Sorry. I did try it:

yt-dlp https://youtu.be/69Fro9SvmAE

started something which gave continuing errors, so I interrupted it; I
don't know if it would have worked eventually.

y https://youtu.be/69Fro9SvmAE

downloaded it fine. (I've played the file.) y.bat is a batch file that
ChatGPT and I created between us, which calls yt-dlp internally. (I've
had this with quite a few files lately, not just your example.)

--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Intelligence isn't complete without the full picture and the full
picture is all about doubt. Otherwise, you go the way of George Bush.
- baroness Eliza Manningham-Buller (former head of MI5),
Radio Times 3-9 September 2011.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Paul wrote:

On Mon, 1/19/2026 1:49 PM, Ed Cryer wrote:

J. P. Gilliver wrote:

On 2026/1/19 17:16:32, Ed Cryer wrote:

Ed Cryer wrote:

What's the best one for Win10? Or, at least, one that works consistently? >>>>>
Ed

https://youtu.be/69Fro9SvmAE
Test case for Downloaders. Try your suggestion, and let us know the results.

Ed

What is special about that one? Seems similar to many others like it.
(Well, it would be, but YKWIM.)

(A short - 8" - one I use for other purposes is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns9lYBISwLM ;ÿ I'm sure there are many
others.)

Always loved that riff. It's probably the best-known even now. Followed closely by Rolling Stones "Gimme Shelter".

I posted that particular YT file because it wouldn't come down with either Free Download Manager nor 3DYD.

People are simply making suggestions without trying them.

Ed

You know, we get tired of doing these experiments... after a while :-)

It's known that youtube downloaders are volatile. What worked
yesterday, does not have to work today. I'm watching dynamic behavior
in Windows 11 right before my very eyes. While "testing" in the
WinXP era could be "definitive", we're standing on nothing
but shifting sand in the year 2026. Just because I do an experiment
here, does not mean it works anywhere else on the Earths surface.
Take me posting on imgur.com and finding that UK viewers may not
download my image. Unexpected.

Paul

Gimme, gimme the good old days of Internet usage. When it was all fresh
and new, an adventure for pioneers. And far, far more freeware than
nowadays. When people felt satisfied enough just by making stuff
available, and students competed to produce the best apps they could.
C'est la vie, however. Now the entrepreneurs and criminals have infested
it, and it's become more of a true mirror for our consumer economies.

Money-making has taken precedence!

Ed


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)