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|style="width:56%; color:#000"| <!-------------"Welcome to BakaBT"---------->
 
-----------"Welcome to BoxTorrents"---------->
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<div style="font-size:162%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#fff;">Frequently Asked Questions</div>
<div style="font-size:162%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#fff;">Questions We Don’t Like Answering Over and Over Again</div>
<div style="font-size:90%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#c06c8d;">'''In here, you might just find the answers you're looking for!''' </div>
<div style="font-size:90%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#c06c8d;">'''In here, you might just find the answers you're looking for!''' </div>
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== Site content information ==
If you are new to Bittorrent and/or the anime fansub scene, you should take a look at the [[For First Timers|Beginner's FAQ]] as well.
 


===What makes BoxTorrents different?===


There are many anime torrent sites but BoxTorrents is unique in the quality of our content. Our goal is to provide only torrents for completed anime or anime-related material and we pick only the best versions. Not everyone may submit new torrents; only Power Users, users who seem to have at least some experience with our site, and other appointed users. All submissions are thoroughly checked before they are added to our ever growing list of series; by ''ever growing'', we really mean ever growing in the sense that even old torrents are still seeded. In short: 'quality over quantity' and 'ease of use'. Do keep in mind that BoxTorrents exists because of its users; old content is still available because of many dedicated seeders, so sharing is a must.


This is a public tracker, but we do prefer users to register before using the site. Before you do anything here at BoxTorrents, we suggest you read the rules! There are only a few rules to abide by and most are common sense.


If you see anything in here that is out of date or incorrect, or you'd like to add something, please contact [http://www.boxtorrents.com/userdetails.php?id=260057 psyren].
= Site information and Basic Help =




=== What is this BitTorrent all about anyway? How do I get the files? ===


Check out [http://www.btfaq.com Brian's Bittorrent FAQ and Guide].
==What makes BakaBT different?==
There are many anime torrent sites but BakaBT is unique in the quality of our content. Our goal is to provide torrents [[Site Rules#Torrent Content Upload Guidelines|only for completed anime or anime-related material]] and [[How_to_make_an_offer#Is_your_offer_the_highest-quality_offer_around.3F|we pick only the best versions]]. We do not accept public submissions; only [[FAQ#User Classes|Power Users and Power Uploaders]] may do so.


All [[FAQ#Torrent Offer System|submissions are thoroughly checked]] before they are added to our [http://bakabt.me/browse.php ever-growing list of series]; by ''ever-growing'', we really mean ever-growing in the sense that even old torrents are still seeded. Our mantra in short: '''quality over quantity''', and '''ease-of-use'''.


=== How do I watch the files I download? ===
Do keep in mind that BakaBT exists because of its users; old content is still available because of the many dedicated seeders who provide you with good download speeds, so [[Rules#Tracker Guidelines|returning the favour]] is a must.


Visit [http://www.cccp-project.net/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page this page] and have a look around.
Before you do anything here at BakaBT, we suggest you read the [[Rules]]! There are only a few rules to abide by and most are common sense.
The CCCP (Combined Community Codec Pack) is the simplest codec pack available on the internet, and the simplest codec pack to set up. Out of the box, it is practically guaranteed to play anything that you throw at it (from our site, of course).
If you have any problems, please look [http://forums.boxtorrents.com/index.php?board=27.0 here] for possible solutions. If you can't find one, you may either post in the forums asking for help or use the [http://www.boxtorrents.com/help.php Help Form].


==How do I...==


=== Where can I learn more about codecs/anime/manga/Japanese culture? ===
====Bookmark a torrent or remove a bookmarked torrent?====
Click on the star icon labelled 'Bookmark' next to the torrent title at the top of every torrent page. If the star icon appears grey, the torrent is not bookmarked; If it is yellow, the torrent is bookmarked.


[http://www.google.com Google] and [http://en.wikipedia.org Wikipedia] are your friends.<br/>
On your userpage, the torrents you have bookmarked will show up under the 'Bookmarked' tab (below your 'Uploaded' tab).
For specific information on Japanese animations, there are 3 main resources: [http://anidb.net AniDB], [http://www.animenewsnetwork.com AnimeNewsNetwork (ANN)], and [http://www.animenfo.com AnimeNFO]. Each site offers unique information on any given title.<br/>
For specific information on manga, there's [http://www.mangaupdates.com MangaUpdates] and [http://www.animenewsnetwork.com AnimeNewsNetwork (ANN)].


====Add a torrent to my wishlist?====
Click on the scroll icon labelled 'Wishlist' next to the torrent title. If the scroll icon appears grey, the torrent is not in your wishlist; If the scroll appears blue, the torrent is in your wishlist.


=== How do I favourite/bookmark a torrent? ===
On your userpage, the torrents you have put in your wishlist will show up under the 'Wishlist' tab (below your 'Bookmarked' tab).


Click on the yellow star next to the torrent title at the top of every torrent page. On your userpage, you will see the torrents you have bookmarked show up under the appropriate tab (next to your 'Currently Seeding' and 'Currently Leeching' tabs.
====Get notified on torrent swaps and new comments for a torrent?====
Click on the bell icon labelled 'Notify me' next to the torrent title. If the bell icon appears grey, the torrent is not in your notify list; If the bell appears golden, the torrent is in your notify list.


On your userpage, the torrents you have put in your notify list will show up under the 'Notify' tab (below your 'Wishlist' tab).


