Preferences: General

µTorrent User Manual

Language

  • The Language dropdown menu allows you to select the language for the entire µTorrent interface. In order for this to work, you must have installed the language pack (utorrent.lng) into µTorrent's settings directory, or in the same directory as the µTorrent executable itself.
  • The More... button opens the download page in your web browser, where you'll find the language pack available for download.

Windows Integration

  • The Associate with torrent files button tells Windows to open .torrent files, .btsearch files and magnet URIs in µTorrent. If maindoc.ico is present in µTorrent's settings directory, it will be used as the icon for .torrent files instead of making Windows attempt to generate an icon automatically.
  • The Install IPv6/Teredo button makes µTorrent install IPv6/Teredo support on the computer. Note that this option works only on operating systems released after Windows XP with at least Service Pack 2 (SP2) installed.
  • Check association on startup will tell µTorrent to check associations with anything it is associated with each time it is run. If the association no longer belongs to µTorrent at start, the user will be prompted for further action.
  • Start µTorrent when Windows starts will make µTorrent start when Windows starts up.
  • The Start minimized will make µTorrent start minimized when Windows starts.

Updates and Privacy

  • Automatically install updates will automatically install new versions of µTorrent when they become available. The check for new versions is done on startup and periodically thereafter, waiting 24 hours between each update check (automatic or manual). If unchecked, you will need to update µTorrent manually.
  • Update to beta versions will update µTorrent to beta versions if checked. If unchecked, µTorrent will only upgrade to stable release builds.
  • Notify me before installing updates will ask the user to confirm updates to µTorrent if checked. If unchecked, µTorrent will automatically update.
  • Send detailed info when checking for updates (always anonymous) allows µTorrent to send a randomly generated ID and the µTorrent version and build numbers to the update server during update checks in order to count the number of people there are using µTorrent. Whether or not this option is enabled, all communication with the µTorrent servers are always anonymous.
  • The Use Boss-Key password field allows you to select a keyboard combination that, when pressed, will toggle the visibility of all traces µTorrent on the immediate desktop. The main window and any open dialogs, the taskbar entry, and the system tray icon all disappear when hidden, and appear again when unhidden (by pressing the keyboard combination a second time). To set this field, you must press the keyboard combination you wish to set the boss-key to. To do so, press your choice of modifier keys (any combination of Ctrl, Alt, and Shift) and the key (letters, numbers, function keys, and so on). Make sure the key combination you select is not used by another application, as that can lead to conflicts.
  • The Clear Private Data button clears previously used paths in various locations, such as the Add New Torrent dialog and the Create New Torrent dialog.

When Downloading

  • Append .!ut to incomplete files tells µTorrent to append the .!ut extension to any file in the torrent contents that still hasn't finished downloading. Once a file is completed, the extension gets removed from it. Note that the state of this option takes effect immediately after the preferences are saved, regardless of whether torrent jobs are started, stopped, paused, or queued.
  • Pre-allocate all files tells µTorrent to create and fully allocate every file you select to download immediately after starting the torrent job. Note that this option does not have an impact on hard drive fragmentation (advantageous or otherwise), as µTorrent already allocates each file upon writing to disk even without this option.
  • Prevent standby if there are active torrents is self-explanatory; if there are active torrent jobs, µTorrent will attempt to keep the computer out of automatic standby mode.