Torrents won't start

jomama

I got a really agonizing problem here. I use qBittorrent (v4.0.3) as my torrent client and go through PIA proxy server when torrenting, with VPN not running. (In case you're wondering why, it's because I have gigabit internet and running VPN really kills my transfer speeds. I spent a lot of time last year with PIA tech guys trying to fix the problem. In the end, they just threw their hands in the air and said there was nothing they could do about it.)

Anyway, here's the issue: when I add a torrent to qBittorrent, nothing happens--the torrent just sits there with "Downloading metadata" message displayed in the Status column. It doesn't matter if I add the torrent by clicking on a magnet link, or by downloading the torrent file to the desktop first and adding it to qBittorrent from the File menu. It doesn't matter if the client is already up and running, or it's launched by hitting a magnet link. Pausing and Forcing the newly-added torrent doesn't help. It'll sometimes work if I exit the client from the File menu and relaunch it, but most of the time I have to reboot the system.

This is a problem that I didn't have last year, but I have been having this problem for past couple of months. I have done a complete uninstall (settings and all) and reinstalled qBittorrent, but that didn't help. It's to the point where I'm tempted to reinstall the OS (Windows 10 Pro), but I'd really like to avoid that. Besides, I'm not sure that'd help anyway.

So, any help would be appreciated. Thank you!

Omnibus_IV

So what I have read here is that you try using bittorrent w/out PIA but you use PIA Proxy and it does not work.

You did not state the the status of bittorrent being used just as an application. I am sure you tested that but we cannot assume that you did.

So you have three states for testing. One you have already done and reported here, that being Proxy only w/out VPN. So now test the other two states and report back here.

Test 1 - Run VPN and run bittorrent w/out proxy.
Test 2 - Run bittorent in the clear by using one of the test torrents

I would also check your trackers to see if you are actually connecting to the proxy server. If you are not, try changing your login and password by going to the console and requesting new credentials.

Omnibus_IV

Just an FYI. I had to shut down my Comodo firewall to get my bittorrant to work. It protects me in the event that I lose my VPN. If that happens, bittorrent shuts off.

OK, so w/out VPN I was able to run test with the proxy server and no VPN. Of the three test torrents, only one returned an Error 500 or 505, I don't remember, The other 2 returned the proxy IP address. So it does work.

Might be a setting or could be your credentials.

jomama

Hi, Omnibus_IV,

Yes, I'm using bittorrent with the PIA Proxy server, but not running VPN.

I did not understand what you meant by: "You did not state the the status of bittorrent being used just as an application." Perhaps you could clarify at bit.

Yes, I failed to mention it in my original post, but I had already checked the various scenarios and found that the torrent client worked perfectly if VPN was on, regardless of whether I used Proxy or not. In other words, VPN alone works; VPN+Proxy works.

Yes, I checked to see if I was actually connecting to the proxy server and I was. I know this because even when the torrent isn't working, I can run CheckMyTorrentIP torrent file from torguard and it gives me the Proxy IP.

Please let me know what else I could do.

Thank you for your help!

Omnibus_IV

You answered the question of the status. I was looking for how it was being used. If you are seeing the Proxy IP address but cannot download, you should open a support ticket. Not sure what is happening.

jomama

Omnibus_IV said:

You answered the question of the status. I was looking for how it was being used. If you are seeing the Proxy IP address but cannot download, you should open a support ticket. Not sure what is happening.

Thank you, Omnibus_IV, for your help. I'll open a support ticket.