µTorrent Support > Documentation

A Beginner's Guide to BitTorrent

What is BitTorrent?

BitTorrent (often abbreviated to 'BT') is a protocol that allows you to download files
quickly and efficiently. It is a peer to peer protocol, which means you download and
upload to other people downloading the same file. BitTorrent is often used for
distribution of very large files, very popular files and files available for free, as it is a
cheap, fast, efficient way to distribute files to users like you.

µTorrent is a BitTorrent client. A 'client' in this case is a computer program that follows
the rules of a protocol. For example, HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) is the protocol
used to download web pages and other content - like this page - and your HTTP client (or
browser) is the program you use to get those web pages. Some popular browsers include
Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari.

Just as there are multiple web browsers, there are multiple BitTorrent clients, and
µTorrent is one such BT client.

How do I download files using BitTorrent?

Just like you need a URL like 'www.google.com' to go to a web site and download
content, you need a 'torrent file', a small file that tells the BitTorrent client the necessary
info to download the content you want. This is generally obtained from a torrent website.
Many websites offer torrents as one method of downloading files. For example,
OpenOffice.org, a free alternative to Microsoft Office, can be downloaded using
BitTorrent. Other sites, like legaltorrents.com, offer torrents of all kinds of things - these
sites are just repositories of torrents and usually don't actually create any of the content
available. They are known as torrent indexers.

Once you've obtained a torrent file, you simply need to import it into µTorrent. There are
several ways of doing this.

• Drag and drop the torrent file you downloaded onto µTorrent's window.
• Choose to open the torrent file instead of saving it to your computer. If you have
associated µTorrent with .torrent files, this will work. µTorrent asks on first run if
you want to do this, but if you said no, you can go to Options, Preferences and
click button labeled Associate with .torrent files to reassociate it.

But before you start downloading, make sure you've followed the µTorrent Setup
Guide. It doesn't take long and will help ensure that your torrent experience is faster and
more consistent.
µTorrent finished downloading, but now it says it's Seeding. What does
that mean?

Seeding is where you leave your BitTorrent client open after you've finished your
download to help distribute it (you distribute the file while downloading, but it's even
more helpful if you continue to distribute the full file even after you have finished
downloading). Chances are that most of the data you got was from seeds, so help give
back to the community! It doesn't require much - µTorrent will continue seeding until the
torrent is removed (right click the torrent, then hit Remove). Proper practice is to seed
until the ratio of upload:download is at least 1.00.

Where do I find files to download?

Most people use search engines, such as Google, and add the term "torrent" to their
search. BitTorrent can be used to deliver any type of file. BitTorrent is purely a content
distribution method and (just like a web browser) does not incorporate any technology to
differentiate between content that is legitimately shared and content that is pirated.
Remember, anybody can see your IP address when using peer to peer clients (like
µTorrent), which identifies your computer on the internet. Take care to follow your
country's laws concerning copyrighted content.

How do I know that someone isn't sending out viruses on BitTorrent?

In short, you don't. You should treat something downloaded with BitTorrent just like any
file downloaded from the internet - that is, if you don't trust the source of the file, then
you should use caution when opening it. If the torrent site you obtained it from offers
comments, be sure to read those first. But regardless of the comments, running a virus
scan on the downloaded files is usually a good idea. µTorrent guarantees that the content
you download is not altered from when the torrent was originally created, but if the
source files used to create the torrent were already infected, this will provide no
protection!

Where can I find out more?

There is a lot of BitTorrent reference information available on the internet, and searching
for "bittorrent" on Google is a good start. The following sites are particularly useful:

• µTorrent FAQ - Provides a list of common questions and answers and solutions to
a number of common problems.
• µTorrent manual - The main documentation for µTorrent. Explains everything
related to the client. Press F1 while viewing the µTorrent window, or go to Help
-> µTorrent Help.
• The BitTorrent specification - Technical information on the way BitTorrent
works.
µTorrent Connection Setup Guide
This is a walkthrough on how to setup µTorrent for your particular internet connection. It
is recommended that you follow these steps in order, since the guide assumes that
previous settings have been enabled.

Configuring for your connection

Since upload is a more limited resource than download, torrent clients need to be
configured according to maximum upload speed for optimum performance. µTorrent has
a built-in connection setup function to handle all this for you:

1. Open the Setup Guide from the preferences. Options -> Setup Guide, or press Ctrl
G.
2. Click "Run tests" and wait! Once the tests are completed, the settings will be
filled in for you. You can then hit Save & Close.
3. If the test failed, or you think the results are wrong, you can manually choose a
preset from the list. Choose the one closest to your connection's upload speed.
4. Higher settings will not give you better speed, and may in fact make download
speeds worse. Too low of an upload speed will give the same result. Make sure
you pick the right setting!

Enabling Protocol Encryption

Some ISPs (Internet Service Providers) actively interfere with P2P activities in order to
reduce their bandwidth requirements. This causes µTorrent and other file sharing
download speeds to become slow. To avoid this, µTorrent and other clients have
introduced an encryption protocol to prevent ISPs from identifying BitTorrent traffic.

• Go to Options > Preferences > BitTorrent. Set Outgoing under Protocol

Encryption to Enable, check "Allow incoming legacy connections".

Some ISPs have extremely aggressive throttling methods and for those users it might be
necessary to set outgoing to Forced; however this will greatly reduce the number of
peers you can connect to. Enabled is sufficient for most users.

Authorizing µTorrent in your firewall

People using the Microsoft Windows XP/Vista firewall:

• Go to Options > Preferences > Connection, check "Add µTorrent to Windows

Firewall." This is enabled by default.

People using other firewalls: You will need to refer to your software's own
documentation.

Trying it out

µTorrent should now be set properly for your connection. You can test your speed with
any torrent of your choice. Here are a couple of torrents that are particularly good for
testing your connection:

• Slackware, one of the many Linux distributions, is great to test since it is hosted
on dedicated servers. It will max out your internet connection within a few
minutes (10-15 on average).
• Open Office is a free, open-source, multi-platform, multi-language office suite.
Like Slackware, it will max your connection very quickly, not to mention being a
useful application to have around.

You don't need to download the entire torrent. You can leave it running just long enough
to reach your maximum download speed.

