µTBackup is a clever new utility that allows uTorrent users to save all those program setting files in order to import or restore into a new uTorrent installation - such as on another PC or when upgrading the OS. No more searching for the "appdata" folder and having to copy/paste the files or backup the directory - this little app does it all for you, at the click of a button.
One of the biggest problems with using an IPFilter to block bad IPs in a BitTorent client or other P2P software is remembering to update it. An IPFilter is only as good as the provider, and how often the list is updated by both you and the supplier of the list. Blocklists & ipfilter.dat files don’t update themselves automatically - but here’s a cool new utility that now makes it possible with just one mouse-click! Introducing IPFilter Updater - a tiny script that you can use to update a blocklist for virtually any torrent client.
We’ve all been here before: attempted to login to a private tracker account, only to get that dreadful "Login Failed! This account has been disabled" message. Drats, what went wrong this time? It’s highly unlikely that tracker staff will have sent you a PM explaining the situation - after all, you can’t log in to check. No email will be coming, either. Here’s a compilation of the top ten most common reasons why you got banned from a private tracker, and how to avoid it from happening to you.
There are good ISPs and then there are bad ISPs. A good ISP will allow you to virtually max out your Internet connection speed for any online activity including P2P/BitTorrent transfers. It’s no secret that bad ISPs - such as Bell Canada & its wholesale partners, are known to limit transfer rates to as little as 30 KB/s from 4PM - 2AM, essentially crippling many Internet apps for up to 10 hours each day. You pay top dollars to your provider for Internet access, yet can’t even use it to 10% capacity during the time when you need it the most - when you’re actually sitting in front of the PC. These practices are commonly considered to be net neutrality violations by ISPs.
The solution? Switch providers. But how do you know for certain that your ISP is meddling with your torrent transfers? Aside from the obvious clue that download speeds come to a crashing halt during peak-times, or seeding is all but impossible - there’s a clever new way to test your ISP for throttling & rate-limiting with the DiffProbe ShaperProbe utility.
If you’re a TorrentFlux seedbox user, you probably already know there aren’t too many options for downloading your completed torrent files back to a home PC through a browser. Natively in TFlux, files need to be downloaded one-by-one with the option to download full folders - also done one at a time. However, if your seedbox host offers lower-than-average transfer speeds (most do), then the workaround is to download multiple files simultaneously to maximize bandwidth. When used in unison, both FlashGet and FlashGot are very TorrentFlux-friendly; entire directory contents can be scanned & imported (and downloaded) without all the excess junk - as long as the FlashGot filter is applied correctly.
Looking for a great “live” solution to accurately assist in finding private trackers that are open for signups? After months of heavy development, Team Roots has finally launched a new, speedier (and vastly improved) version of TORC - the Torrents Open Registrations Checker v1.26. TORC has it all - a great list of current trackers; filtering options; tracker icons; detailed view; and, of course - automatic timed & repeat checking of selected private trackers to see if they’re open for direct signups.
Maintaining a good ratio at BitMeTV can be arduous, especially for those who don’t own a seedbox. Even TVTorrents.com is tricky for new users, since there’s a minimum 1:1 ratio on the site, making it rather difficult to get started. Here’s how to seed (reseed) downloaded individual TV episodes to season packs, even if you’ve changed the paths and/or names of the files.
This tip is explained in two segments, depending on whether the previously downloaded TV episodes are the same name & location, or not. We explain how this works from torrents from public trackers; or if you only have a few episodes of a particular season, in which you’ll become a partial seeder.
iTunes just isn’t torrent-friendly. Importing or playing back your music files directly from a seeding torrent into a media player that alters ID3 tags or metadata can cause them to stop seeding. If otherwise healthy torrents are now getting stuck anywhere from 91-99% (or worse, at 0%), prompting you to redownload the files - most likely the culprit is iTunes. Even if you didn’t manually change the properties or tags on an MP3 file, iTunes may happen to be set up to do this automatically, thus altering the files and causing tracker seeding errors.
Find yourself saying, "Help me! Why are my torrents so slow?" - then you’re not alone. Millions of torrenters across the globe are asking the same thing. Unfortunately, the solution isn’t just some extraordinary quick fix or spurious torrent accelerator program - you’ll actually have to put a little effort into figuring out the cause of those deathly-slow downloads. Here’s a few tips to put you on the right track to faster torrents…
You know about them. You’ve seen them. You’ve probably even installed them. We’re talking about those dreaded "Torrent Toolbars". Mininova, ThePirateBay, Isohunt, SumoTorrent and every other public tracker you know has conjured up their own modified version of a torrent toolbar. Get the weather, play Sudoku - all while you search for torrents - it’s little surprise as to why they’re avoided.
Under normal circumstances, we wouldn’t go out of our way to promote any toolbar. 99% of them are pure unadulterated junk. However, we’ve found a brand-new toolbar that supports private trackers, without any of the excess baggage. And by the looks of it, the developer obviously put some serious thought into which trackers should be added to the list.
Watch TV shows online!
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