diff --git a/tidy3d/components/data.py b/tidy3d/components/data.py
index cf93f611b7..6eddaf3de9 100644
--- a/tidy3d/components/data.py
+++ b/tidy3d/components/data.py
@@ -767,16 +767,10 @@ def plot_field(  # pylint:disable=too-many-arguments, too-many-locals
         if "f" in xr_data.coords:
             if freq is None:
                 raise DataError("'freq' must be supplied to plot a FieldMonitor.")
-            # if len(xr_data.f) == 1:
-            #     field_data = xr_data.isel(f=0)
-            # else:
             field_data = xr_data.sel(f=freq, method="nearest")
         elif "t" in xr_data.coords:
             if time is None:
                 raise DataError("'time' must be supplied to plot a FieldMonitor.")
-            # if len(xr_data.t) == 1:
-            #     field_data = xr_data.isel(t=0)
-            # else:
             field_data = xr_data.sel(t=time, method="nearest")
         else:
             raise DataError("Field data has neither time nor frequency data, something went wrong.")
diff --git a/tidy3d/components/simulation.py b/tidy3d/components/simulation.py
index c19f02da89..569ac4b629 100644
--- a/tidy3d/components/simulation.py
+++ b/tidy3d/components/simulation.py
@@ -170,16 +170,16 @@ def set_none_to_zero_layers(cls, val):
     _structure_names = set_names("structures")
     _source_names = set_names("sources")
 
-    @pydantic.validator("structures", allow_reuse=True, always=True)
-    def set_medium_names(cls, val, values):
-        """check for intersection of each structure with simulation bounds."""
-        background_medium = values.get("medium")
-        all_mediums = [background_medium] + [structure.medium for structure in val]
-        _, unique_indices = np.unique(all_mediums, return_inverse=True)
-        for unique_index, medium in zip(unique_indices, all_mediums):
-            if not medium.name:
-                medium.name = f"mediums[{unique_index}]"
-        return val
+    # @pydantic.validator("structures", allow_reuse=True, always=True)
+    # def set_medium_names(cls, val, values):
+    #     """check for intersection of each structure with simulation bounds."""
+    #     background_medium = values.get("medium")
+    #     all_mediums = [background_medium] + [structure.medium for structure in val]
+    #     _, unique_indices = np.unique(all_mediums, return_inverse=True)
+    #     for unique_index, medium in zip(unique_indices, all_mediums):
+    #         if not medium.name:
+    #             medium.name = f"mediums[{unique_index}]"
+    #     return val
 
     # make sure all names are unique
     _unique_structure_names = assert_unique_names("structures")
diff --git a/tidy3d/convert.py b/tidy3d/convert.py
index cc769a0048..848af153ea 100644
--- a/tidy3d/convert.py
+++ b/tidy3d/convert.py
@@ -477,13 +477,14 @@ def load_old_monitor_data(simulation: Simulation, data_file: str) -> SolverDataD
     with h5py.File(data_file, "r") as f_handle:
         for monitor in simulation.monitors:
             name = monitor.name
+            data_group = f_handle[name]
 
             if isinstance(monitor, FreqMonitor):
                 sampler_values = np.array(monitor.freqs)
                 sampler_label = "f"
 
             elif isinstance(monitor, TimeMonitor):
-                sampler_values = np.array(f_handle[name]["tmesh"]).ravel()
+                sampler_values = np.array(data_group["tmesh"]).ravel()
                 sampler_label = "t"
 
             if isinstance(monitor, AbstractFieldMonitor):
@@ -503,11 +504,11 @@ def load_old_monitor_data(simulation: Simulation, data_file: str) -> SolverDataD
                     }
 
             elif isinstance(monitor, AbstractFluxMonitor):
-                values = np.array(f_handle[name]["flux"]).ravel()
+                values = np.array(data_group["flux"]).ravel()
                 data_dict[name] = {"values": values, sampler_label: sampler_values}
 
             elif isinstance(monitor, ModeMonitor):
-                values = np.array(f_handle[name]["mode_amps"])
+                values = np.array(data_group["mode_amps"])
                 values = np.swapaxes(values, 1, 2)  # put frequency at last axis
                 mode_index = np.arange(values.shape[1])
                 data_dict[name] = {
diff --git a/tidy3d/web/webapi.py b/tidy3d/web/webapi.py
index 62ba6aa199..cbef4173a8 100644
--- a/tidy3d/web/webapi.py
+++ b/tidy3d/web/webapi.py
@@ -226,6 +226,10 @@ def download(task_id: TaskId, simulation: Simulation, path: str = "simulation_da
         Original simulation.
     path : str = "simulation_data.hdf5"
         Download path to .hdf5 data file (including filename).
+
+    Note
+    ----
+    To load downloaded results into data, call :meth:`load` with option `replace_existing=False`.
     """
 
     task_info = get_info(task_id)
@@ -233,6 +237,9 @@ def download(task_id: TaskId, simulation: Simulation, path: str = "simulation_da
         raise WebError(f"can't download task '{task_id}', status = '{task_info.status}'")
 
     directory, _ = os.path.split(path)
+    if directory and not os.path.exists(directory):
+        raise WebError(f"Can't download to path '{path}', directory {directory} doesn't exist.")
+
     sim_file = os.path.join(directory, "simulation.json")
     mon_file = os.path.join(directory, "monitor_data.hdf5")
     log_file = os.path.join(directory, "tidy3d.log")
@@ -276,7 +283,7 @@ def load(
     task_id: TaskId,
     simulation: Simulation,
     path: str = "simulation_data.hdf5",
-    replace_existing=True,
+    replace_existing : bool = True,
 ) -> SimulationData:
     """Download and Load simultion results into :class:`.SimulationData` object.
 
@@ -289,7 +296,7 @@ def load(
     path : str
         Download path to .hdf5 data file (including filename).
     replace_existing: bool = True
-        Downloads even if file exists (overwriting the existing).
+        Downloads the data even if path exists (overwriting the existing).
 
     Returns
     -------