This article shows you how to install and use the µTorrent client to download multimedia content, such as movies, to your computer. It should be noted that downloading copyrighted content for free from the web, for example movies or music, is considered a crime in most countries of the world and is sanctioned with very severe penalties which also include imprisonment. Sites that use BitTorrent often contain explicit material for an adult audience and very invasive banner ads (or malware) that could prevent your computer from working properly. Before exposing your computer and data to serious risks, make sure that the link to select within the torrent search engines and the file to download are safe and correct. Unless you have taken other precautions to protect your privacy, the IP address you connect from is public and can be stored by companies who will then use it to take legal action against you in case you break the law.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Install uTorrent
Step 1. Go to the µTorrent website
Enter the following URL https://www.utorrent.com/ into the address bar of the internet browser.
Step 2. Press the Download µTorrent button or Download for free.
It is located in the lower central part of the µTorrent site. The button also shows the operating system of the computer in use (for example "For Windows"). The µTorrent installation file will be downloaded locally.
- Depending on the configuration settings of your internet browser, in order for the file to begin downloading, you may need to click the Retry link on the second page that appears.
- You may also need to select the destination folder and press the button OK or Save.
Step 3. Install µTorrent
The procedure to follow varies depending on the operating system of the computer.
- Windows: double click on the µTorrent installation file, press the button Yup when prompted, press the button Come on twice, choose the option I accept, select the options for creating shortcuts to the program and press the button again Come on. At this point, press the button once again Come on, then choose the link No thanks to prevent installation of recommended programs. Now you just have to press the button end to complete the installation.
- Mac: drag the µTorrent app into the "Applications" folder.
Step 4. Start µTorrent
Double-click the program icon. At this point, you can start downloading the contents offered by the µTorrent network.
Part 2 of 2: Downloading Content with uTorrent
Step 1. Launch the internet browser of your choice
We recommend that you use an official, developer-supported browser like Edge, Chrome, or Firefox rather than programs like Internet Explorer, which being no longer supported by Microsoft for years could expose your computer to data security risks.
Step 2. Search a search engine for torrent files
Quite often, this type of website is very short-lived due to the fact that they illegally share copyrighted content and thus get obscured. For this reason, you may need to do a little research before finding a perfectly active site.
One way to locate a torrent search engine is to enter the keyword "torrent" into Google or similar search engines and carefully analyze the list of results
Step 3. Type the name of the film of your interest in the search bar of the chosen site and press the Enter key
Normally, the search bar is located at the top of the page, although in some cases the graphical interface may look different. The search will result in a list of results.
To get more precise results try to use specific keywords, for example "Blair Witch 2016" instead of just "Blair Witch"
Step 4. Locate the correct torrent file
When downloading a torrent file, you need to pay attention to some details.
- Seeder: is the number displayed in the "SEED" column on the right side of the page which in the ideal situation should be greater (or approximately equal) to the number visible in the "LEECH" column.
- File details: Make sure that the name of the file the torrent refers to, the category and other information specified in the title exactly match the data of the movie you are looking for.
- Quality (for video files only): Try to download video files with a minimum resolution of "720p" (ideally it should be "1080p") or higher, as this refers to the quality used by DVDs. This information should be clearly stated in the file name. Any other value refers to video files with low image quality.
Step 5. Select a torrent file to be able to review reviews and feedback from other users
At this point, we need to pay close attention to two very important aspects.
- Comments: Check the comments posted by other users who have already downloaded the file to be sure that it is safe and that all information in the file name is correct and true.
- Assessment- Make sure the file has as few negative reviews as possible and a high number of positive reviews.
Step 6. Download the torrent file
Press the "Download" button on the site. It is usually characterized by the wording Torrent Download or from a similar writing (for example Download [filename]).
Many search engines for torrent files are filled with deceptive banner ads, depicting bogus download buttons and links that have the sole purpose of redirecting you to other sites. Make sure that the download link respects the graphic style of the other elements of the site. To verify that the download link is correct, you can hover your mouse pointer over it and examine the URL it refers to to make sure it matches the domain of the site you are using
Step 7. Once the download is complete, double-click on the file icon to automatically open it in µTorrent or drag its icon into the program window
As soon as you release the file inside the uTorrent window, the download of the movie will start automatically.
In some cases you may need to specify the destination folder in which to save the file (for example the computer desktop)
Step 8. Wait for the download to complete
As soon as the download is complete, you will see the word "In seeding" appear on the right of the file name, indicating that you yourself have become a "seed", that is, you are actively sharing the file you just obtained so that other users can download it from your computer.
BitTorrent is a "P2P" network protocol (from the English "Peer to Peer") for sharing files on the network without the need to have a central server on which to store the contents. For this reason, instead of downloading the movie file from a website or server, it is downloaded directly by all users who already own it and are sharing it (so-called "seeders")
Advice
Try to download content only from users who have been verified or from those who have received many medium-high reviews from users who use the same search engine that you use. Verified users are much more likely to share torrent files of high quality and most importantly with the correct content
Warnings
- Torrent files and the files they refer to are often used to spread viruses and malware. Before using µTorrent or visiting a search engine for torrent files, make sure your computer is equipped with up-to-date antivirus software to reduce the risk of getting infected, especially if you are using a Windows operating system.
- Downloading torrent files can be a dangerous operation, so do it only at your own risk.