=== What does the Report function do? ===
====Report problems that I noticed?====
A report is a system message that informs staff members of issues that need attention. Staff members will deal with these issues as they see fit. Only Power users can use the report feature on the tracker.


The report function brings a torrent or a comment to moderators' attention. Use this function if a torrent does not comply with site rules (e.g., if it is blacklisted material), has corrupted files, has a broken link (i.e., you cannot download the .torrent file altogether), or has been superseded by another torrent (please link us to the newer torrent in that case). Reporting a torrent for any other reason than those just listed '''will''' incur warnings, and bans will be issued if abuse continues. The button to report a torrent can be found next to the title of torrents at the top of torrent pages, beside the bookmark button.


Report comments if they are abusive or simply spam (such as 'seed this' or 'approve this'). The report button for comments is on the right side of comment headers, next to the 'Quote' button.


::''<span style="font-size:116%;;">Reporting Torrents</span>''
::
::<p>The report function brings a torrent or a comment to moderators' attention. Use this function if:
::# A torrent does not comply with [[Site Rules|site rules]] (e.g., if it is [[Blacklist|blacklisted material]])
::# It has corrupted files
::# The link is broken (i.e., you are unable to download the .torrent file)
::# Image links are broken (PM the uploader first; if you get no reply after a week then report it). Please note that a single broken image is not grounds for reporting, if all other images conform to the rules. Report if images are of wrong resolution, don't have subtitles or are in the wrong format.
::# A better version of the torrent exists (Note that we do allow XViD releases. TV fansubs are allowed alongside DVD rips with only R1 subtitles). Please link us to the newer torrent in that case.
::# Other torrent-related problems (e.g. groupings not set or incorrectly set)
::# Reporting a torrent for unrelated reasons will incur warnings; and bans will be issued if abuse continues. In other words, don't report a torrent just because you don't like the user, or because you are having trouble getting a good download speed on it.
::
::To report a torrent, click on the exclamation mark icon labelled 'Report' next to the torrent title. If the exclamation mark icon appears grey, the torrent has not been reported; If the exclamation mark appears red, the torrent has been reported (by you or someone else).</p>


== Account information ==
=== How many accounts am I allowed to have? ===


One. Ever. You are only allowed a single account in your lifetime. What would you do with more than one account anyway?
 
Users who are found with more than one account will have the newest ones removed and warnings issued. Repeated attempts to create new accounts will result in permanent bans of all accounts from our site.
::''<span style="font-size:116%;">Reporting Comments</span>''
::
::<p>Report comments if:
::# They are abusive or contribute to flaming.
::# They constitute useless spam (such as 'seed this' or 'approve this').
::# They contain unhidden spoilers for the anime.
::# They flout any of the [[Rules#Tracker Guidelines|tracker guidelines]].
::
::To report a comment, click on the exclamation mark icon labelled 'Report' next to the 'Quote' button in the upper-right corner of the comment box. If the icon is labelled 'REPORTED' in capital letters, the comment has been reported to site staff and will be dealt with soon.</p>
 
 
 
::''<span style="font-size:116%;">Reporting Forum Posts</span>''
::
::<p>Report forum posts if:
::# They are abusive or contribute to flaming.
::# They contain unhidden spoilers for the anime.
::# They flout any of the [[Rules#Forum Guidelines|forum guidelines]].
::
::The report link for forum posts is at the bottom-right corner of each forum post.</p>
 




=== I registered an account but did not receive the confirmation e-mail! ===
::''<span style="font-size:116%;">Reporting Stat-Hackers</span>''
::
::<p>If you find people with downright impossible torrent statistics, post a link to their userpage in [http://forums.bakabt.me/index.php?topic=10172.0 this forum thread] and include a reason for suspicion.</p>


Mail can sometimes take up to half a day to be sent out by our server. Please be patient.
Note though that if you didn't receive the email the first time it will probably not succeed the second time either so you should really try another email address.




=== I've lost my user name or password! Can you send it to me? ===
::''<span style="font-size:116%;">Reporting Site Errors</span>''
::
::<p>Errors you get with site behaviour (especially if you get error messages) can be reported in the [http://forums.bakabt.me/index.php?topic=14438.0 Site Errors forum thread]. Read the first post and do a quick search before reporting; someone might have reported the problem already.</p>


Please use [http://www.boxtorrents.com/recover.php this form] to have the login details mailed back to you.




=== Can you change my username or rename my account? ===
::''<span style="font-size:116%;">Other Reports</span>''


Users can rename their account on the tracker by using [http://www.boxtorrents.com/changename.php this form]. Please note that the user is required to be a power user with report privileges. You cannot use existing account names, so check before renaming.
::<p>Reports regarding other things (that do not have a proper reporting channel) may be reported using the [http://bakabt.me/help.php help form]. '''Do not abuse this feature'''.</p>


=== Will my account still exist if I don't use it for a while? ===
==Why is some content on the blacklist?==
The [[Blacklist#Torrent Content Upload Guidelines]] are self-explanatory. We are quite specific about the kind of animation we archive, and also require that they meet certain quality standards.


Used accounts are pruned after 6 months. Unused accounts are pruned sooner (0 download, 0 upload).
Stuff on the [[Blacklist#Material not allowed on BakaBT|blacklist]] is there because it is liable to get BakaBT into *trouble*.


==What information about me does BakaBT store? Is it secure?==


=== My account is gone! Can you recover it? ===
We store your account information used for registration. your email is hidden from other users, and only shown to site staff.