If you are behind a router, then you will also need to follow the instructions on the rest of
the page.

Resolving a NAT problem

In the Setup Guide (Ctrl G to bring it back up again), there is a network test function to
see if your port is forwarded correctly. To perform only the network test, uncheck the
"Bandwidth" checkbox. If the test fails, either your router is not configured to allow
incoming connections, or your firewall is blocking µTorrent.

Some people who do not have a separate router may find that their modem is both a
modem and router, and this procedure will also apply.

Using UPnP or NAT-PMP

Newer router models often have the UPnP (Universal Plug 'n Play) or NAT-PMP built in.
This allows for automatic forwarding of ports, making the rest of the instructions on this
page unnecessary. UPnP is turned on by default in µTorrent and in most routers, but if
not, you may need to check your router's documentation for instructions on how to enable
it.

• Go to Options > Preferences > Connections, check "Enable UPnP port mapping"
and check "Enable NAT-PMP port mapping."

Manually forwarding a port

If UPnP/NAT-PMP is not available or does not work, it will be necessary to forward the
port manually. A forwarded port is needed for any P2P client you use, not just µTorrent.
Since we want to forward a single port, we need to set the listen port for µTorrent:

1. To set a single port, navigate to Options > Preferences > Connections

2. Click "random port" once, and note the port number provided. This will be the
port number you will be forwarding in your router. (You may also assign a port
number of your choice)
3. Uncheck "Randomize port each time µTorrent starts." The port number will no
longer change each time µTorrent is started.

Setting up a static IP

Routers work by attributing a "dynamic IP" to each computer when it connects to the
router. Since this IP is dynamic it can, and often does change each time. The router
selects which IP to attribute from a list of available IPs called the DHCP range. This
range is expressed as either: Starting IP / ending IP, or Starting IP and number of IPs.
(192.154.10.1 to 192.154.10.100 or 192.154.10.1 with 100 IPs available). In order to
setup a static IP for your computer it is important to select one outside of this range in
order to avoid it being attributed to another computer by the router. Finding out what the
DHCP range can be hard work since I have no router specific instructions to direct you to
the correct menu. You'll have to find it on your own (you may refer to your router's
manual for more information).

To enter the router configuration screens : Windows Start button > Run, type "cmd /k;
ipconfig /all" WITHOUT the quotes.

1. From the DOS window that will open, copy the default gateway number to your
web browser and hit enter.
 2. In the login window enter your username / password (if you have not set one try:
admin/admin admin/blank blank/admin or even blank/blank)
3. Navigate the menus and screens until you find the DHCP range.
4. Since many routers have limits on the number of IPs they can handle (regardless
of the number of computers connected). Reduce the DHCP range by one. (Reduce
the ending IP by one or reduce the number of IP by one). Make a note of the
newly available IP (which is outside the range); this is what you will use for a
static IP further.
5. Exit the router configuration and follow the instructions at the Portforward Static
IP Guide to setup your operating system to use a static ip.

Forwarding your port in the router

The procedure for forwarding a port in the router varies with each make and model of
router.

Check your router's label for its manufacturer and model number and select the
appropriate model at the Portforward Router Guide.

Guide written by Pelo, styled by Determination, µTorrent

What is µTorrent's µTP (aka uTorrent

uTP)?
µTP is a new lightweight BitTorrent protocol used by µTorrent starting in µTorrent
version 2.0 - it makes incredibly efficient use of network bandwidth while reducing
network problems.

1. µTP works to maximize network throughput while reducing network latency

and congestion - it is designed to slow itself down when the network is
overloaded (when sending and receiving would only make things worse!) - the
result is a win-win of faster downloads for users with lower network impact for
both users and ISPs
2. µTP is user-friendly within a home network, so one computer using µTorrent
will not consume the whole network for itself
3. µTP is an open protocol in the process of being standardized - learn more
about standardization of µTP on bittorrent.org and at the Internet Engineering
Task Force (IETF)
4. µTP can get through most firewalls and NATs leading to far greater peer
connectivity and faster download completion
Find more information on our blog:

• Changing the game with µTP

• Visualizing µTP
• Testing µTP - is µTP actually faster than regular BitTorrent?
• µTorrent v2.0 stable release

µTorrent Support > Documentation

Migrating Your Files to µTorrent

Now that you've moved on to the best BitTorrent client around, you might have some
torrents from your previous clients that you want to resume in µTorrent. Some of these
files you just want to seed, others have not finished downloading yet. While there is no
automated way to do this, the procedure is not as daunting as you might expect.

"But what about my share ratio?" Sorry, there is nothing we can do about that, you will
be starting back at zero. Share ratio with trackers however will not be affected.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: Unlike traditional file sharing programs, the BitTorrent
protocol uses a reference file known as the torrent (whatever_the_subject.torrent). The
torrent is what you originally download from the indexing site. The torrent is separate
from the content you will ultimately be using/viewing/listening to. From here on, "files"
will refer to the content while ".torrent" refers to the reference file.

Renaming appended files

Some clients will append partially downloaded files with an extra extension in order to
lock them and keep them from being accidentally accessed by other applications, which
might cause some problems with the downloading process (µTorrent also does this, if
requested, by appending the extension .!ut to its files).

For µTorrent to resume those partially downloaded files these extra extensions must be
removed. This can be tedious but there is nothing to it. We can however make a small
batch file that will simplify the job.

1. Open Notepad and write this line into it (replace "bc!" with which ever file
extension you need to remove):
@for /r %i in (*.bc!) do @move "%~fi" "%~dpni"
2. In Notepad, File > Save As: RENAME.BAT
3. Open the location folder for the partially downloaded files you need to rename.
4. Drag and drop the RENAME.BAT file into this folder
5. Right click on RENAME.BAT > Open; a DOS window will briefly appear as it
scrolls through all the files in the folder as they are getting renamed.
Repeat from step 3 for each folder containing files that need renaming.

Loading torrents in µTorrent

Loading a single torrent for seeding is simple enough provided you know the location of
the .torrent and the files.

1. In µTorrent, click File > Add Torrent (no default save)

2. Browse your way to the .torrent file you wish to seed and select.
3. Browse your way to the folder where the files are located and select the folder.

