Can't access uTorrent downloads across a network

[zarathustra]

Hello! I've been using uTorrent since the beginning, and I've only just now encountered a problem. Basically, I'm having the same issue as this guy. But that guy never got an answer.

Here's the problem: I have two computers networked via a wireless router. I want do all my downloading on one computer, then transfer the downloads across the network to the 2nd computer. Simple. But any file downloaded with uTorrent cannot be accessed by the 2nd computer. I can see the data folders (they're mp3 album folders), but they can't be opened by the 2nd computer. I just get a "directory is not accessible" error.

I don't have this problem with any other folders or data, including data downloaded with other filesharing apps (DC++, Filezilla, Soulseek, Azureus, etc.). It only happens with the uTorrent downloads.

The only workaround I've found is to copy all my uTorrent downloads and paste them into a different directory. Then my 2nd computer is able to access them in that new directory. But, obviously, that's a pain in the ass, especially when it involves multiple GBs of data.

What can I do to fix this problem? Thanks!

[Mundor]

Hi,

I've been having the exact same problem too. I have utorrent on a different computer to my main one and access it throught the WebUI. Once downloads are finished utorrent automatically transfers the finished files to a folder which is shared on the network. If I then try to access the files from another computer I get a screen popping up saying that I do not have permission to access the file and so access is denied.

Interestingly I can access the files and move them fine when I am using the computer that utorrent is on and when moved they can be shared.

Also if I manually put files into the folder where new torrents are put I can access them fine accross the network.

Even if I close utorrent the files still aren't accessible.

The only thing that I can think of is that uTorrent edits the permissions on the file for some reason and then does not change them when the file has been removed from the downloading/uploading list. This is pure conjecture though because I really don't know what I'm talking about ;-). I've trawled through the settings and FAQ and cannot see anything about this problem.

OS used on downloading computer = XP SP2

Anyway, cheers for such an excellent and incredibly awesome program guys, and if you want me to provide any more information about the problem I'll try and oblige.

Thanks,

Mundor

[zarathustra]

Anyone? This appears to be a problem that's affecting more than a few people. Perhaps we can have a developer look into this?

[frad]

Hi everyone. I just wanted to add that I too am having this EXACT problem. Glad I found this post its very well described.

I also have all my utorrent downloads saved to a folder which is shared on my network. These files show up on the network, but can not be accessed. Can more people confirm or even test this?

I guess this is a bug of sorts, but I wonder if it is in Windows or uTorrent. Either way, it would be handy to be able to have my downloads available on the network.

Thanks.

EDIT: oh yeah.. using Windows XP SP2

[Switeck]

It's a file locking issue. If you reboot or shut down µTorrent after download completes, you'll probably be able to access those pictures across the network. Even stopping or pausing the torrent would probably work.

[frad]

Thanks for your reply Switech, however I am not sure that is a the problem. Shutting down utorrent, pausing, stopping and even rebooting the computer has no effect.

[zarathustra]

Frad is correct, Switeck. That doesn't fix the problem. Even after rebooting the computer, the files are still inaccessible. As I said previously, the only way to make them accessible is to copy and paste them to a completely different folder altogether, but that's obviously not a good solution when you're working with multiple GBs of data.

I'm almost certain now that the problem is caused by uTorrent alone, not by Windows or any other program. No other filesharing apps cause this problem, including other BT clients. Only uTorrent. E.g., if I use Azureus to download data to the exact same folder, the Azureus downloads will be accessible, but the uTorrent downloads will not.

This problem is really making it impossible to run my home network efficiently, and I'm on the verge of having to switch to another client. Which I really, really don't want to do, because uTorrent works so perfectly otherwise. Anybody know the solution?

[Switeck]

I've downloaded videos and watched them across my network on another computer while still seeding them (without pausing or restarting µTorrent). But I use Windows networking and not WebUI. I am also on Win 98SE on both boxes. So it may be a serious error in WebUI.

Win XP is prone to making stupid thumbnails of pictures and locking files while it's doing it. But usually, that's all or nothing -- even the local computer can't access those files via another app while it's doing it. However like you said, the files are accessable locally -- even copy-able. But you cannot copy and/or VIEW them across the network. ...So that wouldn't make sense.

It's a longshot, but are these deep folder paths (>127 characters combined after adding up filenames+foldernames back to root) maybe?

[zarathustra]

Hey, thanks for the response, Switeck. I thought of the filename length thing, too, and tried using my root directory (C: drive) as the download location... same problem. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

And yeah, the files are totally fine on the local computer. On the network, I can "see" the folders, but I can't open them up to access the files, and the folder size column shows them as 0B. It's just plain weird...

