UPDATE: Changed the uTorrent version info – this will only work with version 1.8.5 or lower. Please read post to be aware of vulnerabilities of older versions of uTorrent.
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First of all, let me say that the credit for this goes to Philip Churchill at mswhs.com. He wrote the original article in July, 2007. It has become a little dated since then, but for the most part is still relevant. I’m just changing some things here to make it work for 2009.
The idea of this article is to run uTorrent on an always-on machine in your house. The WHS is typically on 24/7 so you might as well use that. Then you can schedule uTorrent to only soak up your bandwidth in the wee hours of the morning and not have to worry about having multiple computers on all the time. Once we are done here uTorrent will run on your WHS box without having to have a logged-in user. Read on to find out how this works!
Create the New User
First of all we need to create a new user on the server. This is done for security reasons as we do not want to install uTorrent under the default Administrator account. Once this step is completed you may continue with the following.
Install and Configure
Connect via the Remote Desktop Connection as the user you have just created e.g. “WHS” and your newly created password.
Download the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools and install rktools.exe using the default options.
Next install the latest version of µTorrent and install using the default options. Download uTorrent 1.8.5 or lower. This plugin will not work with 2.0 and up. Please be aware that the older versions of uTorrent are subject to a DLL exploit as outlined here (Thanks to Dave for this tip!).
If this is the first time you have installed uTorrent on your server then a dialogue will appear asking if you want to associate .torrent files with µTorrent. Click Yes. If a Windows Security Alert pops up asking if you want to Block or Unblock uTorrent Click Unblock and if the Speed Guide appears set your Connection Type and the Current Port that you would like to use.
You will now need to forward the port you selected above into your router. Details of router setup screens can be found at portforward.com (select your router and then uTorrent)
In uTorrent select Options then Preferences. Make sure your General screen matches this one:
Make sure that your directories screen matches the one below. You can change the location for your Put new downloads in but do NOT use a server share. It has to be under a drive letter on the WHS otherwise the Drive Extender Migrator Service will cause data corruption errors as it tries to move the file onto another drive while uTorrent is in the middle of writing to it, or just before uTorrent tries to open the file to write to it again. The Move completed downloads to can be changed to any server share location. The Automatic load torrents in directory location can be changed to any server share location. This setup enables uTorrent to monitor this specific folder for .torrent files and start downloading them automatically. All you have to do to start a download is place the .torrent file in that folder and uTorrent will do its stuff.
Using the Scheduler tab you can set your downloads to occur during “off-peak” periods by setting up a schedule if you so require.
As below, under Advanced Web UI Enable Web Interface and configure a Username and secure Password of your choice.
Click the OK button and close uTorrent.
Next download the uTorrent add-in for the Windows Home Server Console. Do NOT run it but place it in your Add-Ins Shared Folder (\\SERVER\Software\Add-Ins). Log In to your WHS console and go to Settings, Add-ins the Available tab and then click Install under “Windows Home Server – uTorrent”.
Once the console re-starts log back in to the console and go to Settings, uTorrent and for Server type in http://YourIP:Port/gui/ e.g. http://192.168.1.110:22345/gui/
YourIP is your server name or IP address and Port is the uTorrent Port that you set up earlier.
Next insert your User Name and Password as set up earlier. You can press Test Configuration to check all is OK. Red is not and green is fine. You may now OK out of the Settings and close the Console.
Create the User-Defined Service
From your Windows Home Server (Remote Desktop Connection) click Start then Run and type cmd. In the window that opens type the following which is all on one line, including the quotation marks.
“c:\Program Files\Windows Resource Kits\Tools\instsrv.exe” uTorrent “c:\Program Files\Windows Resource Kits\Tools\srvany.exe”
NOTE: Cut and paste will not work, instead highlight and copy the above line and then right-click in the open CMD window and select paste.
Press Enter on your keyboard. Once the screen displays The service was successfully added! you may close the cmd box.
We need to now create a .Reg file using notepad and paste in the 3 lines of code below.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\uTorrent\Parameters]
“Application”=”C:\\Program Files\\utorrent\\utorrent.exe”
When saving make sure that Save as type is set to All Files *.* and save as service.reg. Double click on this saved file to import the settings into the registry on your server.
Now click the Start button and then select All Programs, Administrative Tools and then Services. Find uTorrent right-click and select Properties.
Select the Log On tab. Click the This account button and enter WHS as the This account and enter the Password you setup earlier for this user account and confirm the Password.
