How to configure Magnet Links to use uTorrent

[Ciro Pabon]

I found a solution to configure Magnet Links to use uTorrent, now that The Pirate Bay decided to use magnet links as its main downloading system.

I guess most of you will have no problem using uTorrent for this. When I used the 'old' link in TPB for "Download this torrent", my browser (Opera) opened uTorrent, as intended.

However, when I clicked on the alternate "Get Torrent" link, that uses a Magnet Link, my browser opened it with Ares. So, being a faithful uTorrent fan, I never used this "Get Torrent" link, using instead the "Download this torrent", as I prefer to use uTorrent for my downloading my torrents, because uTorrent rulez, of course.

So, this morning I opened TPB and found that I was stuck with Magnet Links. No more "Download this torrent" link existed. I was stuck with Ares for downloading my torrents!

I had to find a way to change the behavior of my browser, so it uses uTorrent instead of Ares for Magnet Links. I googled for a while to no avail. Darn.

However, finally, after crying for a while and running around in circles in desperation, I checked my registry, using regedit. I found this quickly, a line that states which program to use for opening Magnet Links:

Key location: Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Magnet\shell\open\command

Key value (old one): "C:\Program Files (x86)\Ares\Ares.exe" "%L"

So, I changed the value of this key and voila! Now my client for Magnet Links is uTorrent.

Key value (new one that I changed): "C:\Program Files (x86)\uTorrent\uTorrent.exe" "%L"

This is how the registry key should look:

I think some people could use this information, so I registered here and started to write this post.

My question is:

Is there a way to make this procedure more mundane?

I mean, most users won't be tinkering with the registry to change the behavior of a browser. Will they (yuck!) use Ares instead of uTorrent if they are in the same predicament I was? Will entropy adsorb civilization?

I think that after the new "policy" of TPB, some information for uTorrent fans could be useful, perhaps in other place that is not the forums (I might have overlooked this info, but I'm a complete noob in this forum, apologies in advance if that's the case).

[Firon]

In the preferences, there's a button that says Associate with .torrent files. Usually, just hitting that will do the trick.

[Ciro Pabon]

Well, no, it doesn't. I tried that first.

I don't know if I'm the only person with this problem, but what moves me to post here is that TPB does not use torrent files anymore.

As Magnet Links are not torrent files, as far as I know, then, well, erm, the "Associate with torrent files" button does not work.

What I can see is that this button changes the association of files ending in the extension "torrent". Magnet Links do not have this extension. So, perhaps, maybe, this button has to be changed to include the association with Magnet Link files when pressed.

Why don't you try it? I did the following (in a fairly regular Windows 7 system, 64 bits):

1. I opened Control Panel, searched for "extensions", clicked on "Changed the file type associated with a file extension" and I changed the ".torrent" extension to be opened with Ares (sorry!).

Then I opened uTorrent, clicked on "Associate with torrent files" and rechecked again in the Control Panel: the association with Ares is replaced with an association with uTorrent. Perfect, everything works as you say: my .torrent files are opened in uTorrent.

However, do the following

2. Change the registry key that governs the association with Magnet Links to Ares (that is, change the registry key that I posted previously, something that apparently, happens when you install Ares, even if you already have installed uTorrent).

Now, open uTorrent and press again the "Associate with torrents" buttons you recommend as a solution. Enter The Pirate Bay. Click on a link (clearly labeled with a Magnet) to download any file you wish: it will open in Ares. So, wrong. It does not work as you say.

In case you do not realize the "cosmic implications", please read this: TPB is moving to Magnet Links only.

They made this move today. Those crazy Swedes! They even renamed TPB as The Magnet Bay and included a magnet image on the main page. They have a sense of humour, of course, but a tad primitive: they're Swedes, after all (that is a joke, just in case).

What worries me is that, in the last few hours, the Magnet Links in TPB are also labeled with the following: "(Problems with magnets links is fixed by upgrading your torrent client!)" and they included a link in the main page labeled "How do I download" that guides users to use "Miro" or "BitTornado". So, I would say that solving this issue is urgent. It's not like I do not want other people to use those clients, but, well... please, do something.

It is my wild guess that this issue merits an upgrade of uTorrent and the "Associate with... " button you mention (and the checkbox "Check association at startup").

Of course, I might be wrong and the sky is not falling.

[henkie385]

Had exactly the same problem as Ciro Pabon. And Ciro, I think you are missing a small step, you just have to tell Ares to stay away from the torrents..

This is how I fixed it without scary registery stuff (no idea how that works in the first place):

Step 1: Open Ares, go to Control Panel, go to the tab BitTorrent, uncheck ''Make Ares my default torrent client", quit Ares

Step 2: Open uTurrent, go to preferences (under options), under general, hit the button: Associate with .torrent files

The sky is just fine

[AgustinPighin]

Hi guys,

Step 1: Open Ares, go to Control Panel, go to the tab HashLinks, uncheck ''Manage Magnet Link", quit Ares

Step 2: Open uTurrent, go to preferences (under options), under general, hit the button: Associate with .torrent files

[victor_imyf]

Thanks a lot Ciro, I was looking for a solution to this problem.

[jester28715]

would there be a reason I am having this problem, but when I try to associate my button is greyed out

[Dannermax]

Thank you so much.. that did the trick for me!!!

I found a solution to configure Magnet Links to use uTorrent, now that The Pirate Bay decided to use magnet links as its main downloading system.

I guess most of you will have no problem using uTorrent for this. When I used the 'old' link in TPB for "Download this torrent", my browser (Opera) opened uTorrent, as intended.

However, when I clicked on the alternate "Get Torrent" link, that uses a Magnet Link, my browser opened it with Ares. So, being a faithful uTorrent fan, I never used this "Get Torrent" link, using instead the "Download this torrent", as I prefer to use uTorrent for my downloading my torrents, because uTorrent rulez, of course.

So, this morning I opened TPB and found that I was stuck with Magnet Links. No more "Download this torrent" link existed. I was stuck with Ares for downloading my torrents!

I had to find a way to change the behavior of my browser, so it uses uTorrent instead of Ares for Magnet Links. I googled for a while to no avail. Darn.

However, finally, after crying for a while and running around in circles in desperation, I checked my registry, using regedit. I found this quickly, a line that states which program to use for opening Magnet Links:

Key location: Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Magnet\shell\open\command

Key value (old one): "C:\Program Files (x86)\Ares\Ares.exe" "%L"

So, I changed the value of this key and voila! Now my client for Magnet Links is uTorrent.

Key value (new one that I changed): "C:\Program Files (x86)\uTorrent\uTorrent.exe" "%L"

This is how the registry key should look:

https://sites.google.com/site/cirospictures/uTorrentMagnetLinkRegistryKey.jpg

I think some people could use this information, so I registered here and started to write this post.

My question is:

Is there a way to make this procedure more mundane?

I mean, most users won't be tinkering with the registry to change the behavior of a browser. Will they (yuck!) use Ares instead of uTorrent if they are in the same predicament I was? Will entropy adsorb civilization?

I think that after the new "policy" of TPB, some information for uTorrent fans could be useful, perhaps in other place that is not the forums (I might have overlooked this info, but I'm a complete noob in this forum, apologies in advance if that's the case).

[pmshah]

Linking torrent files to uTorrent is easily done on the first page under preferences. Just wish they also had a similar check box for magnet files. The difficult one is linking ANY kind of files under Chromium. Chromium is supposed to be open source but too much of it is being controlled or has been hijacked by Google. Won't even permit IDM plugin to be installed, no matter what! Unfortunately there is not a single browser around that is sufficiently stable or is not a resource hog.