The torrent should appear in the torrent window and load (you will see the % climb up as
µTorrent checks the file).

Loading multiple torrents stored in a single folder.

Let's say in your previous client you had setup a "completed torrents" folders and you
wish to reload all the torrents from this location into µTorrent.

1. Create a folder called AUTOLOAD on your desktop

2. Create a folder called TORRENTS somewhere where you wish your finished
torrents to be relocated (for example c:\My Documents\My Torrents\).
3. Go to Options > Preferences > Downloads : location of downloaded files: check
"Put new downloads in:" and point the path to the folder you were using to save
your completed torrents in with your previous client.
4. Go to Options > Preferences > Others. Under Storage for torrent files: Check
"Move .torrents for finished jobs to: " and point the path to the TORRENTS
folder (never mind the "Save the .torrent files" option for now).
5. Under Auto-load Torrents, check "Automatically load torrents in directory" and
point the path to the AUTOLOAD folder on your desktop.
6. Find the .torrent for the files you wish to load (which match the files in your
completed folder), and move them (not copy) to the AUTOLOAD folder on your
desktop.

µTorrent automatically loads the .torrents from the AUTOLOAD folder into the torrent
list. µTorrent will find that the matching files are already in the download folder and will
check them to make sure they are complete.

Note: this procedure is also valid for partially downloaded files.

Moving files to another location after they have been loaded in µTorrent

For sorting reasons you may wish for your newly reloaded files to be saved to a different
location. This is easy enough but must be done a single torrent at a time.

1. Stop the torrent you wish to move in the torrent list in µTorrent.
 2. Move the files to the location of your choice (for multiple files move the
containing folder as a whole)
3. In µTorrent, right click > Advanced > Set Download Location ...
4. Browse to the location where you have moved the files.
5. Start the torrent again.

Note: if you wish to move several torrent to the same location you can select multiple
torrents and perform the same action.

Guide written by Pelo

µTorrent Support > Documentation

µTorrent WebUI Guide

Important links

• Primary WebUI forum thread

• WebUI Trac

Installation

• To install the WebUI, after configuring it with the instructions in the section
below, simply visit the WebUI URL in your browser (http://yourip:yourport/gui/ )
and µTorrent will download it automatically.
• To install manually or upgrade to a newer version, visit the forum thread linked
above for the download link to the latest version. After downloading, rename the
file to "webui.zip" and place it in %AppData%\uTorrent (Paste this path into the
Explorer address bar).
• If running µTorrent in portable mode, place it in the same folder as the .dat files

How to use the WebUI

• Enable and configure the WebUI in µTorrent (Preferences -> Advanced ->
WebUI)
• If using the alternate port function, you must allow it in your firewall and forward
the port in your router. If using UPnP, µTorrent will automatically forward the
WebUI port.
• Open up a supported browser and use the following URL format:
http://YourIP:UTport/gui/
• If the browser supports Username:Password (and you have the WebUI working
with the first URL) then use the following URL format:
http://Username:Password@YourIP:UTport/gui/
N.B: When using the WebUI locally use localhost or 127.0.0.1 as using your external
(WAN) IP may cause problems when behind a router.

Freeze on loading or garbage data displayed?

There are several things to try.

• First try pressing CTRL+F5 in your browser. This will either revive the WebUI,
or you will see a blank (white) screen. If you only see a blank (white) screen then
close and reopen the browser then load WebUI again.
• If that doesn't work then use the following URL http://YourIP:UTport/gui/?
action=setsetting&s=webui.cookie&v={} and then reload the WebUI using the
normal URL.
• If garbage data is displayed, make sure that your WebUI.zip is the correct size.
You may want to try redownloading it and ensure the download was completed
successfully.
• If nothing works, then please come to http://forum.utorrent.com/ or
irc://irc.utorrent.com/utorrent-webui to ask for help.

Notes

• Any bugs should be reported at the WebUI Trac. Feature requests can also be
made there, or in the µTorrent forums.
• [Opera] Some keyboard shortcuts will have conflicts
• [Opera] To disable Opera's context menu please have a look here
http://forum.utorrent.com/viewtopic.php?pid=207866#p207866

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Ctrl + A: Select all rows (select a row in the list first)

• Ctrl + O: Show the form for adding a torrent
• Ctrl + P: Show the settings window
• Ctrl + Z: Deselect All
• Del: Remove torrent
• F2: Show the about window
• F4: Hide/show the toolbar
• F6: Hide/show the details pane
• F7: Hide/show the category list

Running the WebUI over HTTPS (SSL)

1. Open µTorrent and go to the WebUI settings (Preferences -> Advanced -> Web
UI)
2. Enable the "Alternative listening port" and change it to any port that you want
(this port should not be forwarded in your firewall and/or router)
 3. In the "Restrict access to the following IPs" enter "127.0.0.1" (without quotes).
This is basically to prevent anybody from accessing the WebUI over HTTP
4. Now you'll have to install Stunnel. You can get the latest version from their
website (http://www.stunnel.org/download/binaries.html)
5. After installing Stunnel, open up the stunnel.conf file
6. Under the "; Service-level configuration" comment you can remove all settings
except from the "[https]" setting
7. Uncomment the "[https]" setting by removing the semi-colons in front of each
line. You may change "https" to "webui" if you'd like
8. The "accept" setting is the port which a browser will try to connect to. So, this is
the port that you will have to forward in your firewall and/or router (443 is the
default SSL port, but it can changed)
9. The "connect" setting should be changed to the port that you entered as the
alternative listening port in µTorrent
10. Start Stunnel, open up your browser, and navigate to https://ip:[Stunnel accept
port]/gui/

µTorrent Skinning and Customization

Guide
• Apps SDK
• Web API
• Skinning µTorrent
• Torrent Bundling
• BitTorrent.org

How to use Skins

Go to the µTorrent skins page and have a look around. Once you've found a skin you like,
click the Download Now button. Copy the file to %AppData%\uTorrent (paste this path
into Explorer), then restart µTorrent.)

Skinning and customizing µTorrent

µTorrent has a number of 'hidden' options (not accessible from the Preferences menu) for
customizing and skinning the program. The µTorrent Skins Page offers a number of
different toolbar, status and program icons that can be downloaded and applied to
µTorrent.