Unfortunately, we can't do anything about pruned accounts. If you were able to create a new account under the same name and/or e-mail address, it is proof that your old account is permanently gone.
The amount of upload and download you get on each torrent, as well as your total upload and download, is stored permanently by the server until your account is deleted. These upload and download statistics will always be shown wherever relevant. Torrent stats will be shown in peerlists (if you appear in them), and in your userpage under the relevant columns (if you chose not to hide them).


Information about torrents that you are leeching and/or seeding, as well as torrents you have leeched and/or seeded, are stored on the server. If you have enabled privacy settings, only information for the past 30 days will be kept. If privacy settings are disabled, all prior information is stored on the server.


=== I don't want my account anymore. Can you delete it? ===
=Account information=


Leave your account alone and it will be pruned after 6 months (See: "[[FAQ#Will my account still exist if I don't use it for a while?|Will my account still exist if I don't use it for a while?]]").
====How many accounts am I allowed to have?====


=== Why is my IP displayed on my details page? ===
One. Ever. You are only allowed a single account in your lifetime. What would you do with more than one account anyway?
Users who are found with more than one account will have the newest ones disabled and warnings issued. Repeated attempts to create new accounts will result in permanent bans of all accounts from our site.


Only you and the site moderators can view your IP address and email. Other users do not see that information.
====Can my friends and family use their account on the same computer?====


=== Help! I cannot login!? (a.k.a. Login of Death) ===
This is highly discouraged, as the system will identify both of you as [[Account Restrictions#Why was my account disabled?|multi-account]] users.


This problem sometimes occurs with MSIE. Close all Internet Explorer windows and open Internet Options in the control panel. Click the Delete Cookies button. You should now be able to login.
====What do you do about stat-hackers?====
Another solution is to visit http://www.boxtorrents.com/my.php


=== What are the different user classes? ===
Permanent ban, no appeal. See [[For First Timers#Why Stat-Hacking on BakaBT is a Losing Proposition|Why Stat-Hacking on BakaBT is a Losing Proposition]] for more information.
{| cellpadding="5" border="1"
|-
!'''Class'''
!'''Description'''
|-
| '''User'''
| Normal user, can choose to view hentai.
|-  
| '''Power User'''
| Higher user, can view peer lists and report bad torrents or comments. Can make torrent offers. Has access to RSS feed.
|-
| '''Uploader'''
| Deprecated and merged with the Power User class.
|-
| '''Power Uploader'''
| These people can upload directly to the torrent pool without requiring moderator approval. These people are appointed by staff if deemed a trustworthy member of the Box community.
|-
| '''Moderator/Admins'''
| Appointed by Admins. Don't ask about becoming one.
|-
|}


=== How do I become a Power User? ===


Seed at least 25GB and have a ratio equal to or greater than 1.


=== I just qualified as a Power User, but my status hasn't updated? ===
==Registration and Login==


User status updates every day. Give it 24-48 hours and drop any of the staff a PM if it still does not update.
====I registered an account but did not receive the confirmation e-mail!====


Mail can sometimes take up to half a day to be sent out by our server. Please be patient.<br />
Remember to check your '''spam/trash/etc.''' folder in case our confirmation mail doesn't appear in your Inbox.<br />
If the mail is nowhere to be found, drop by [irc://irc.rizon.net/bakabt-support #bakabt-support] on [[IRC]] to ask for further assistance.


=== I am warned, what do I do? ===
Alternatively, try another email address ([http://www.gmail.com GMail] accounts tend to see the most success so far).<br />
Accounts registered using 'disposable' email accounts will be rejected by the server, so do not use those. Get a proper email account.


'''What is a warning?'''
If you registered for an account and got the confirmation email, but decided you don't like the username you picked, leave the email alone (do not click the confirmation link). Unconfirmed accounts are removed after 3 days so you can try again with a different username.
* A warning means that your account currently has reduced rights; namely, the tracker will allow you to upload but not download. If you are warned it means you went below the cutoff ratio or otherwise broke a rule on the site. The warning is there to protect other users and ensure that users seed what they download, do keep in mind that BoxTorrents only works because many users put in some effort and bandwidth to keep our torrents healthy.


'''Why was I warned?'''
====Help! I cannot login!? (a.k.a. Login of Death)====
* The warning may be set automatically if your ratio drops below a certain point or it may be set by a moderator if you broke a rule. In the second case, warnings will be longer depending on the severity of your offence that garnered the warning.


'''OK, so now what?'''
'''See:''' [[Troubleshooting#I Can't log in|Troubleshooting: Login Issues]]
* While you are warned you may not download; you are only allowed to seed. When you are warned an ''evaluation'' time is scheduled (usually 1 week ahead). Your ratio is reviewed on evaluation day, and if your ratio exceeds the warning cutoff ratio the warning will be lifted. If your ratio is not high enough a new evaluation time will be scheduled.


'''So, what minimum ratio should I maintain to avoid being warned/get out of a warning?'''
Another solution is to visit your [http://bakabt.me/settings.php settings page].
* We do not disclose minimum ratios because this figure is subject to change. The only sure ratio to avoid getting warned is a ratio more than 1.