OK out and close the Services dialog.
Click Start, Shut Down then Restart.
That’s it job completed. You can now connect to uTorrent either via the web interface using your browser using the format http://YourIP:Port/gui/ or via the WHS console (uTorrent heading).
All you have to do to start a torrent download automatically is place the .torrent file in the \\SERVER\Public\Torrents folder and forget about it.
Pretty good post. I just came across your blog and wanted to say
that I’ve really enjoyed reading your posts. Anyway
I’ll be subscribing to your blog and I hope you post again soon!
Hello great article. One question. You say “Connect via the Remote Desktop Connection as the user you have just created e.g. “WHS” and your newly created password.” I can only connect via remote desktop as administrator. Should i still install utorrent as administrator over remote desktop?
This: “c:\Program Files\Windows Resource Kits\Tools\instsrv.exe” uTorrent “c:\Program Files\Windows Resource Kits\Tools\srvany.exe”
just don’t work for me. I get the following error: The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.
HELP!
I get a similar issue.. I’ve got the HP WHS and its not too friendly with remote dt log on.
I got it to add the service by going to programs\windows resource kit tools\command shell that then opens the command shell, then from there just paste
instsrv uTorrent “c:\Program Files\utorrent\utorrent.exe”
click enter and it should say it added the service.
For those with problems running the instsrv.exe, it appears that when you copy and paste the command from this site, the quotes are not the correct characters. Delete the existing quotes and replace by typing them with your keyboard.
Thanks Tim for finding the fix to that, not sure why the quotes here are causing that issue.
“Anonymous” – you need to setup a new user for uTorrent by following the instructions here – http://mswhs.com/2007/06/20/create-a-new-user-account-directly-on-the-whs/. I would not recommend installing it using the Admin account.
Please help!!!
I have installed the service + reg , but the service wont start automatically nor manualy(pressing start on the service).
The only way it works, it when i login and start utorrent manually.
What am i doing wrong?
Thanks,
Jordan
I’m having the same problem as Jordan. uTorrent won’t startup with the system. I have to manually log onto the server and start it up manually.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
mb
Jigawatts, I have removed the service, and used AnyServiceInstaller to re-create it.
AnyServiceInstaller:
http://forum.wegotserved.com/index.php?showtopic=8566
Now the service starts, but I see and empty uTorrent tab.
so…
For those having issues with it not working I noticed the reg key even though it said it imported the data correctly it did not. So I opened regedit and browsed down to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\uTorrent\Parameters
I then added a string value named: Application
And made its value: c:\program files\utorrent\utorrent.exe
When I rebooted everything worked as it should
Hope this helps.
Thanks a lot skippy911!
You saved my day
Has anyone run into issues with 64-bit systems (like HP EX495)?
From MSFT website:
“Note: The Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools are not supported on 64-bit platforms.”
Any thoughts on what this may do if I follow the Wiki and install uTorrent as a Service using WHS 2003 Resource Kit Tools?
Thanks
EX495 is not 64bit. WHS is currently 32bit only.
Hello,
I think I have it working as per the instructions, thank you very much! However, I am used to having my tv shows downloaded via the RSS downloader in utorrent – and even though I have set the RSS feeds up correctly (they work if I run uTorrent), RSS feeds don’t seem to work when running utorrent as a service. Has anyone else run into this problem or can someone point me into the right direction?
Also, the other problem would be that rss downloads only get put in the standard download folder, from which I can’t access via the clients. Is there a way to have those files moved to the shared folders once they are done, just like with “regular” downloads?
I haven’t got enough space on my C drive for new downloads. Am i ok created a folder in the root of D for new downloads or does the WHS file replication work on the root of D or just the shares or folders or DE folders?
Yes, i am interesting too. How will be , if put new downloads to to root folder on Drive D ?
Is it possible ?
http://mswhs.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/downloads.png
it should be ok to save to D:\\ as long as it isn’t within the \shares folder. I have not tried this to confirm, but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work.
Be sure to leave a comment with your results!!
My web UI works fine and I can get to it via any browser, but WHY does the test line always turn red for the add-in? please help chriswy27@aol.com
i am getting the same as Chris. i can access the WebGUI from any browser just fine…. but the addin settings always show red and i can’t see anything in the Utorrent window on my WHS console. any ideas???
my email address is mmenzie@gmail.com if someone can help
I have problems getting the addin to connect. Webui works fine.