Folder locations

Skin icons and bitmaps all need to go into %AppData%\uTorrent. %AppData% is a

shortcut for the user's application data folder, and we use it here because on different
versions of Windows, %AppData% is located in different places. In Windows XP, it's
located at C:\Documents and Settings\Username\Application Data\, where
Username is your Windows username. To locate the correct folder in any other version of
Windows, hit Start, then Run, type %AppData%\uTorrent and hit Enter.

More info on customizable files

For those wanting to make their own skin or just looking for more info.. these files are all
stored in %AppData%\uTorrent and can be used as follows:

tray.ico

This is a standard Windows icon file. If tray.ico is found in %AppData

%\uTorrent, it will replace the default icon in the system tray (bottom-right
corner of your screen).

main.ico

As with tray.ico, if main.ico is present in %AppData%\uTorrent, it replaces the

default icon at the top-left of the µTorrent window.

toolbar.bmp

A 288x24 Windows bitmap. If it's found, it replaces the toolbar running across the
top of the main µT window. It's made up of 12 24x24 bitmaps placed right next to
each other (with no whitespace in between) in the same order as they appear in
the toolbar. If the dimensions are incorrect, µTorrent will still attempt to create
the toolbar, but some graphic problems might occur (for example, the text in the
search box not being totally readable).

tstatus.bmp

Short for 'torrent status', this is a 256x16 bitmap with similar parameters to
toolbar.bmp, except individual icons are only 16x16 pixels.

tabs.bmp

A 224x16 bitmap with similar parameters to toolbar.bmp, except individual icons

are only 16x16 pixels. The icons are for the tabs in the "Detailed Info" bar. Half
are the icons when active, the other half are greyed out versions when they're
inactive.

flags.bmp
 A bitmap containing all the flags displayed in µT when "Resolve IPs" is switched
on in the Peers tab. eng's flags.bmp and flags.conf are updated frequently (check
the last page of the thread for the date of the last update).

flags.conf

A text files including data on which hosts map to which country, since by
default .com and .net hosts are mapped to the US. For examples, eftel.com hosts
should appear with the Australian flag, even though there is no .au in the
hostname. This will not work if you have peer.resolve_country set to true in
the advanced settings, as that will set µT to use a DNSBL service to determine
countries instead. eng's flags.bmp and flags.conf are updated frequently (check
the last page of the thread for the date of the last update).

ipfilter.dat

An IP blocklist using the eMule ipfilter.dat format. If you've got blocklists in

other formats, you can convert them using Bluetack's blocklist converter (convert
to "eMule format").

program shortcut icon

Can technically be located anywhere and named anything since it's not part of
µTorrent. If you've created a shortcut to µT on your desktop or something, you
can change the icon by right-clicking the shortcut, selecting Properties, then
hitting the Change Icon button.

torrent filetype icon

Can technically be located anywhere and named anything since it's not part of
µTorrent. It's the icon that appears next to the filename of a .torrent file (or any
other file extension of your choice). To change it, go to Control Panel and Folder
Options, then the File Types tab. Scroll down and look for TORRENT, select it,
then click Advanced. If it's not there, click New and type that in. Once you're in
the Edit File Type dialog, click Change Icon to change the icon for .torrent files.
You may also want to change some of the options, for example setting
"BitTorrent metadata" as the description for the filetype.

µTorrent Apps SDK

• Apps SDK
• Web API
• Skinning µTorrent
• Torrent Bundling
• BitTorrent.org
What is the Apps SDK?

The Apps SDK introduces a web-based extensions framework for µTorrent to allow for
easy extensibility by 3rd party developers through a simple API, without compromising
the renowned "lightness" of the client.

"Apps" consist only of HTML and Javascript packaged together and displayed using an
embedded browser window after being added to the client. Apps for µTorrent is a new
kind of file with a ".btapp" suffix that anyone can make.

Apps for µTorrent can access all the functionality of the client so developers can:

• Offer a simple and more integrated way for consumers to find and download
different types of content
• Integrate with external programs which can provide services like BitTorrent-
specific anti-virus
• Offer UI for a broad range of applications that simplify the experience or extend
functionality

How can I get the SDK?

Interested in the developer program? Get started here: Apps for BitTorrent SDK
Documentation

µTorrent Support

FAQ
• General
• Features
• Installation
• Network
• Error Messages
• Incompatible Software
• Troubleshooting
• Misc

General

1. What are µTorrent's system requirements?

2. Is µTorrent open source?
3. Is there a Mac or Linux version?

4. What do the red icons ( / ) mean on the torrent status icons?

5. What do all the status icons mean?
 6. What do all these BitTorrent terms mean, such as seeder, snubbed, etc?
7. How can I rename a torrent's folder or files?
8. How can I rename a torrent in the main listview?
9. What are labels and what can they be used for?
10. What does Wasted and hashfails mean?
11. What does availability mean?
12. What is M-Lab?

What are µTorrent's system requirements?

Very low! µTorrent will work on Windows 2000 and up, including Windows 7.
The Mac version supports OS X 10.5 and up.

Is µTorrent open source?

No. It is not likely to become open source.

Is there a Mac or Linux version?

Yes, there is a Mac version! Download it now!

Linux users can run µTorrent with the latest version of Wine.

What do the red icons ( / ) mean on the torrent status icons?

These red icons indicate that µTorrent was not able to reach the tracker. This
could happen when the tracker goes offline, becomes overloaded, or when the
domain simply doesn't exist anymore. Check the Trackers tab to see the exact
error message. This is generally non-fatal and no action should be taken.

What do all the status icons mean?

o means the torrent is downloading

o means the torrent is downloading, but there is a tracker error

o means the torrent is seeding

o means the torrent is seeding

o means the torrent is a queued download

o means the torrent is a queued seed

o means the torrent is a stopped download

 o means the torrent is a stopped seed

o means the torrent is paused

o means the torrent has an error (check the status column)

How can I rename a torrent's folder?

