How To: Run uTorrent as a service (with FireDaemon)

After reading THIS POST back in November, I threw my $0.02 in. Lord Alderaan made a comment about bookmarking it due to it's usefulness.

After re-reading my post, I felt I could do better. Here goes.

DISCLAIMER: I am not, nor have I ever been an employee of Firedaemon Technologies Limited Corporation - I am just an avid user, hence why I tell anyone that uses this program to BUY IT. It's well worth the money. Now that THAT is out of the way....

UPDATE 2008-02-11: I recently learned there's a "lite" version of Firedaemon, which will only run one service. While it's currently unsupported & discontinued, it DOES work. Download it via Google search HERE.

UPDATE 2012-06-22: Going over this post and reviewing the links to Firedaemon Lite, it was discontinued in 2009. I've updated the links to the post stating why it was discontinued, and changed the direct download link to a Google search for an archive copy. Download & use at your own risk. Firedaemon Pro is up to v3.5 now, and still worth every penny.

Download FireDaemon Pro HERE, and install it. If you have a serial number, put it in when prompted. This walkthrough was made with the latest version of FireDaemon, v1.9.2251.

Install uTorrent if you haven't done so already. Install the WebUI (details are HERE) as well, if uTorrent will be installed on a dedicated computer (which is how I run it).

Open uTorrent. Click on Options -> Preferences. Click on the Downloads settings. Create 2 directories for new downloads and completed downloads. If this is on a network server, I highly suggest you share the completed downloads folder. Finish configuring the rest of uTorrent how you see fit (don't forget to configure the WebUI if this is a network server!), then close uTorrent.

Open FireDaemon, and click on Service -> New (or hit CTRL+N)

The "Edit Service Definition" window pops up, make sure the "Program" tab is selected.

Program

Short Name: UTORRENT

Display Name: UTORRENT

Custom Prefix String: Check the box, and type: FireDaemon Service:

Description: Type a brief description here if you want to

Console Application: leave unchecked

Executable: C:\Program Files\uTorrent\uTorrent.exe (or where you installed uTorrent to)

Working Directory: this gets filled in automatically

Parameters: leave blank

Start-up Time: leave at 3000

Settings

Show Window: Normal

Load Order Group: leave blank

Logon Account: VERY VERY important you get this right. If this is your regular computer, type in your account name, and put in a password if you have one. If this is being installed on a remote computer, you need to use the name YOU LOGGED IN WITH. More importantly, if the remote computer is part of a Windows DOMAIN, you need to do the username as either DOMAIN\USERNAME or username@domain style. If you screw this up, however, everything will still work - only uTorrent will start with default settings (as it will think it's running under a new user).

Interact with Desktop: if you need to change settings on uTorrent, then check mark this box, as it allows uTorrent to actually show up on your desktop (and show the tray icon as well if you have it configured). If this is on a network server, then generally you can set uTorrent once, and clear this checkmark.

And that's it. Leave everything else on its default settings (or play with the scheduler if you don't want to use uTorrents built in scheduler). Once you hit the "Install" button, FireDaemon will create and start the service. If you enabled interaction with the desktop, you should see the uTorrent icon show up right away away.

From now on, the only thing stopping uTorrent from running is, well, the computer being off, network cable unplugged, lack of an ISP (wtf? you DID pay your ISP bill, right? RIGHT? ), or someone logging in and stopping the service. You can let the MS updates restart your machine in your sleep, because uTorrent will run as soon as Windows start its services.

Enjoy.

If you have issues getting FireDaemon to work, it has a wonderful support forum available at their website - so please post any firedaemon related issues there.

And finally, for those of you who installed uTorrent to the Program Files directory: A premade FireDaemon config file - just change the username and all will be well in the world. DOWNLOAD CONFIG FILE HERE

Now get to seeding!

That is one useful guide I smile when I see users helping users :cheer:x3 for mauirixxx

moderators: does this warrant a sticky, or should I just link it in a signature?

Meh, why not I've edited the title just a little bit to make it more consistent with the other How To.

added info about the "lite" (aka FREE) version of Firedaemon.

Hello,

I use XYNTService from codeproject.

You have a lot of options, and it's very simple. (and you can have 127 services)

it is a little more complex to restart or stop a service, but i find it very useful.

my ini file for it:

[Settings]
ServiceName=MyDaemons
CheckProcessSeconds = 30 


[Process4]
CommandLine = I:\Net\P2P\Torrent\utorrent\utorrent.exe
WorkingDir= I:\Net\P2P\Torrent\utorrent
PauseStart= 1000 
PauseEnd= 1000 
UserInterface = Yes 
Restart = Yes 
UserName = 
Domain =
Password =

hope that can help someone.

o.O Woo! yeah codeproject has some pretty awesome stuff. Thank you too jjidea

Personally, I use InstSrv.exe and SrvAny.exe that are part of the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools. They're free and work just as well as FireDaemon.