Here is my post at mediasmarthome forum http://www.mediasmarthome.com/forum/thread/15187/uTorrent-add-in-won-t-connect/
I learned that it is easier to get utorrent installed as a service using the tool anyserviceinstaller as noted by Jordan above http://forum.wegotserved.com/index.php?showtopic=8566 I just found out that if you put the anyserviceinstaller.exe into the /server/software folder and tried to run it, nothings happens. You need to drop it into lets say D:/ and run it.
guys, do I really need to manually forward ports? I’ve been using bit torrent casually for years (Azureus and now Utorrent) and have never run into any problems; i think those clients automatically map the ports for me. Well-seeded torrents always cap out at my internet connection speed ( FIOS) limit of 3 MB per second. Doesn’t get any better than that. Is there something inherent to this WHS torrent service that requires that I manually forward ports? Or will it just make MORE torrents faster on average?
http://www.utorrent.com/documentation/connection-setup
So on the above webpage, it says:
“Using UPnP or NAT-PMP
Newer router models often have the UPnP (Universal Plug ‘n Play) or NAT-PMP built in. This allows for automatic forwarding of ports, making the rest of the instructions on this page unnecessary. UPnP is turned on by default in µTorrent and in most routers, but if not, you may need to check your router’s documentation for instructions on how to enable it.”
They seem to imply here that you don’t need to manually forward ports if your router has UPnP and NAT-PMP. Mine clearly does, so I’m good right? Wrong?
Brian, as long as the version of uTorrent you are using on your WHS box supports UPnP port mapping you shouldn’t need to manually forward the ports as uTorrent will do it for you on the router. However, you might have an issue with the WHS / Server 2k3 firewall blocking the port if you select it to be randomly generated when uTorrent starts. I would set a static port and forward it both on the firewall and router to be safe.
As for people who are experiencing issues with the plugin, it was written in 2007 and many versions of uTorrent ago – even before the WebUI was an integrated part of the application. I suspect that as uTorrent has recently had some major revisions that parts of the WHS plugin might not be working correctly. I no longer use this plugin as it has not kept up with the uTorrent feature set.
Scott, thanks for the reply. Yea, I gave it a try yesterday (the plugin) and it was a no go. Any other current recommendations for integrating a bit torrent client into WHS? Any new plugins or anything like that? What do you use? You didn’t “evolve” to newsgroups did you?
As far as I know there have been no updates made to the WHS BitTorrent plugin nor have any new ones been written.
My WHS had a hardware failure so I’m running a vanilla install right now, no interesting plugins running yet. Plugins seem kind of stale right now, I think everyone is waiting for Vail to hit the shelves (I know I am!).
As for BT I use uTorrent on my desktop computer to take advantage of the new features of the full client. I have my desktop set to hibernate automatically and uTorrent set to keep it alive until it completes the transfer queue. I hope that when Vail cones out there will be a new, full featured uTorrent plugin developed.
If anyone hears anything let me know and I’ll keep everyone here posted.
great job thx for the tutorial
I just happened along this article and decided to give it a go. Even though you dont use it, it could stand to be updated (the steps). Fix the registry, quotes on cmd issue. There’s also the thing with the password test in the WebUI. I must have spent 30 minutes checking and rechecking and changind my UIpw. Anyhoo, finally got it working, sort of. Not sure if the service is running as I logged in and double clicked the desktop icon, but I do know the torrents finally loaded and the speeds are phenomenal! Wow. I have the exact same setup on my desktop, three feet from the server and I never get speeds anywhere close to this. I’m averaging 800kb/s as opposed to 100 on a good day! It’s worth something.
Scott, if you could, please elaborate on what features are not updated. I realize the article was 2007/9 but with the speeds I am getting, I think it works awesome! Thanks to everybody that posted here with the comments and fix(es). Also, thanks to Philip C.
For those having problems making the WHS uTorrent Add-In work with uTorrent, use 1.8.3. *HOWEVER* you will make yourself vulnerable to the DLL load hijacking exploit discovered in August 2010. uTorrent fixed this exploit with a build of 2.0.4.
http://forum.utorrent.com/viewtopic.php?id=82840
http://news.techworld.com/security/3236876/microsoft-unpatched-dll-load-hijacking-exploit-is-in-wild/?olo=rss
Seems capitalization is also important — for me, the regedit file needed to show as uTorrent, not utorrent (capital “T”). This reflects the exact syntax per the install in the program files directory for uTorrent.
I messed around for quite a bit — I think this was the fix.