If you're adding a new torrent, you can rename it with the BitComet-style add
torrent dialog by simply changing the save path (the folder doesn't have to exist).
If the torrent already exists, stop the torrent, rename the folder to whatever you
like, then in µTorrent, right click on the torrent, pick Advanced -> "Set download
folder", and point it to the newly renamed folder. Then, simply start the torrent
again (no need to force re-check).

How can I rename a torrent in the main listview?

(1.5.1 beta 460 and later) Select the torrent and press F2, or single click. Pressing
Esc will cancel the rename.

What do all these BitTorrent terms mean, such as seeder, snubbed, etc?

See BTFAQ.com's Definitions of BitTorrent Terms

What are labels and what can they be used for?

Labels are a powerful feature in µTorrent. They can be used for simply labeling
your torrents to identify them, or to use for sorting the torrents more easily. For
example, you could label your torrents from private trackers as "private", and then
click on the Labels column to easily sort all your private torrents. You can select
one torrent or more than one to apply a label.

Simply right click on the torrent(s), go to Label, and click "New label..." to add a
label, or select an already existing label. This can be done regardless of it a torrent
already had a label.

To remove a label from a torrent, right click the torrent, Labels -> Remove Label.

Unused labels are automatically removed from the list.

If you would like labels that never disappear, you can add persistent labels in
Advanced -> User Interface.

The benefit of normal and persistent labels is that they can be used in tandem with
"Move completed downloads to" in the Folders section. The label would be used
 as a subdirectory to place the completed download in. See Can µTorrent
automatically move files when the torrent finishes? for further explanation.

What does Wasted and hashfails mean?

Wasted shows a combination of discarded data and bad data. Discarded data is
data that's sent to you by a peer that your client didn't want. Hashfails happen
when bad data is received and the client throws it out.

µTorrent automatically verifies all downloaded data and will ensure that only
correct data is written to disk.

What does availability mean?

That number tells you how many unique copies of the file are available between
yourself and the peers you're connected to. If this is less than 1, you most likely
will not be able to complete the torrent. The only thing you can do is wait and
hope a seeder hops onto the torrent to allow you to complete it. You can also try
and request a "reseed" on the tracker's forum. Sometimes, this may never happen
because the torrent was abandoned, and you may need to find the torrent
elsewhere.

What is M-Lab?

µTorrent has partnered with Measurement Lab (M-Lab), to provide internet

testing tools for our users.

Measurement Lab (M-Lab) is an open, distributed server platform for

researchers to deploy Internet measurement tools. The goal of M-Lab is to
advance network research and empower the public with useful information about
their broadband connections. By enhancing Internet transparency, M-Lab helps
sustain a healthy, innovative Internet.

No personally identifiable information is shared by using the Measurement Lab

testing tools in µTorrent. The data collected in the process of testing is, however,
intended to be made open and available for researchers in accordance with the
policies of Measurement Lab. Details of the data created by the tests is available
here. Network Diagnostic Tool is the first to be made available through the client.

µTorrent Support

FAQ
• General
• Features
 • Installation
• Network
• Error Messages
• Incompatible Software
• Troubleshooting
• Misc

Features

1. Does µTorrent support Protocol Encryption?

2. Does µTorrent support DHT or Peer Exchange?
3. Does µTorrent have a plugin system?
4. Does µTorrent have a web interface?
5. Does µTorrent support UPnP (Universal Plug'n'Play)?
6. Does µTorrent support RSS feeds?
7. Does µTorrent support Super Seeding mode?
8. Does µTorrent support HTTPS (SSL) or UDP trackers?
9. Does µTorrent have a boss key?

Does µTorrent support Protocol Encryption?

Yes, we have full support for Protocol Encryption. It is not enabled by default, but
can be enabled in the BitTorrent section of the µTorrent preferences.

Protocol Encryption (PE) is a joint specification between Azureus and µTorrent.

It is designed to bypass throttling and/or blocking of BitTorrent traffic by an ISP.

You can choose Protocol Encryption's mode of operation in BitTorrent. Here is an

explanation of the various options you can choose from:

o Disabled: Does not encrypt outgoing connections, but will accept

encrypted incoming connections.
o Enabled: Attempts to encrypt outgoing connections, but will fall back to
an unencrypted mode if the connection fails.
o Force: Attempts to encrypt outgoing connections, and will NOT fall back
to an unencrypted mode if the connection fails.
o Allow legacy incoming connections enables or disables incoming legacy
(non-encrypted) connections.

All modes will accept incoming encrypted connections (and the encryption is
2-way)!

It is generally not recommended to turn off "Allow legacy incoming connections",

unless you must have only encrypted connections.

Does µTorrent support DHT or Peer Exchange?

 µTorrent supports DHT and Peer Exchange. DHT support also includes
trackerless torrents and downloading of .torrent files through magnet links.

See What is DHT? for more details on DHT itself.

Does µTorrent have a plugin system?

Yes! We have released an experimental new plugin architecture in the Griffin

Project on µTorrent Labs. Visit our Labs page for more details.

Does µTorrent have a web interface?

Yes, it does. See this page for further details.

Does µTorrent support UPnP (Universal Plug'n'Play)?

Yes, we have full UPnP support on all supported OSes. It is enabled by default
and is used to automatically forward ports in your router. This often will succeed,
though in some cases, manual forwarding is required. See How do I forward
ports? for an explanation of what UPnP is for and other info related to forwarding
ports.

Does µTorrent support RSS feeds?

Yes! µTorrent supports both viewing feeds and automatic downloading of torrents
from RSS feeds.

Does µTorrent support Super Seeding mode?

Yes, it does. Double click on the torrent and check the Initial Seeding box to turn
it on. For an explanation of what Super Seeding is, read this page

Please note that Super Seeding should ONLY be used if you are the -ONLY-
seeder in the swarm, with no exceptions. It is also only effective with at least 2
peers in the swarm, and should generally not be used when you have high upload
speeds.

Does µTorrent support HTTPS (SSL) or UDP trackers?

Yes, SSL is supported for trackers and RSS feeds! UDP tracker support is now in
place as well..

Does µTorrent have a boss key?

 Yes. The boss key is a function that hides and unhides the client window and the
system tray icon when you press the hotkey.

