uTorrent (New Version)

What to do when uTorrent checking files every time you start it.

Introduction

The BitTorrent network works on a simple principle – what we download is simultaneously sent from us to other users. For the materials shared in this way to be authentic and work properly, it is necessary to ensure that all files are the same for everyone. There cannot be a situation where fragments of files downloaded from different users have different checksums and are modified – the downloaded Torrent content would not work. If uTorrent suspects that files may have been corrupted or tampered with, this is when they are rechecked to verify that the data is in line with what Torrent originally contains.

Normally this shouldn’t happen every time – ideally, we download the Torrent content and then share it without checking it. However, many users have the problem that every time they restart their computer, uTorrent starts automatically and checks all downloaded and shared tasks. On weaker computers or laptops with older disks, it can take hours if we have many shared and downloaded files on the task list. How to prevent it?

How to prevent uTorrent from checking files every time?

If we haven’t modified the downloaded and shared files in any way, then surely the reason uTorrent checks the files every time is because it was disabled incorrectly. When uTorrent is not properly closed (for example, because the application process was “killed” during shutdown), the files are rechecked to ensure that the files have not been damaged or unwanted modifications. This process cannot be turned off, but it can be prevented.

First of all, make sure uTorrent has the Safe Disable option turned on. To do this, run the program and then select “Options> Settings” on the top bar. In the new settings window, use the side menu to go to the “Advanced” tab.

The advanced options are not very well described. Usually, they are displayed as entries for which we can set the value of True or False, which corresponds to enabling or disabling a given rule.

Look for an option in the list called bt.graceful_shutdown. Make sure this entry is set to True. If it is False, change it to True by checking the appropriate box. Click “Apply” and close the window with the “OK” button.

The above option turns on the safe program shutdown and should be turned on by default, but for some users, it is not, which causes the files to be checked each time).

Another element is developing appropriate habits. Checking files often happens when we turn off the system with uTorrent running in the background, which is currently uploading or downloading.

It is worth considering stopping any active tasks manually before closing uTorrent. In the “Torrents” tab, select “Active” in the side menu, then select all active tasks on the right side, right-click on them and select “Stop.” This way, we will make tasks stop naturally, and uTorrent will have time to do it properly. When a halt occurs due to a program shutdown, this often causes files not to be paused properly and is therefore rechecked at the next opportunity.

After stopping the files, close the program using “File> Disable.” Wait until uTorrent shuts down completely by itself and then turn off the system – after doing such actions, the program should not scan all files every time.

If you want to resume sharing a stopped task in the future, just start uTorrent, go to the list of downloaded items, find the Torrent you want to seed, right-click it, and select “Start.” The program will automatically start sharing the content of the given torrent.