If you got warned because of a bad ratio (or if you you think you got warned because of a bad ratio) - the only way to get rid of the warning is by increasing your upload. The most obvious way is by seeding, but you may also use the bonus system (see: [[FAQ#What are bonus torrents?|What are bonus torrents?]]). A third option is donating; the why and how is explained on the [http://www.boxtorrents.com/donate.php donation] page.
====I've lost my user name or password! Can you send it to me?====


Use [http://bakabt.me/recover.php this form] to have the login details mailed back to you (Or click "Lost Password?" beside the login field).


=== "I got warned but my hard drive crashed/I got a virus/computer got thrown out of window/Dog ate my homework/[Insert other reason] and I lost all my files and I can't seed and Q_Q unwarn please" ===
====Can you change my username or rename my account?====


You got yourself into that situation, you'll have to [[For First Timers|fix it yourself]].
Users can request their '''tracker account''' renamed in our support channel [irc://irc.rizon.net/bakabt-support #bakabt-support] only once. You are required to state a valid reason for your request, otherwise it will be rejected. Using your real name in your nick is a valid reason; getting tired of your old name is not.


'''Forum usernames''' are not renamed.


=== Forum registration is closed, what do I do? ===
Note that if your tracker account is renamed, members might have trouble identifying you later (different tracker account name & forum username).
* Your main site account and forum account are linked. However, your forum account needs to be activated via your main site account. To do this, go to your profile editing page and scroll down to the checkbox that says "'''Enable Forum Account'''". Check the box and click "'''Submit Changes'''". Your forum account will then be active.


=== I got banned, what do I do? ===
Also the users cannot request existing account names so please check availability before asking.
See: [[Bans|Bans]]


== Statistics and Tracker Issues ==
====Forum registration is closed, what do I do?====
===Common Torrent Error Messages===
Your main site account and forum account are linked. However, your forum account needs to be activated via your main site account. To do this, go to your [http://bakabt.me/settings.php settings] page and scroll down to the checkbox that says "'''Enable Forum Account'''". Check the box, enter your password in the "Change password field" twice and click "'''Submit Changes'''". Your forum account will then be active.
==== Failure: access denied, leeching forbidden, you are only allowed to seed ====
<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Cause</span>: Your ratio is too low.


<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Solution</span>: Seed more and improve your ratio.
=====How do I verify if my forum account is active?=====
There are 2 ways to verify if you've successfully activated your forum account:
* After you've enabled the account and saved the changes, the checkbox next to the '''"Enable Forum Account"''' field will remain checked and greyed out, followed with "Forum account enabled".
* Alternatively you can double-check by clicking the Forum account link from your profile page. If you've activated it successfully you'll see your Forum Profile page, otherwise you'll encounter the following error: "The user whose profile you are trying to view does not exist."


=====I've confirmed I've activated my account, but every time I try to log in I get the "Wrong Password"=====
If you are certain you've followed all the steps correctly and have not simply mistyped your password, please use the [http://bakabt.me/help.php Help Form] to explain your issue and we'll provide you with assistance as soon as possible.


==== "Failure: unregistered torrent pass" ====
==Account Pruning and Deletion==


<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Cause</span>: The tracker can not find a user associated with the torrent pass you're sending it in your announce URL.
====Will my account still exist if I don't use it for a while?====


<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Solution</span>: Log in to your Boxtorrents account and re-download the torrent from the site.
Accounts are pruned after 11 months of disuse (i.e. not logging into the '''tracker account'''). Accounts with 0 download and 0 upload are pruned earlier. (See also: "[[Account_Restrictions#Forum_Bans|Forum Account]]").


Donator accounts (people who've donated to BakaBT and received a donator status) have the option of disabling inactivity pruning, and safeguarding their account for as long as they choose.<br />The option is disabled by default, and can be found in your settings page.


==== "Failure: unregistered torrent" ====
====My account is gone! Can you recover it?====


<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Cause #1</span>: The torrent you downloaded is not/no longer tracked by our tracker.


<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Solution</span>: Check if the torrent has been swapped or replaced. We occasionally prune old obsolete torrents or material that has become blacklisted.
{{:pruned}}


<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Cause #2</span>: The torrent was downloaded from another source and is using an invalid torrent key.
====New account creation====


<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Solution</span>: Download the torrent from Boxtorrents when logged in.
Normal registration is not available at this time. We're moving to an invite based system and are conducting interviews to hand out invites at the moment. (See also: "[https://wiki.bakabt.me/index.php/Sign_up#Getting_invited Sign up]").


====I don't want my account anymore. Can you delete it?====


If you have checked and verified that it is neither of these causes, then it may be a database error. Report the torrent (click on the exclamation mark beside the torrent title) and let us know. Note that you need to be logged in to your Boxtorrents account in order to make reports.
Leave your account alone and it will be pruned after 11 months (See: "[[FAQ#Will my account still exist if I don't use it for a while?|Will my account still exist if I don't use it for a while?]]").