You can set the key by going to the General section of the preferences, clicking
on the box under Boss Key, and pressing the keys you want to use. Type in a
letter or number while holding Ctrl, Alt or Shift. Alternatively, you can use one of
the Function keys on the top row of the keyboard. This will be a global hotkey
that can be activated while any application has focus. To clear the boss key, click
on the box and press either Delete or Backspace.

µTorrent Support

FAQ
• General
• Features
• Installation
• Network
• Error Messages
• Incompatible Software
• Troubleshooting
• Misc

Installation

1. Where are the settings and .torrent files stored?

2. How can I backup my settings?
3. How can I use µTorrent on a USB key or other removable drive?
4. How can I make µTorrent run self-contained in one directory?
5. How can I reset the settings back to the defaults?

Where are the settings and .torrent files stored?

They are stored in %AppData%\uTorrent. The .torrent files you load are stored
there so µTorrent can keep track of your torrents.

How can I backup my settings?

Simply make a copy of the entire %AppData%\uTorrent folder.

How can I use µTorrent on a USB key or other removable drive?

Simply copy settings.dat (located in %AppData%\uTorrent ) to the same folder as

utorrent.exe, and you're done.
How can I make µTorrent run self-contained in one directory?

Simply copy the entire contents of %AppData%\uTorrent into the same folder as
utorrent.exe. Alternatively, create a blank file named settings.dat in the same
folder as utorrent.exe, if you'd like to start out fresh (no settings/torrents).

How can I reset the settings back to the defaults?

Delete settings.dat and settings.dat.old from %AppData%\uTorrent with the client

closed.

µTorrent Support

FAQ
• General
• Features
• Installation
• Network
• Error Messages
• Incompatible Software
• Troubleshooting
• Misc

Network

1. My firewall is reporting connections being made by µTorrent on a port besides

the one I selected.
2. Why are my torrents going so slow?
3. How do I forward ports?
4. What ports should I use for µTorrent?
5. Does µTorrent support proxies?
6. Does µTorrent have a scheduler to stop torrents at certain hours?

My firewall is reporting connections being made by µTorrent on a port

besides the one I selected.

Only incoming connections use the port you selected in µTorrent. Outgoing
connections use a random local port; this is simply the way Windows functions.
It's not a bug.

If you have a firewall, you must allow all outgoing traffic on TCP and UDP.

Why are my torrents going so slow?

 It is very likely that µTorrent is not configured correctly for your connection.
Please read the Connection Setup Guide and follow the instructions.

How do I forward ports?

Usually, your port is forwarded automatically with the UPnP feature built into
µTorrent. If you need to do it manually, PortForward.com should have the
information you require. Both TCP and UDP should be forwarded in your router.
You can test if your port is forwarded by opening the Setup Guide in Options ->
Setup Guide.

What ports should I use for µTorrent?

It is generally recommended to not use any port in the range 6881-6889. Any
other port except for 25 or 110 is acceptable.

Does µTorrent support proxies?

Yes. Open the options and go to Connection. It supports SOCKS4, SOCKS5,

HTTP Connect, and HTTP proxies. Peer communication proxying is supported
with SOCKS4, SOCKS5, and HTTP Connect. HTTP Connect is HTTP proxies
that allow arbitrary TCP connections. Not all do, which is why it's a separate item
in the list.

Does µTorrent have a scheduler to stop torrents at certain hours?

Yes, in the options. It allows you to set an upload/download speed, and set it to
Limit, go full speed, seed only, or stop torrents altogether by the hour/day. You
can also make it turn off DHT during hours you set to "Turn off."

FAQ
• General
• Features
• Installation
• Network
• Error Messages
• Incompatible Software
• Troubleshooting
• Misc

Error Messages

1. While downloading/seeding, I get "Error: The system cannot find the path
specified".
 2. How do I fix Error: Unable to save the resume file?
3. What does Disk Overloaded in the status bar mean?
4. I get "Error: Access Denied" / "Error: The process cannot access the file because
it is being used by another process.".
5. I get "Error: Data Error (cyclic redundancy check)".

While downloading/seeding, I get "Error: The system cannot find the path
specified".

This problem may be caused by a limitation in Windows with path lengths.

Windows unfortunately limits the maximum length to 255 characters (which
includes the filename). Try saving the torrent to a location closer to the drive's
root, such as C:\torrent.

How do I fix Error: Unable to save the resume file?

Simply create two blank files named "settings.dat" and "resume.dat" (without the
quotes) in the same folder utorrent.exe is saved in. Make sure Windows is not
hiding the file extension when creating the file (in Explorer, Tools -> Folder
Options -> View, uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types", hit OK)

What does Disk Overloaded in the status bar mean?

This means that the disk was not able to keep up with the read/write speed. To fix
this, you can change the options in Disk Cache.

I get "Error: Access Denied" / "Error: The process cannot access the file
because it is being used by another process.".

Please see this question.

I get "Error: Data Error (cyclic redundancy check)" and my torrent halts.

This is not a µTorrent error, but instead an error reported by your hard drive. It
means that your HDD was unable to read or write the data because the sectors are
faulty or starting to die, which may be a sign of future disk corruption. Running
chkdsk might help, but you may need stronger recovery tools.

FAQ
• General
• Features
• Installation
• Network
 • Error Messages
• Incompatible Software
• Troubleshooting
• Misc

Incompatible Software

1. My memory usage is very high while running µTorrent.

2. I get "Error: Access Denied" / "Error: The process cannot access the file because
it is being used by another process.".
3. My µTorrent freezes sometimes and uses 100% CPU while using Avast.
4. I get very high CPU use when running µTorrent.
5. µTorrent crashes regularly.

My memory usage is very high while running µTorrent.

If you find your µTorrent process uses a huge amount of memory abnormally, or
steadily increases to hundreds of MB of usage, it could be because of the NVIDIA
firewall. If you have the Forceware Network Manager installed, please uninstall
it.

I get "Error: Access Denied" / "Error: The process cannot access the file
because it is being used by another process.".

The most common causes of this error are Google Desktop and MSN Desktop. A
possible fix is turn off their indexing feature, or to uninstall them. Excluding the
download folders from indexing should work.

WinZIP Quickfind, Roxio Media Manager and Nero Scout all yield the same
behavior. They are installed by default when using their respective software and
must be disabled uninstalled.

