How to Fix uTorrent Client Not Downloading Files or Stuck When Connecting to Peers on Windows

Spent hours looking for a torrent file, but uTorrent client refused to download it? Is uTorrent failing to connect to peers when you start the downloading process annoying you? Many factors can contribute to this problem, ranging from the torrent file you are using to issues with the uTorrent client. How can we figure out what the problem is?

In this article, we will explain why uTorrent is not downloading files or having trouble connecting to peers and how to fix it.

Why is uTorrent client not downloading files or stuck when connecting to peers?

uTorrent often fails to download files and gets stuck when connecting to peers due to interference from your antivirus, your ISP blocking torrent downloads, incorrect uTorrent client settings, or the torrent file itself dead. What should you do to fix this problem?

To fix uTorrent not downloading files or stuck on connecting to peers, you can whitelist uTorrent in Windows Firewall or your anti-virus settings, unblock restrictions set by your ISP, troubleshoot issues with trackers, enable a VPN, or change uTorrent client settings. When all else fails, it is always possible to switch to another torrent client.

Below we have explained how to apply the above fixes to fix this uTorrent issue.

First, apply the preliminary checks

First, perform the following preliminary checks to rule out minor issues that may have contributed to the error:

1. Make sure your internet is connected and working properly. Troubleshoot all internet related issues if they exist.
2. Restart your router and perform a speed test to make sure your internet connection is stable.
3. Some VPNs also block peer connection when downloading torrent files, so it’s best to disable your VPN if you have one running on your device.
4. Alternatively, if you’re having this problem when you’re not using a VPN, you can enable one and see if that fixes it.
5. Often the seeds or peers are not immediately available. So, let the download run in the background for a few hours and check if the process starts after some time.

If the above preliminary checks fail to resolve the issue, apply the following fixes.

1. Check for Torrent File Specific Issues

Maybe the problem is not with your uTorrent client but with the torrent file itself, preventing your torrent client from starting the download process. To rule out this possibility, download another torrent file and see if it works this time.

If so, the problem lies with the torrent file. For this reason, you have to look for another torrent file on torrent websites to download your desired content. Once you find the working torrent file, you should be able to download files with uTorrent successfully.

On the other hand, if the problem persists with every torrent file you try to download using uTorrent, this is a more serious issue that needs to be investigated further.

Restart your uTorrent client after making each change explained below; otherwise, they may not take effect.

2. Check for interference from your ISP

Does your internet service provider allow you to download BitTorrent files? Unfortunately, most ISPs don’t. This may also be the case for you, causing the peer’s connection to hang and your download to stop. If you are using an internet connection at school or work, where such downloading is prohibited, you are more likely to experience this.

While switching ISP providers is the best solution, especially if you download torrent files frequently, hiding BitTorrent traffic is a quick fix if you don’t want to go that route. Thanks to uTorrent, you can easily do that with just one click.

Launch the uTorrent client, go to the Choice tab at the top left, then select Preferences.

Then click on the BitTorrent tab in the left sidebar of Preferences the window. Finally, select Strength in the Outgoing drop-down menu in the Protocol encryption section.

Next, enable port forwarding or port mapping to ensure that your network firewall is not interfering with the connection. To do this, go to Link tab in the left panel, and check the box Enable UPnP Port Mapping and Enable NAT-PMP Port Mapping boxes.

3. Exclude interference from your Windows firewall or antivirus

The Windows Defender firewall or antivirus program can also block uTorrent traffic. It is therefore imperative to exclude this possibility. The following fixes will help you do that:

• Add the uTorrent client to the whitelist of your Windows Defender Firewall to prevent it from blocking the connection.
• Temporarily disable your antivirus if you are using one. If you can’t do that, you should at least whitelist the uTorrent client through your antivirus settings.
• Move towards Options > Preferences and select the Link tab in the left panel. On this page, check the box to Add an exception to Windows Firewall.

4. Troubleshoot issues with trackers

There may be an issue with some torrent tracking servers not being able to track available seeds and peers, causing peers to hang on connection. Therefore, you should rule out tracking issues. To do this, select the file blocked from downloading and go to Trackers tongue.

After that, apply the following fixes:

1. If specific trackers are having connection issues, update them so they can find better peers. Simply right click on the tracker that is having issues and select Tracking updates.

2. If a few trackers are still stuck after updating them, right click on them and select Delete tracker from the menu.

3. The next step is to add torrent trackers with high availability in the uTorrent client. So, find and copy torrent trackers from any trusted website (such as FossBytes). Next, right-click on the file blocked while downloading in uTorrent client and select Properties.

   After that, paste the copied list of torrent trackers at the end of the Trackers in the Properties window.

5. Try the network configuration test

If none of the above fixes solve the problem, you should run the uTorrent network configuration test, which will configure the uTorrent client to provide the best performance. In most cases, this increases download speed, but can also fix stuck download issues.

Follow these steps to run the configuration test:

1. Open the uTorrent client.
2. Go to the Choice tab and select Installation guide. (You can also open the setup guide window by pressing CTRL+G)

3. Select the test location closest to you from the drop-down menu next to Bandwidth.
4. Click it Run tests button.

5. Click on save and close once the test is complete.

uTorrent client still stuck on peer connection? Try alternatives

Hopefully applying the above fixes will resolve interrupted download or stuck peers on connection issues on uTorrent. If these fixes don’t work and uTorrent fails to download a particular file, you can switch to another torrent client. You can try qBittorrent, Tixati and Transmission, some of the best alternatives to uTorrent.