uTorrent Pro

About this release

uTorrent has stayed popular for one reason above all others: it is tiny. The client is a few megabytes, starts instantly, and uses a fraction of the memory that heavier alternatives take, which matters on a machine that is going to leave it running for days at a time.

The transfer handling is complete despite the size. Queue management with priorities, per transfer and global bandwidth limits, scheduling by hour so the connection is left alone during working hours, port configuration with automatic mapping, and detailed peer and tracker panes for anyone who wants to see what is actually happening.

The Pro edition removes the advertising panes, adds a built in player so media can be previewed while it is still transferring, includes an integrated file scanner that checks completed transfers, and adds format conversion for playing files on devices that will not take the original.

Remote access lets the client be controlled from a browser elsewhere, so a queue can be started or paused without sitting at the machine. Everything is configurable from a preferences dialogue that has stayed recognisably the same for a decade, which regular users appreciate more than they would a redesign.

What it does

Very small footprint

A few megabytes on disk and low memory use even on long queues.

Bandwidth scheduling

Limit or pause transfers by hour so the connection stays usable.

Queue priorities

Order the queue and set per transfer caps individually.

Built in player

Preview media while a transfer is still running.

File scanning

Completed transfers are checked automatically in the Pro edition.

Remote control

Start and pause the queue from a browser on another machine.

Changed in this version

• Improved peer handling on large swarms.
• Interface scaling corrected on high density displays.
• Faster hash checking on large completed transfers.
• Scheduler reworked with a clearer weekly grid.
• Reduced memory use with very long queues.

System requirements

Install order

1. Unpack the archive.
2. Run the installer and decline any bundled offers on the options screens.
3. Set the download folder and a bandwidth schedule on first run.
4. Configure port forwarding on the router if transfers seem slow to start.

Worth knowing before you start

File details