Multiple Problems - file type changed, and cannot check files

[Clairebug]

I have been sucessfully using 1.7.7 for many months, and received the update yesterday. It apparently imported all my settings from 1.7.7 - all my torrents, both downloaded and uploaded were working fine. Then, today the problems started with the creation of a new torrent file.

I followed the normal process for this upload: clicked on Create New torrent, browsed to the containing folder, saved the torrent as foldername. and then uploaded it to my tracker without starting it. I always follow this same series of steps. The very last step I do is to force check my files prior to stopping. This torrent acts like it is not there! If I go to the tracker and download it, I get the second problem - every torrent in my default folder has been renamed xxxxx.torrent.loaded !

So I downloaded my torrent, which of course would not open, since uTor did not recognize the file type, saved it to the desktop and then told windows to open it with uTorrent (I did not check the box to always uses this program for this file type). Once uTorrent opened it it told me the torrent was already in the list of torrents (I knew that!) and did I want to load the trackers. So I did. Tried to check files, got 0%-stopped) and came here to register to ask for help.

In case this helps, I am able to download new torrents, the ones I have that are seeding are doing just fine. It is these new ones that are giving me fits.

Thanks in advance.