µTorrent 1.3 freezes computer

[ProCD]

I've been getting this problem since I upgraded to 1.3. I've never had that before. It seems that µTorrent is using all of the CPU power and/or memory since the CPU LED stays on when it happens.

Windows XP SP2, no firewalls or antivirus software.

I'm downgrading to 1.2.2 until there is a patch for 1.3

[TheBear]

There is no CPU LED on any system I know of so your likely referring to the HDD LED.

As P2P apps are often responsible for increased file fragmentation, may I ask when you last defraged your drive?

[1c3d0g]

Do you have DMA enabled? Do you get a "Disk Overloaded" message in the status bar, ProCD? :| Maybe the automatic cache management isn't working too well for you. Try setting "diskio.write_queue_size" to 2x - 4x your maximum download speed.

[ProCD]

Thanks guys for the reply.

There is no CPU LED on any system I know of so your likely referring to the HDD LED.

As P2P apps are often responsible for increased file fragmentation, may I ask when you last defraged your drive?

You are completely right; I was refering to the HDD LED, not CPU.

Regarding fragmentation, the disk in which I save my files is not fragmented, however my system disk is 14% fragmented. I do not remember when I had my last defrag :/

Do you have DMA enabled? Do you get a "Disk Overloaded" message in the status bar, ProCD? :| Maybe the automatic cache management isn't working too well for you. Try setting "diskio.write_queue_size" to 2x - 4x your maximum download speed.

I do not know what DMA is, I can't find that option, sorry. I am not sure if I get that message or not as my computer freezes and I can't use the mouse to maximize µTorrent.

[Firon]

diskio.write_queue_size is in Advanced Options. Try setting it to 8000 and see if it helps.

[1c3d0g]

DMA speeds up your hard disk quite a bit, so it may be possible that your hard disk is still operating in PIO mode. Try this:

Right-click on My Computer ▶ Properties ▶ Hardware ▶ Device Manager. You should look for IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers ▶ double-click on Primary IDE channel ▶ Advanced Settings. Look at the transfer modes, it should read "DMA if available", if not, just select it from the drop-down menu. You might do the same for the Secondary IDE channel as well (if you have it).

[ProCD]

I think the problem is not with my computer but with the update. I went back to 1.2.2 since I posted this thread and my computer has not crashed yet.

[gilmoregirls]

Too bad 1.2.2 is banned at my favourite torrent site, I would do the same.

[splintax]

gilmoregirls: You have the same problem?

[jonathonwebb]

It seems like there is a big ? regarding this problem...

There's another thread here:

http://forum.utorrent.com/viewtopic.php?id=3377

Same questions, no answers...

Oh, I didn't see a response to this, but increasing the diskio.write_queue_size to 8000 or 16000 doesn't correct the issue. That was my setting before the update (8000), and was the same after the udpate. Changing to 16000 doesn't help, either.

[Firon]

Use the new beta, set the cache management to -1, and open Sysinternals Process Explorer to see if there's any DPCs using CPU when it freezes.

Problems like this are either a) hardware issues or buggy drivers/software (not µTorrent)

[jonathonwebb]

I have ran the beta at my old settings since its release, and so far no problems. I would recommend that others having the same problem to try it out as well...

[wilkcards]

I was getting the "disk overloaded" problem for a while, and I had my diskio.write_queue_size set to 9000. I'm not sure if this mb, kb or what? Anyways I set it to 100000, and I've had no more problems. utorrent isn't using more than 30 megs of ram.