How To Create a User-Defined Service (instructions are for the Win2k Res Kit but work the same)

Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools

I'm aware that there are multiple ways to run programs as a service - most of which are free as well. What you get with the paid version of FireDaemon (or even the single service, and free "Lite" version) is the relative ease of creating a service.

Maybe someone should make a sticky with Windows resources with which to run uTorrent as a service?

Might be better if all the guides were collected into a single thread.

I agree ...

Make a new thread called "Running uTorrent as a service - multiple guides" or something, at least with mine you can just merge it into the new thread?

Yes, I'd be able to sorta merge the threads manually.

are there any other threads, or should we just rename this one, and delete the irrelevant posts?

For now, let's leave it as is. If people start coming up with newer guides, I might just end up creating a new locked sticky for just the guides (with credits and all), and link back to this thread for actual discussion.

Ok, I'll leave it be then

Personally, I use InstSrv.exe and SrvAny.exe that are part of the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools.

How To Create a User-Defined Service (instructions are for the Win2k Res Kit but work the same)

Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools

thanks, it's work!

Hello,

thanks for the info, but when I gave firedaemon the executable directory it does not automatically fill the "working directory" and when I click "install", it says that "working directory" is blank.

What is the working directory (%appdata%\utorrent or %programfiles\utorrent)??

Working dir is %programfiles%\utorrent

Thanks, it worked

Just a small issue I had with this. I installed on a 2K3 domain controller. And the option to "interact with desktop" is greyed out. So my question is this...

If I want to change something the gui doesn't let you do. Do I shut down the service. Open uTorrent change whatever. Then close uTorrent and then restart the service?

If this will work, is there an easier way. Or is my DC setup incorrectly (security, etc. etc.)

Hi, We dont need firedaemon or the 2003 resource kit (for srvany) to install utorrent as an service on XP/2003. Windows already includes the "sc.exe" (service-creator i assume ) to help us create our own services. Start>Run>Cmd . Then just type sc for help....

From now on, the only thing stopping uTorrent from running is, well, the computer being off, network cable unplugged, lack of an ISP (wtf? you DID pay your ISP bill, right? RIGHT? ), or someone logging in and stopping the service. You can let the MS updates restart your machine in your sleep, because uTorrent will run as soon as Windows start its services.

Excuse me, let me just ask a simple question, if you don't mind. Can uTorrent be stopped by actively exiting it through the main program? How about Windows Task Manager? By my understanding of the fourth suggested thing to stop the service, is that the service is different from the main program (utorrent) itself.

A timely response will be truly appreciated.

Because it's a "service" that Firedaemon watches for crashes - it would automatically get started BY Firedaemon.

The ONLY way to shut it down is either via the Firedaemon control panel, or via command line: net stop servicename

The service is NOT different from the main program - the "service" IS the main program. In order for uTorrent to update itself, you have to actually STOP the "service" which will shut down uTorrent. Then manually start uTorrent, let it update itself, then shut it down again. Then restart the "service" - if you let uTorrent update itself while being ran as a service, the service manager will automatically restart it, which will then break the updater.

Hi, We dont need firedaemon or the 2003 resource kit (for srvany) to install utorrent as an service on XP/2003. Windows already includes the "sc.exe" (service-creator i assume smile ) to help us create our own services. Start>Run>Cmd . Then just type sc for help....

Well I'll be. I actually had no idea that was included. I just checked it out, seems easy enough for people comfortable with a CLI.

Time for a new walkthrough?

The ONLY way to shut it down is either via the Firedaemon control panel, or via command line: net stop servicename

so if I actively exit via the main program (file>exit, or, [system tray icon] rightclick>exit), Firedaemon will start it back up then? Because I have problems with people shutting down uTorrent here without my consent, and its my friggin' computer! (sorry 'bout that) (Full details about my problem, if you want to help, or if this IS the help I need http://forum.utorrent.com/viewtopic.php?id=55131)

Time for a new walkthrough?

Sure! Since SC.exe is already in WinXP, then no downloads required. People will find using this program quite convenient.

Please and thank you.

sorry I don't have time to answer more indepth, but essentially: firedaemon + uTorrent = no matter HOW you exit uTorrent, the ONLY way to stop it from running is via the Firedaemon control panel, the Services control panel, or via typing: net stop firedaemon_utorrent_service_name_here

Or by shutting down the computer. As soon as someone right clicks the tray icon and selects exit, or even the File -> Exit, Firedaemon will notice the uTorrent process isn't running any more and will restart it.

Hope this clarifies it for you.