==User Classes==


==== "Failure: access denied, torrents limit reached" ====
====What are the different user classes?====


<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Cause</span>: You are downloading too many torrents.
{| cellpadding="5" border="1"
|-
!'''Class'''
!'''Description'''
|-
| '''User'''
| Normal user, can choose to view hentai, can adopt torrents, can register in our forum. Cannot make torrent offers.
|-  
| '''Power User'''
| Higher user, can view peer lists and report bad torrents or comments. Has access to RSS feed. Can make torrent offers. Maximum 5 offer slots available to a power user at any given moment in time.
|-
| '''Uploader'''
| Deprecated and merged with the Power User class.
|-
| '''Power Uploader'''
| These people can upload directly to the torrent pool without requiring moderator approval. These people are appointed by staff if deemed a trustworthy member of the BakaBT community. Don't ask about becoming one.
|-
| '''Moderator/Admins'''
| Appointed by Admins. Don't ask about becoming one.
|-
|}


<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Solution</span>: Users are allowed to download 3 torrents at a time. Power Users are allowed to download 10 torrents at a time. You are allowed to seed an unlimited number of torrents, regardless of your class. Check your userpage to see which torrents you are already downloading.
====How do I become a Power User?====
<br><br><br>
Both seed '''and''' leech at least 25GB and have a ratio equal to or greater than 0.5 to maintain it.


=== I am seeing torrents on my userpage that I never downloaded / Someone has hijacked my account. ===
====I just qualified as a Power User, but my status hasn't updated?====


<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Cause #1</span>: Torrents sometimes get 'stuck' on the userpage and take awhile to update.  
User status updates every day. Give it 24-48 hours and [http://bakabt.me/help.php use the help form] if it still does not update.


<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Solution</span>: They should disapper after a couple of hours at most, if you are now longer downloading/seeding that torrent. Check back again in a couple of hours.


<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Cause #2</span>: Your passkey's secrecy has been compromised.


<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Solution</span>: See the entry below.
==Warnings and Bans==


=== People are using my torrent key / I accidentally posted my torrent key ===
===I got a warning/was suspended/might be banned, what do I do?===
See: "[[Account Restrictions|Warnings, Suspensions and Bans]]"


<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Cause</span>: Your torrent key identifies you as a user; never give it to anyone. Staff will never ask for you torrent key.


<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Solution</span>: Go to your Profile and generate a new key, all your old torrents will become invalid immediately so you will have to re-download your torrents. Wait about 10-20 minutes to be sure the tracker has recorded your key change before resuming your torrenting.
::'''I got warned but my hard drive crashed/ I got a virus/ Computer got thrown out of window/ Dog ate my homework/ Nobody really likes to leech my hentai/ etc so I lost all my files so I can't seed. Please unwarn me so I can download something to seed...'''
::
::If you racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt on a credit card and then suddenly lost your main source of income, do you think the credit card company is going to let you off with a debt writeoff (or even reactivate your card for more spending)?
::
::You got yourself into that situation, you'll have to [[For First Timers#Fixing Your Ratio|pull yourself out of it]].




=== I accidentally posted a link to download.php and I'm being charged for the downloads ===
::'''But I've turned over a new leaf, and I am now a dedicated seeder who will keep his/her torrents running 24/7. Please unwarn me.'''
::
::If you have indeed turned over a new leaf, prove it by fixing your ratio. We've [[For First Timers#Fixing Your Ratio|outlined a few ways for you to do so]].


<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Cause</span>: When you are logged in the download.php links are for your user, if you post them people will get your torrent and your key. If you are logged out the links are anonymous, posting them elsewhere will not work as they are only valid for 24 hours. Generating a new key does not solve this problem.
==Privacy==


<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Solution</span>: Wait 24 hours for the download link to become invalid (download links are only valid for 24 hours) or remove the download link from where you posted it. If no more new people are given your key you can generate a new key to get rid of the 'leechers'.
====Why is my IP displayed on my details page?====


Only you and the site staff can view your IP address and email. Other users cannot see that information.


=== I'm uploading or downloading some torrents but I don't see them on my userpage. ===
====How do I hide torrents on my userpage?====


<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Cause</span>: You downloaded a public torrent.
You can edit statistics display level through the [http://bakabt.me/settings.php settings page], in the '''User page''' tab.


<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Solution</span>: Log in and re-download the torrent.
====Does BakaBT store information on the things I download?====


Yes. This is a statistics-tracking site after all, so we store as much information as is needed to implement the features you find on this site. You can [[FAQ#How do I hide torrents on my userpage?|hide your torrent statistics]], but no requests for deletion of data from our database will be entertained.


=== What are bonus torrents? ===


Bonus torrents are torrents with few seeders or few leechers, the idea of the bonus system is to keep older torrents alive. Bonus torrents are marked with an icon that looks like a yellow ball with a red "'''B'''" inside.  When you seed a bonus torrent (and have 100%) you will earn 1 bonus point per hour per bonus torrent. Bonus points can be exchanged for upload credit on the [http://www.boxtorrents.com/bonus.php bonus] page (this means you can add an amount onto your 'uploaded' stat on your user page).


=== How is my traffic tracked? ===


BoxTorrents uses a passkey system to identify each user. Your passkey can be found on your [http://www.boxtorrents.com/my.php profile page]. When you announce, your passkey is used to identify you and to (very accurately) track your upload and download traffic, regardless of any IP changes. The passkey is automatically added to the announce URL of every torrent you download whilst logged in. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">'''YOU MUST NEVER, EVER GIVE OUT YOUR PASSKEY TO ANY OTHER PERSON.'''</span> Doing so will allow people to generate torrent traffic under your account. We will not be held responsible for any adverse effects this may have.


