Windows Server 2003 SP2 several issues

[joz]

I just subscribed to this forum for some issues I'm experiencing running utorrent (both 1.8.1. and latest 1.9 beta) under Windows Server 2003.

The Windows Server is completely up to date with updates.

Most of the bugs I'm experiencing seem like there's something wrong with saving config's cause they only appear on startup, to sum up;

- Enabling WebGUI works. However when uTorrent is restarted I have to enable the WebGUI again cause it forgot it's settings.

- uTorrent somehow (I'm totally clueless how) finds torrents which I removed ages ago. This also only appears on startup. They show with a cross icon and tell me some files are missing. This also applies to files which are completed (they too show a cross even though the file is sitting on the PC and is completely downloaded)

- I adjusted almost all the default folders uTorrent uses. I have uTorrent set to automatically pick up torrents in a folder called "quee". This works, the torrents are moved to my "torrents" folder, however they don't get automatically added to uTorrent.

When a download's complete they should be moved to a folder called "completed" but 9 out of 10 times this doesn't happen and the files stays in a folder called "downloading".

- I have noticed before (this doesn't always happen for some reason) that uTorrent forgot my config of the section "bandwith". It reverts back to defaults.

These are quite a lot of annoying bugs which I never experienced using Windows XP. If you need me to provide any more info on whatever specifics please feel free to ask.

And thanks to everyone in advance for replying and trying to help me out!

[Firon]

Works for me. I'm on 2003 SP2. Check your permissions on %AppData%\uTorrent and make sure ut can actually write to every file in that folder.

[joz]

Thx Firon. That was exactly my first thoughts, and no, that's not the cause. I double checked this!

The weird thing is some settings do seem to apply and some don't after restart.

Especially WebGUI is disabled all of the time. The problems 3 and 4 I posted also do apply often. For more clearity this is my folder structure I have defined in uTorrent which partially works(as described in topic start).

- uTorrent

* complete (files downloaded)

* downloading (files currently downloading)

* quee (folder that should pick up torrents placed here and move it to torrents)

* torrents (torrent files)

Besides this I have to note I installed an nLited version (I created myself, first one ever for me ) of Windows 2003. Everything else seems to work fine with this installation (which is alot as such; dotNET = serving pages fine, apache, mysql/mssql, php, all other server related stuff)

[thelittlefire]

If settings aren't being saved, your settings.dat isn't being updated. Is the last modified time of settings.dat equal to the last restart?

[Firon]

Try turning on bt.graceful_shutdown

[joz]

If settings aren't being saved, your settings.dat isn't being updated.

I checked the last modified time and this is the time of the last shutdown so the file does get touched by uTorrent.

I also opened it up and saw stuff referencing my WebGUI setup (password stuff etc). This is in settings.dat but still the WebGUI is disabled. It seems like there's some issue reading this file for some reason.

If it may help (don't think so), I enabled the writeback cache on my SATA2 HD for performance reasons (might try disabling that again)

I tried turning on bt.graceful_shutdown but this doesn't seem to help.

The settings.dat file always seem to be renamed to settings.dat.old as well as being saved. I guess that's normal behaviour?

I'm really clueless of the cause. It's seems like something seriously weird is going on.

I did nLite installs before (only XP ones) and with those I never had any problems using uTorrent. I kinda used the same settings (little different, I didn't touch any 2003 specific stuff in nLite) as I always do with XP.

Edit:

One more thing I just noticed is that when I add a torrent to the server (brand new one, nothing downloaded) it (I believe hash?)checks the files (which aren't really there) which seems kinda useless. This I never had experienced before (I did have this sometimes especially with a not so graceful shutdown of windows, or a crash. but only with files already downloading, not brand new ones)

Edit2:

I checked the windows eventviewer. Nothing interesting in there.

I don't have any firewalls or other protection running on that PC in question. Just trying to be as thorough as possible for you guys. If I'm missing something please tell me.

[thelittlefire]

hmmmmm. As long as it's re-written, I guess that's OK. Though usually the files are rewritten at a set interval.

If you want to clear that WebUI data, even though you keep it disabled... you can try using http://forum.utorrent.com/viewtopic.php?id=31306 removing all webui.* and .fileguard with uT closed. Now that webui password is stored hashed there isn't as great a security risk.

Yes, the current files (settings, resume, dht, rss) are all renamed to .dat.old as the new files are written to .dat.new then .dat .

Unfortunately these problems still appear to be a problem with the file not being written/updated. The torrent list is in resume.dat and the webui issues are settings.dat :/ How do the security permissions look for the %APPDATA%\uTorrent folder??

Are you pre-allocating files or something... hashchecking non-existent files should be no longer than an instant.

[joz]

Are you pre-allocating files or something... hashchecking non-existent files should be no longer than an instant.

Well no I don't want it to preallocate files, but that's what I noticed. Never changed this setting.

The torrent list is in resume.dat and the webui issues are settings.dat hmm How do the security permissions look for the %APPDATA%\uTorrent folder??