Viewing the folder in Explorer while downloading can occasionally trigger this
error. The solution is to not view the folder until you're finished downloading.

My µTorrent freezes sometimes and uses 100% CPU while using Avast.

This can be caused by Avast!'s P2P shield, which scans P2P apps. Disabling this
option will fix your problem.

Alternatively, Avast! has a Customize option button besides the Sensitivity slider
bar. You can exclude programs from the P2P shield in there. Excluding
utorrent.exe may also solve the problem.

Spyware Doctor 5 causes µTorrent to freeze when installed. The only fix is to
uninstall it, or roll back to version 4 of Spyware Doctor.
I get very high CPU use when running µTorrent.

This can be caused by the McAfee Firewall, Norman Personal Firewall, and
Cybersitter. The only solution is to uninstall the relevant software.

µTorrent crashes regularly

V-Com System Suite, Norman Personal Firewall, NVIDIA Firewall and

Cybersitter can cause this. The only solution is to uninstall the relevant software.

FAQ
• General
• Features
• Installation
• Network
• Error Messages
• Incompatible Software
• Troubleshooting
• Misc

Troubleshooting

1. Why is my torrent stuck at a certain percent?

2. Why does pause mode keep downloading or uploading?
3. Why does it show a download speed of .1-.2 KiB/s when seeding?
4. Why is there an ETA / Remaining time when seeding?
5. Why do the up/down buttons not move the torrent?
6. µTorrent won't open torrent files even though I associated torrents with it.

Why is my torrent stuck at a certain percent?

See What does availability mean?

Why does pause mode keep downloading or uploading?

It takes up to a few minutes for the download and upload to reach 0 in paused
mode, since µTorrent must send/receive all the queued pieces first.

Why does it show a download speed of .1-.2 KiB/s when seeding?

µTorrent shows BitTorrent protocol overhead when displaying speeds; this is

normal.
Why is there an ETA / Remaining time when seeding?

µTorrent shows an ETA/Remaining time when seeding based off the ratio set in
"Seeding Priority," so you can know about how long it'll take to reach the
specified ratio.

Why do the up/down buttons not move the torrent?

The up/down buttons only change the queue order for torrents that are
downloading. They do not actually move the torrents up and down in the list.

µTorrent won't open torrent files even though I associated torrents with it.

Make sure the "Associate with .torrent files" button is greyed out in the General
section of the options. If it is and Firefox gives you errors like "Invalid menu
handle" when opening the .torrent or opens another client, click (within Firefox)
Tools -> Options -> Applications, remove TORRENT from the list and hit OK. If
it is Explorer or other programs giving the error, you may need to right click a
.torrent file, Open With -> Browse, look for µTorrent and check "Always use the
selected program to open this kind of file." If all else fails, click (within Explorer)
Tools -> Folder Options -> File Types, and remove TORRENT from the list.
Then try to use the "Associate with .torrent files" button again.

FAQ
• General
• Features
• Installation
• Network
• Error Messages
• Incompatible Software
• Troubleshooting
• Misc

Misc

1. I found a bug, what do I do?

2. My question isn't answered here / I wanna request a feature, is there somewhere I
can go?
3. What is DHT?
4. Does DHT mean my torrents from private trackers are getting leaked?
5. Can you implement password locking?
6. Can you implement manual client banning?
7. What do all those settings in Advanced do?
8. How can I prevent specific IPs from connecting to me?
 9. How can I make µTorrent start in bosskey mode?
10. How can I make µTorrent start minimized?
11. Can µTorrent automatically move files when the torrent finishes?
12. Is it possible to make µTorrent load a torrent from the commandline?
13. How can I make µTorrent auto-load torrents from a specified folder?
14. What do all the flags in the Flags column mean?

I found a bug, what do I do?

Try to see if the bug is reproducible. Go to the µTorrent forums, search the
"Found Bugs" forum to make sure your bug wasn't found already. If it wasn't
already reported, register and post it with instructions on how to reproduce it.
Make sure it is not caused by any of the incompatible software mentioned in this
FAQ.

My question isn't answered here / I wanna request a feature, is there

somewhere I can go?

You can get support in the µTorrent forums and request features, but be sure to
use the search feature first! The support forums are generally for English speaking
users only.

What is DHT?

DHT (Distributed Hash Table, technical explanation) is a decentralized network

that µTorrent can use to find more peers without a tracker. What this means is that
your client will be able to find peers even when the tracker is down, or doesn't
even exist anymore. You can also download .torrent files through DHT if you
have a magnet link, which can be obtained from various sources.

Does DHT mean my torrents from private trackers are getting leaked?

No, private trackers embed a flag into the .torrent that prevents DHT from being
used on that torrent.

Can you implement password locking?

No, this feature is not being considered. If you need to lock µTorrent, use the
locking feature built into Windows.

Can you implement manual client banning?

No, this option will not be implemented. It is misused far too often by people who
do not understand the BitTorrent protocol enough to use it properly. Leave
 banning up to the tracker. If you require banning of IP ranges for other purposes,
ipfilter.dat is available for that.

What do all those settings in Advanced do?

Please consult the help file found in the documentation section.

How can I prevent specific IPs from connecting to me?

You can use the ipfilter feeature built into µTorrent. It is a simple text file named
ipfilter.dat that specifies IP ranges to block. The format is xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx -
yyy.yyy.yyy.yyy

You can also use single IPs on a line (i.e. xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx).

Each new IP or IP range must be placed on a new line.

Place it in %AppData%\uTorrent, and set ipfilter.enable to true in the Advanced.

To reload ipfilter.dat without restarting µTorrent, view the Peers tab, right click,
and select "Reload IPFilter."

How can I make µTorrent start in bosskey mode?

(1.5.1 beta 460 and later) Add /HIDE to the shortcut/path. Make sure you've set a
bosskey beforehand, otherwise you will have to end the process and start it again
without /HIDE to access it.

How can I make µTorrent start minimized?

Simply add /MINIMIZED to the command line. Either modify the shortcut, or if
you want it to start minimized when starting with Windows, open the registry
editor (Start -> Run -> regedit), browse to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run,
double click on µTorrent's entry, and append /MINIMIZED to the end of the
command.