= Torrent and Tracker Issues =


=== My stats are not updating. What can I do? ===


Check that the torrent pass in your client's tracker announce URL matches the one shown on your [http://www.boxtorrents.com/my.php profile page]. If it doesn't (or if it does, but you're still having problems), then:Remove the torrent entries from your torrent client. Re-download the .torrent files and open them in your client. Force a hash recheck and resume activity.If that doesn't help, go to your [http://www.boxtorrents.com/my.php profile page] and regenerate your torrent pass. Wait about 10-20 minutes to be sure the tracker has recorded your key change, then repeat the above step.Use only official non-beta clients.


==Common Torrent Error Messages==


=== Best practices ===
{|cellspacing="20"
|-valign="top" style="font-size:12pt;"
!width=50%|<span style="font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">"Finding peers"</span><br />
!width=50%|"Failure: unregistered torrent pass"


If a torrent you are currently leeching or seeding is not listed on your userpage, stop the torrent and resume it again. (also see: I'm uploading or downloading some torrents but I don't see them on my userpage)Make sure you exit your client properly, so that the tracker receives the required information.If the tracker is down, do not stop seeding. Your traffic may not be tracked during downtime but as soon as the tracker is working again then your traffic will be tracked again.
|-valign="top"
|width="50%"|
'''Cause:'''<br>
You are '''not''' even looking in the right place to find what the error actually is.


''Solution:''<br>
Find the trackers tab in your client, and see what status message is displayed next to the tracker url. Now you can troubleshoot further by referring to torrent error messages.


=== What BitTorrent clients can I use? ===
|width="50%"|
'''Cause #1:'''<br>
The tracker can not find a user associated with the [[FAQ#How is my traffic tracked?|torrent pass]] you're sending it in your announce URL.


''See [[BT_Clients]] for more information on what BitTorrent clients you can use.''
''Solution:''<br>
Log in to your BakaBT account and re-download the torrent from the site.


There is currently no restriction on which clients you may use, but this will most likely change in the future. The tracker updates your stats correctly for most Bittorrent clients. However, we still recommend that you use the following clients:
* '''uTorrent''' [http://www.utorrent.com/ website]
* '''Azureus''' (aka Vuze) [http://http://azureus.sourceforge.net/ website]


For any client, we urge you to keep it up to date, most clients have had some problems with earlier versions.
'''Cause #2:'''<br>
The torrent is using an expired public key. Note: Public key is only valid until the end of the month.


Also, clients in alpha or beta version should be avoided.
''Solution:''<br>
Re-download the torrent file from the site.


We neither recommend nor will we provide support for:
|-valign="top" style="font-size:12pt;"
- BitComet
!width=50%|<span style="font-size:12pt;">"Failure: unregistered torrent"</span><br />
- BitLord (modified BitComet with spyware added)
!width=50%|<span style="font-size:12pt;">"No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it"</span><br />
- Shareaza


|-valign="top"
|width="50%"|
'''Cause:'''<br>
The torrent you downloaded is not/no longer tracked by our tracker.


=== Why is a torrent I'm leeching/seeding listed several times in my profile? ===
''Solution:''<br>
Check if the torrent has been swapped, replaced or removed. We occasionally prune old obsolete torrents or material that have become [[Blacklist|blacklisted]].


If for some reason (e.g. PC crash or frozen client) your client exits improperly and you restart it, it will have a new peer_id, so it will show as a new torrent. The old one will never have had its finished information sent and will be listed until the peer information times out. Just ignore it, it will eventually go away.
If you have checked and verified that it is neither of these causes, then it may be a database error. [[FAQ#Report_problems_that_I_noticed.3F|Report]] the torrent (click on the exclamation mark beside the torrent title) and let us know. Note that you need to be logged in to your BakaBT account in order to make reports.
<br>
<br>
'''Note:''' This message also is present on new offers, since the torrent needs to be approved first in order to be registered with the tracker.


|width="50%"|
'''Cause:'''<br>
The tracker is down


=== I've finished or cancelled a torrent. Why is it still listed in my profile? ===
''Solution:''<br>
Check if the tracker is momentarily offline, you can see the tracker status in the topic title on [http://bakabt.me/webirc.php #BakaBT] channel. If it is down, there is nothing you can do except to wait for it to come back up. Leave your client running and stats will update correctly after the tracker is back online. If you stop torrents while it's down, they won't update.


Some older clients do not report properly to the tracker when cancelling or finishing a torrent. In that case the tracker will keep waiting for the message - and thus listing the torrent as seeding or leeching - until the peer information timeout occurs. Just ignore it, it will eventually go away.
If the tracker seems to be online and you're still having the problem, drop by the support channel at [http://bakabt.me/webirc.php #bakabt-support] and we'll try to see what the problem actually is.


|-valign="top" style="font-size:12pt;"
!width=50%|<span style="font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">"Failure: access denied, torrents limit reached"</span><br />
!width=50%|<span style="font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">"Failure: use of this client is not allowed on our tracker, please see [[BT Clients#Whitelist|whitelisted torrent clients]]"</span><br />


=== Why do I sometimes see torrents I'm not leeching in my profile?! ===
|-valign="top"
|width="50%"|
'''Cause:'''<br>
You are downloading too many torrents.


''Solution:''<br>
Users are allowed to download 3 torrents at a time. Power Users are allowed to download 10 torrents at a time. You are allowed to seed an unlimited number of torrents, regardless of your class.  Check your userpage to see which torrents you are already downloading.