Oh, I should've clarified that I'm using XP with regular Windows networking, not the WebUI

[frad]

Hi just wanted to drop in again. Yup this problem has nothing to do with the WebUI. I am also using Windows XP and regular Windows Networking.

As for the files being locked... it still won't explain why I can access all my files locally, but not over the network. It really is a bizarre problem. I have tried searching elsewhere on the internet for a solution but found nothing...

If there is anyone else out there who has experienced this problem, please post about it. Might help to make this issue more well known. Or at least try to replicate what we have described in this thread to determine if the problem is universal to all utorrent and Windows XP users.

Thanks.

[Switeck]

There's got to be someone here who accesses uTorrent downloads across a network after they're downloaded!

If it works for them, they need to speak up about what they do differently!

[kerching]

I too am having this exact problem with 1.7.2 on Windows XP SP2.

Oddly, when running utorrent under wine on a Debian box it works as it should, but due to the gfx card dying on that machine, I had to move utorrent over to a win box and now I cant access the files after utorrent has finished downloading.

[ajones81]

Hmm... Can't help you guys, but maybe you might want to move this topic to the "Found Bugs" section of this forum?

[kerching]

I think I have managed to solve my problem by turning off Simple File Sharing.

Untick the checkbox in Folder Options > View > Use Simple File Sharing (Recommended)

Folder Options can be found by opening an Explorer window and going to the Tools dropdown menu.

Link to Microsoft knowledge base article.

[Switeck]

...almost sounds like the folder was created under someone else's name and password protected and/or on a "protected volume". So it refuses to obey you!

Even as I use it, I hate it.

Been locked out of one of my computers because I changed a couple software settings too severely -- Win XP insisted on being reactivated, except I disabled automatic updates. There's a way to fix that without reformatting, but it's a bit of a pain and requires the Win XP installation CD be both bootable and the computer configured again from the command line.

Microsoft = Not. My. God! :mad:

[jhoff80]

Something similar for me:

I'm running uTorrent on my Windows Home Server box, and using the WebUI to control it. Everything works fine to download files using it. It downloads the incomplete files to the main storage (since WHS combines all the drives into one) D:\incomplete. As for the completed downloads, they get moved to a share, which is \\Server\Temp or D:\shares\Temp. The way that shares get set up in WHS is with a Read-Only account, a Read/Write account, and then just the administrator type accounts and then different usernames from the other boxes get assigned to RO, RW, etc. When a file is downloaded by uTorrent by itself, it gives the proper permissions from the Temp folder. However, when a subfolder is created, that subfolder does not share the same permissions from the parent Temp folder. The only way to fix this is to go into the advanced security settings and propagate the temp permissions to all child objects. Is there any way to make the subfolders uTorrent creates have the proper permissions on their own, without having to manually fix it every time? It'd make it much easier for when I need to organize all the stuff thats in the temp folder, so that I don't have to remote desktop into the server.

[roflcoin]

I'm having a very similar issue. I've set up Utorrent as a service using FireDaemon Lite 1.6 GA on Windows XP running under Virtual Server 2005. It downloads to shared virtual directory but unfortunately the file is created with permissions that make it inaccessible to network users. Anyone know how I can fix this?

[roflcoin]

I don't know if this helps but I'm running Utorrent 2.0 and what I think is the latest WebUI. I don't know how to check what version it is but I only got it a few days before making my post above.

[DreadWingKnight]

You check the version by looking at the title bar of your web browser when looking at the webui page.

[roflcoin]

Thanks very much. 0.370.

[Er. kaku ji]

i was facing exact same problem and found a solution for this problem. this problem arises due to large torrent names which creates large file names which cannot be handled by WIN OS. so to solve this problem

1. when download completes, right click the active torrent and select 'Remove And' then select 'Delete .torrent'.

2. now go to the directory where this torrent's data folder is located.

3. rename the torrent folder with a single alphabet.

4. now if the total characters in "name of desired file in the torrent folder + name of folder + name of directory upto the root level" is smaller than maximum handled by your OS then your problem will be solved.

so in future

try placing your downloaded torrents in directories like "C:/kaku/" and not like

"F:\Pub\Software\Win\tally\Tally9\TallyErp9.1.81[vijaynm4214]\pk\Pirates of the Caribbean-On Stranger Tides 2011 BRRip 480p Dual Audio [Hin-Eng] by imkhan -=[TDT]=-"

hope it helps