Download YouTube and Online Streaming Videos Without Any Software
By on February 3rd, 2010

Many users use to view the latest videos. However, YouTube does not allow users to download video from the site. There are lot lot of software which allow users to download YouTube videos, both through a desktop software and a online service. However, whenever you watch YouTube videos, the video is downloaded and played back from your local cache.

Here is a solution which will allow you to copy and store YouTube videos which you have already watched to your PC. This method does not require any additional software, and will not cost you additional bandwidth.

Steps To Download/Copy YouTube Video to Your PC

Before you can perform the steps given below, make sure the hidden files are visible in Windows explorer. If you are not aware of how to unhide hidden folders, you can read a tutorial on how to show/hide hidden folders in Windows.

Step 1: Browse and watch YouTube in any web browser, preferably Internet Explorer.

Step 2: If you like a video you watched, do not close the browser window or tab. In order to copy the downloaded video you need to keep the browser window open.

Step 3: Open explorer and navigate to the following location:

Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\*USERNAME*\Local Settings\Temp

/ : C:\Users\*USERNAME*\AppData\Local\Temp

Find FLA file in Temp Folder

Step 4: In the temp folder look for file which has the name  "fla*Some_Number*.tmp", for example fla128.tmp or fla36.tmp.

unlock_file_locks copy_file_to_folder

Step 5: The fla*.tmp file is video that was downloaded to your local cache. Copy the file to another folder and rename it to "Whatever_You_Like.flv "

rename_fla_to_flvThat’s It, using the above steps you can download or store a video from YouTube without wasting even extra bandwidth. You can use a free desktop FLV player to watch the downloaded video or even play FLV files in Windows Media Player using a FLV codec.

Note: Sometime you will get an error while copying and pasting the fla*.tmp file to another folder, you can download a software called Unlocker to release locks on the file. To learn more on how to use the Unlocker software, visit the post on a guide to use Unlocker to release file locks.

This is a guest post by Rajesh from 4Tech.info, where you can find the latest innovative updates. Want to guest post for us? Read our Guest Post guidelines to find out how you can submit guest posts to us.

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Author: Keith Dsouza Google Profile for Keith Dsouza
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Newer Comments →
  • http://www.fundybuzz.com Williams

    Wow, Great Tip Man. But Suppose if we watch 4-5 videos in youtube, and there will 4-5 temporary files, how can we know which video is which temp?

    Do they have specific names or only numbers?

    • http://www.techarraz.com Chinmoy Kanjilal

      My best guess is that the video is deleted from the cache if you close that window. And even if it remains, the temp files will be named in some sequence. So, no absolute way of knowing which temp file is for which video, but you can guess something from the numbers there.

  • http://bit.ly/b33w33 bee

    difficult but interesting…

  • Meena

    well, it works :D but on XP only, unlocker doesn't work the same on win7
    :(
    any other ideas?

    • Walter

      I would suggest closing internet explorer and copying the file as fast as possible. Internet Explorer will take some time to delete the file while it’s closing. So if you are fast enough maybe you save the video to a secure location until IE or other browser deletes it…

  • http://dtechwiz.blogspot.com Karthik Prabhu

    Hey.. This article is really cool.. A good post on downloading the streaming videos by online cache.. I had discovered this trick a year ago.. It's really good trick.. Your post has the method which works on IE.. I have posted a method which works on Mozilla Firefox on my blog..Check out my Blog.. I have posted about 22 ways of downloading the youtube videos.. This method is also included..

    • Joel McRae

      The link to your site is bogus. It’s for life insurance, it’s not about a method to download streaming media at all. Why would you do that?

  • twin

    it doesn’t work!!!
    the moment i unlock it wit the software is the moment the file dissappear

  • tanmay

    after downloading some vedios my fla file dissapered!!!
    can anyone please tell me the reason y dis happened??

  • pankaj chandak

    it’s not working in windows 7 starter……….i’m using hp mini.

  • Mohsen goodguy

    thank you very much …… you helped me a lot

  • Mohsen goodguy

    right click menu does not have the unlocker …!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/charanjeev.bagga bagga“

    dude m nt able to copy the file………help plz

  • Hupesh sahu

    When all suggestion not work but you want download any video from any website watch the video full(fully watched) and then unplug your pc from current means directly shut down your pc not manually. Again start your pc and go temp folder by using “Run” write %temp%
    on “run” and then rename the file with .flv extension

    • http://meena-tech.blogspot.com/ Meena Bassem

      no offense , what kind of people will ruin their computer by doing so every time they want to download a video?

      btw, if you want to download a video without software, you don’t really have to watch it , just give http://www.clipconverter.cc/ a try, i use its Bookmarklet , you’ll find it in the addon tab
      enjoy :D

  • annonymous

    Hey there thank u for the great trick but copy option doesnot appear in the unlocker. There is only move, rename, delete and no action. NO COPY option. and when I tried to move, rename or delete, it gives an error message saying file is open, cant move..
    This is in windows 7..
    just found out that i needed to upgrade my unlocker software..

  • mukesh

    Thanks dud it’s work very well

  • http://meena-tech.blogspot.com/ Meena Bassem

    oh, it works fine on windows7. I’ve made a tutorial about i here
    http://meena-tech.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-to-get-video-that-youve-just.html

  • Ivan Francis

    Amazing way yaar
    I am fron nepanagar

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000436252853 Robert Sunderland

    What works for me is, I just go into internet options, find the biggest file in the temporary internet folder, copy it to wherever and open it with VLC media player. No Problemo : ) I don’t even change it’s name. : )

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000333854027 Sherin Sivanandan Panikar

    this is an old trick dude , bt make sure it works on windows7 and windows 8.

  • http://how2blog.in arafin shaon

    not working on win 8 man…….

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1254234659 Adrian Peirson

    thanks, very useful.

  • KARAN

    IS THERE COMPOLSORY TO PLAY THE FULL VIDEO BEFORE COPING FILE TO ANOTHER FOLDER,
    AND EVEN AFTER WATCHING FULL VIDEO I M NOT GETTING FLA FILE IN MY “TEMP” FOLDER,
    PLZ HELP ME………

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001883404664 Nikhil Mandekar

    I M NOT GETTING FLA FILE IN MY TEMP FOLDER, I M PLAYING WHOLE VIDEO BUT EVEN AFTER THAT I M NOT GETING FLA FILE IN TEMP FOLDER, I M USING WINDOWS XP. PLZ HELP ME…..

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001883404664 Nikhil Mandekar

    I M NOT GETTING “FLA” FILE IN MY TEMP FOLDER, I M PLAYING WHOLE VIDEO BUT EVEN AFTER THAT I M NOT GETING FLA FILE IN TEMP FOLDER, I M USING WINDOWS XP. PLZ HELP ME…..

    CAN U PLZ GIVE ME REPLY ON MY FACEBOOK ACOUNT.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001883404664 Nikhil Mandekar

    DUDE PLZ GIVE ME REPLY, I M TRYING FOR DOWNLOADING VIDEOS FROM 4-5.
    MONTHS, BUT YET I DOn’t GET ANY IDEA FOR DOWNLOADING VIDEOS.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003670809583 Ajit Kashyap

    Great blog! It realy works.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000292788359 RisHabh ShaRma

    it doesn, t work on window 7.

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