How can I make µTorrent auto-load torrents from a specified folder?

Simply turn on "Automatically load torrents in directory:" in Other, specify the

folder, and hit OK. µTorrent will load the torrents soon after they're added to that
folder, though it will ask you where to save them. If you want it to automatically
save to a folder, turn on "Put new downloads in" in Downloads and specify your
download folder. However, turning on "Put new downloads in" will prevent the
BitComet-style add torrent dialog from showing up, unless you use File -> Add
Torrent (no default save) or turn on "Always show dialog on manual add." You
 can turn on "Delete torrent instead of renaming, when loading" so it deletes the
torrent after loading, instead of renaming it to .torrent.loaded.

Please note that the auto-load folder CANNOT be either %Appdata%\uTorrent,

OR the folder you specified for "Store .torrent files in." If you use the same
folders for both, you WILL have problems.

Is it possible to make µTorrent load a torrent from the commandline?

Yes. The syntax is as follows: uTorrent.exe /directory "C:\Save Path" "D:\Some

folder\your.torrent"

You must not have a trailing backslash in the save path, else µTorrent will fail to
load it. This works for both single-file and multi-file torrents.

What do all the flags in the Flags column mean?

o D = Currently downloading (interested and not choked)
o d = Your client wants to download, but peer doesn't want to send
(interested and choked)
o U = Currently uploading (interested and not choked)
o u = Peer wants your client to upload, but your client doesn't want to
(interested and choked)
o O = Optimistic unchoke
o S = Peer is snubbed
o I = Peer is an incoming connection
o K = Peer is unchoking your client, but your client is not interested
o ? = Your client unchoked the peer but the peer is not interested
o X = Peer was included in peerlists obtained through Peer Exchange (PEX)
or an IPv6 peer told you its IPv4 address.
o H = Peer was obtained through DHT.
o E = Peer is using Protocol Encryption (all traffic)
o e = Peer is using Protocol Encryption (handshake)
o P = Peer is using uTorrent uTP
o L = Peer is local (discovered through network broadcast, or in reserved
local IP ranges)
Can µTorrent automatically move files when the torrent finishes?

Yes, you can set this in the Downloads section. It can move it to another folder, or
to another partition.

If you check "Append the torrent's label to the directory name", the label is used
as the subdirectory name for finished torrents with that label.

A Beginner's Guide to BitTorrent

What is BitTorrent?

BitTorrent (often abbreviated to 'BT') is a protocol that allows you to download files
quickly and efficiently. It is a peer to peer protocol, which means you download and
upload to other people downloading the same file. BitTorrent is often used for
distribution of very large files, very popular files and files available for free, as it is a
cheap, fast, efficient way to distribute files to users like you.

µTorrent is a BitTorrent client. A 'client' in this case is a computer program that follows
the rules of a protocol. For example, HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) is the protocol
used to download web pages and other content - like this page - and your HTTP client (or
browser) is the program you use to get those web pages. Some popular browsers include
Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari.

Just as there are multiple web browsers, there are multiple BitTorrent clients, and
µTorrent is one such BT client.

How do I download files using BitTorrent?

Just like you need a URL like 'www.google.com' to go to a web site and download
content, you need a 'torrent file', a small file that tells the BitTorrent client the necessary
info to download the content you want. This is generally obtained from a torrent website.
Many websites offer torrents as one method of downloading files. For example,
OpenOffice.org, a free alternative to Microsoft Office, can be downloaded using
BitTorrent. Other sites, like legaltorrents.com, offer torrents of all kinds of things - these
sites are just repositories of torrents and usually don't actually create any of the content
available. They are known as torrent indexers.

Once you've obtained a torrent file, you simply need to import it into µTorrent. There are
several ways of doing this.

• Drag and drop the torrent file you downloaded onto µTorrent's window.
• Choose to open the torrent file instead of saving it to your computer. If you have
associated µTorrent with .torrent files, this will work. µTorrent asks on first run if
you want to do this, but if you said no, you can go to Options, Preferences and
click button labeled Associate with .torrent files to reassociate it.

But before you start downloading, make sure you've followed the µTorrent Setup
Guide. It doesn't take long and will help ensure that your torrent experience is faster and
more consistent.

µTorrent finished downloading, but now it says it's Seeding. What does
that mean?

Seeding is where you leave your BitTorrent client open after you've finished your
download to help distribute it (you distribute the file while downloading, but it's even
more helpful if you continue to distribute the full file even after you have finished
downloading). Chances are that most of the data you got was from seeds, so help give
back to the community! It doesn't require much - µTorrent will continue seeding until the
torrent is removed (right click the torrent, then hit Remove). Proper practice is to seed
until the ratio of upload:download is at least 1.00.

Where do I find files to download?

Most people use search engines, such as Google, and add the term "torrent" to their
search. BitTorrent can be used to deliver any type of file. BitTorrent is purely a content
distribution method and (just like a web browser) does not incorporate any technology to
differentiate between content that is legitimately shared and content that is pirated.
Remember, anybody can see your IP address when using peer to peer clients (like
µTorrent), which identifies your computer on the internet. Take care to follow your
country's laws concerning copyrighted content.

How do I know that someone isn't sending out viruses on BitTorrent?

In short, you don't. You should treat something downloaded with BitTorrent just like any
file downloaded from the internet - that is, if you don't trust the source of the file, then
you should use caution when opening it. If the torrent site you obtained it from offers
comments, be sure to read those first. But regardless of the comments, running a virus
scan on the downloaded files is usually a good idea. µTorrent guarantees that the content
you download is not altered from when the torrent was originally created, but if the
source files used to create the torrent were already infected, this will provide no
protection!

Where can I find out more?

There is a lot of BitTorrent reference information available on the internet, and searching
for "bittorrent" on Google is a good start. The following sites are particularly useful:

• µTorrent FAQ - Provides a list of common questions and answers and solutions to
a number of common problems.
• µTorrent manual - The main documentation for µTorrent. Explains everything
related to the client. Press F1 while viewing the µTorrent window, or go to Help
-> µTorrent Help.
• The BitTorrent specification - Technical information on the way BitTorrent
works.