Ok you know the security bit of windows (server) I kinda get, but I'm no sysadmin so I don't really know how you would go about doing this the best way.

What I did was just take the user "everyone" and gave it full control over the %appdata%/uTorrent folder. Maybe not the most secure way to go about things but I thought that would rule out uTorrent not having permissions in that folder.

And well... It can write in the folder cause I see the times changing of last modified. There's either something wrong (for me) with the writing process or the reading goes bad (at least that's what I suspect). I run uTorrent as an administrator btw

If you want to clear that WebUI data, even though you keep it disabled

To be clear, I want it enabled. Everytime uTorrent restarts it's disabled!

Thx for the help so far though... I'm never gonna figure this out on my own

If nothing helps I'm considering a clean OS install with just the plain Windows Server 2003 (no nLite)

[thelittlefire]

Try just running utorrent.exe with no elevated privileges (not as administrator). With allowing Everyone full access to the folder, can you verify all files in the folder also have the same permissions? I know some of the differences between ACLs (the nested security permissions) vary between Windows version. As long as you see write, and change, and read enabled this shouldn't be the problem.

Regarding the webui, clearing the values would allow you to set it up from default the next startup of uT. In that instance, you should enable it, set a user/pass, say OK, and close Preferences. If it doesn't save after closing uTorrent again :/ Please report back

[joz]

Thanks again littlefire.

I already was trying stuff out myself. And I believe (maybe a bit to early to tell) that I've fixed all my problems in one hit.

I always rename the Administrator account using nLite to my name. That account I use to logon (I know people are telling me I shouldn't be doing this but I'm doing it anyways ). This account also automatically logs on (doesn't ask for password etc).

So what I did was create a new account (named administrator ironically enough) and went ahead and set that up. Set up uTorrent's config. Restarted windows and now at least the WebGUI stays enabled! I'll test some more and see if it's truly fixed.

Still really unsure why this fixed it, but me is happy now

Edit:

Wel at least now the WebUI stays enabled but I still have the problem remaining with the resume.dat picking up old torrent files.

[thelittlefire]

Good for you, poking at things fixing them

The resume.dat MUST have the same permissions as the others. If it is not, or is read-only it would explain the "static" state upon re-starting uT. . .

What other rules do you see for the Security tab? I know this is... well the lazy way, but if you remove all additional accounts/rules besides Everyone on the OLD Administrator (your name now from your description), then either try to login as Administrator or your name (you really should only use one user to launch uT from)... GAHAHAHAHA

Did you check to see if you have an "uTorrent" folder under Application data for both Documents and Settings\YOUR_NAME and \ADMINISTRATOR ??? I feel stupid I didn't ask before. That certainly would cause a stagnant profile without you actually doing anything wrong.

[joz]

I tried what you suggested but still no luck.

I have just noticed something which makes me even more clueless...

Exiting uTorrent and opening it up again = ok. Restarting windows (where uTorrent starts automatically) = not ok, then the old torrents are picked up.

Besides this, the quee folder now works but only when I select that the torrents should not be deleted from that folder (checked permissions on that folder, seem right to me).

]Did you check to see if you have an "uTorrent" folder under Application data for both Documents and Settings\YOUR_NAME and \ADMINISTRATOR ??? I feel stupid I didn't ask before. That certainly would cause a stagnant profile without you actually doing anything wrong.

Both accounts have the uTorrent folder sitting in appdata. Both folders have read/write permissions.

p.s.

I just need 1 account for this machine. I just created a new one to test out if that would help.

edit:

hmm... now I'm starting to suspect the writeback cache... maybe stuf gets written to cache on windows restart and doesn't have time to be actually written to disk... I'll disable it and give it another go.

edit2:

No luck with writeback... I'm not really that unfamiliar with windows systems but this kinda stuff is way out of my league

[thelittlefire]

OK, only keep ONE COPY of %APPDATA%\uTorrent And only run uTorrent as that user. or just double click utorrent.exe so it runs under your context. Then backup the folder and stick it under the other user and repeat. . .

One way it will ask to reinstall uT, the other will be your uT profile. :/ Last idea

I don't think it's out of your league... you've done very well. Unfortunately I've never touched Server 2K3 so I can't see anything specific I may be missing

[Firon]

Keep ONE copy of utorrent and ONE copy of the %AppData%\uTorrent folder.

[joz]

Hey guys. Again thx for all the help.

I begun to go crazy with all these uTorrent issues so decided that a reinstall may be the easiest way to go and well I was kinda right.

After reinstall (no nLite) uTorrent was able to remember it's settings completely (hurray!). But ofcourse I still had issues...

The hashcheck new files was still an issue (without having uTorrent preallocate files, most of my settings are default).

So I started really taking a look in the more advanced settings. disabled the windows read cache and the hashcheck issue seems resolved now...

Still one more issue remains though. I can't have uTorrent delete torrents in my "quee" folder. If I enable this the torrent will get moved to the "torrents" folder but won't be added automagically to uTorrent.