Under our new keying system, it is not possible for the tracker to confuse you with another peer. If you see torrents listed in your profile that you are DEFINITELY not leeching/seeding on, then we suggest you take the following actions:
|width="50%"|
'''Change the e-mail and password on your account.''' If you did not give out your passkey then someone either has access to your email account or your Boxtorrents user account (or both).'''Go to your [http://www.boxtorrents.com/my.php profile page] and generate a new torrent pass.''' This will invalidate all your previous torrents ending whatever damage was done to your account. You will need to redownload your torrents.
'''Cause:'''<br>
Your torrent client is not in the [http://bakabt.me/whitelist.php whitelist].


''Solution:''<br>
Use a torrent client that is in the [http://bakabt.me/whitelist.php whitelist]. See [http://forums.bakabt.me/index.php?topic=19305.0 this forum thread] for more information.


=== Can I login from different computers? ===
|-valign="top" style="font-size:12pt;"
!width=50%|"Failure: you are warned, you are not allowed to download, see our wiki for more info"<br />


Yes.
|-valign="top"
|width="50%"|
'''Cause:'''<br>
Your ratio is too low and your account has been [[FAQ#I_got_a_warning.2Fwas_suspended.2Fmight_be_banned.2C_what_do_I_do.3F|warned]].


''Solution:''<br>
Seed more and improve your ratio.


=== Can I seed from different computers? ===


Yes, '''but you may not seed the ''same'' torrent from two different computers''' as the tracker will not understand how you can be in two places at once :P. In the worst case, you will automatically banned.
|}


==Common Torrent-related Problems==


===Well known site errors===


== Offer System ==
Errors in this section are considered to be well known. This means, other members have reported the error before and BakaBT experts are working to solve the problem or the problem is just temporary. Unless otherwise stated, you don't need to report the error again.
=== Why can't I offer new torrents? ===


Only Power Users can make new torrent offers, which will be granted or rejected by staff. Torrents offered by staff members and Power Uploaders are added to the torrent pool directly without going through the approval procedure.
====Some torrents on my userpage are listed in wrong tabs====
Non-Power Users can not make offers.


You might see your torrents listed on the tabs where it is not supposed to be, this is a known bug.
Examples:
# Missing, appearing/disappearing torrents in tabs.
# Torrents not in correct tabs
# Torrents listed in multiple tabs


=== How do I make an offer if I'm a Power User? ===
====I've finished or cancelled a torrent. Why is it still listed in my userpage?====


See: "[[How to make an offer]]".
Some older clients do not report properly to the tracker when cancelling or finishing a torrent. In that case the tracker will keep waiting for the message - and thus listing the torrent as seeding or leeching - until the peer information timeout occurs. Just ignore it, it should go away after a few hours.


====I am seeing torrents on my userpage that I never downloaded / Someone has hijacked my account====


=== What does 'Semi-granted' mean? ===
'''Cause #1:''' People are using your torrent key (you accidentally posted your [[FAQ#How is my traffic tracked?|torrent key]] publicly)<br>
'''Cause #2:''' You hot-linked to a .torrent file that is tagged with your passkey<br>
'''Cause #3:''' You posted a screenshot of your torrent program with your passkey visible<br>
'''Cause #4:''' You revealed your torrent passkey to one or more people<br>
'''Cause #5:''' You uploaded a .torrent file that has your passkey to another tracker.<br>
'''Cause #6:''' You sent a .torrent file that has your passkey to a friend, or hotlinked the torrent download button to him.


Offers require the approval of two admins or moderators before they are added to the tracker. 'Semi-granted' is the state an offer acquires when one admin/mod has granted it, pending further approval.
''Solution:'' Go to your [http://bakabt.me/settings.php settings page] and generate a new key.  All your old torrents will become invalid immediately, so <u>you will have to re-download your torrents</u>. Wait about 10-20 minutes to be sure the tracker has recorded your key change before resuming your torrenting.


To prevent similar issues occurring in future, do not hot-link to our torrent files (only link to the description page), and do not post your personal .torrent file (the one you download when logged in) to other trackers.


=== What can/can't I put in my torrents? ===
====I'm uploading or downloading some torrents but I don't see them on my userpage====


Please refer to our [[Rules#Torrent Content Upload Guidelines|Torrent Content Upload Guidelines]] and ('''ESPECIALLY''') the [[Blacklist]].
'''Cause:''' You downloaded a public torrent.


''Solution:'' Log in and re-download the torrent.


=== What should I put in the description? ===
====My stats are not updating. What can I do?====


See [[How to make an offer#Writing a Description|How to make an offer: Writing a Description]].
Check that the torrent pass in your client's tracker announce URL matches the one shown on your [http://bakabt.me/settings.php settings page]. If it doesn't (or if it does, but you're still having problems), then: Remove the torrent entries from your torrent client. Re-download the .torrent files and open them in your client. Force a hash recheck and resume activity.


If that doesn't help, go to your [http://bakabt.me/settings.php settings page] and regenerate your torrent pass. Wait about 10-20 minutes to be sure the tracker has recorded your key change, then repeat the above step. Use only official non-beta clients.


=== What are good keywords for my torrent? ===


See [[How to make an offer#What are good keywords for my torrent?|How to make an offer: What are good keywords for my torrent?]].
====Site stats are different compared to my BitTorrent Client for some torrents====


=== Why does it say "This torrent contains improper files, please swap the torrent file" on the torrent page? ===
Your BitTorrent client is responsible for reporting the torrent upload/download statistics data to the tracker. This data is transmitted in pre-determined intervals (i.e. 30mins) and is incremental which means only the upload/download amount during that period (or successful tracker connections) is sent to the tracker. This mechanism is defined by the BitTorrent Protocol and is not specific to BakaBT. Statistics accuracy is important and is ensured by limiting the BitTorrent clients allowed trough the BakaBT BitTorrent Client Whitelist. The data collected trough the tracker is then reflected to your statistics page on the BakaBT site.


We only accept certain file formats, as described in our [[Rules#Torrent_Content_Upload_Guidelines]] Torrent Content Upload Guidelines. Other file formats may be accepted on a case-by-case basis (ask in the [http://forums.boxtorrents.com/index.php?board=4.0 Uploaders' Forum]). Small files (such as .txt, .nfo, .sfv, .md5 and other filetypes) that are useful to the torrent may be attached as extra files (see [[How to make an offer#Attaching_Extra_Files|How to make an offer: Attaching_Extra_Files]]).
Under normal circumstances, this mechanism works as intended and your statistics for any torrent will be properly sent to the tracker by your BitTorrent client and you will see similar stats on your client and the BakaBT stats page.


However, the following events can prevent this mechanism from working properly


=== What are "extra files" and what should I add? ===
# client loses internet connectivity during seeding/leeching (uploading/downloading) and is closed prior to re-establishing a connection
# client crashes due to an error or you forcefully terminate it
# client cannot connect to the tracker despite retries (it will continue its P2P activity with the last successful peer list received)
# tracker might be down for an unknown period of time
# your ISP is intervening with your connection to the tracker by manipulating packets
# administrative operations on the tracker/site software (data restore, upgrades)


See [[How to make an offer#Attaching_Extra_Files|How to make an offer: Attaching_Extra_Files]].
Due to these events, your statistics for a given torrent can be below what you expect it to be.
Most BitTorrent clients will transmit the statistics data in the next successful connection when a tracker connection cannot be established immediately given that they are not closed.


=== How is my traffic tracked? ===


=== How do I attach extra files? ===
BakaBT uses a passkey system to identify each user. Your passkey can be found on your [http://bakabt.me/settings.php settings page]. When you announce, your passkey is used to identify you and to (very accurately) track your upload and download traffic, regardless of any IP changes. The passkey is automatically added to the announce URL of every torrent you download whilst logged in. <b>'''YOU MUST NEVER, EVER GIVE OUT YOUR PASSKEY TO ANY OTHER PERSON.'''</b> Doing so will result in [[FAQ#I am seeing torrents on my userpage that I never downloaded / Someone has hijacked my account|undesirable outcomes]]. We will not help to fix any bad ratios caused by user's negligence of the security of their torrent passkey.


See [[How to make an offer#Attaching_Extra_Files|How to make an offer: Attaching_Extra_Files]].
===What are bonus torrents?===
Bonus torrents are torrents with few seeders or few leechers, the idea of the bonus system is to keep older torrents alive. Bonus torrents are marked with bonus torrent icon [[File:Bonus_icon.jpg]]. When you seed a bonus torrent (and have 100% complete file) you will earn 1 bonus point per hour per bonus torrent. You cannot earn more than 10 bonus points per hour even if you are seeding more than 10 bonus torrents at a time. Note that bonus points can be earned more reliably and much faster through [[FAQ#Torrent_Adoption_System|adoptions]].


Bonus points can be exchanged for upload credit on the [http://bakabt.me/bonus.php bonus page] (this means you can add an amount onto your 'uploaded' stat on your user page).


=== What should I put in my torrents? ===
Bonus status depends on the number of seeders as well as the seeder-to-leecher ratio, and a few other factors. And since the number of seeders and leechers on a torrent can change, a torrent can gain or lose bonus status as well.


See [[How to make an offer#Making the torrent file|How to make an offer: Making the torrent file]].
Bonus status is checked and updated every hour.


=== Best practices ===


=== What is this torrent swapping feature? ===
If a torrent you are currently leeching or seeding is not listed on your userpage, stop the torrent and resume it again. (also see: [[FAQ#I am seeing torrents on my userpage that I never downloaded / Someone has hijacked my account|I'm uploading or downloading some torrents but I don't see them on my userpage]]) Make sure you exit your client properly, so that the tracker receives the required information.If the tracker is down, do not stop seeding. Your traffic may not be tracked during downtime but as soon as the tracker is working again then your traffic will be tracked again.


See [[How to make an offer#Swapping the torrent|How to make an offer: Swapping the torrent]].
=== What BitTorrent clients can I use? ===


See: "[[BT_Clients|Bittorrent Clients]]"


=== Can I upload your torrents to other trackers? ===
=== Can I upload your torrents to other trackers? ===
Yes. However, only post the public torrent files to other trackers, do not post the .torrent file you downloaded when logged in (otherwise [[FAQ#I am seeing torrents on my userpage that I never downloaded / Someone has hijacked my account|these things]] might happen). In other words, create a new .torrent file if you intend to upload it to other trackers.
(Of course, the torrent files you download through your torrent client are yours to do as you please.)
==Using BakaBT from multiple machines==
====Can I login from different computers/IPs?====
Yes. But you are advised not to log in at the computer of another BakaBT user; the system may identify you as a multi-account user.
See also: "[[Account Restrictions#Why was my account disabled?|Why was my account disabled?]]"
====Can I seed from different computers/IPs?====
Yes, '''but you may not seed the ''same'' torrent from two different computers/IPs''' as the tracker will not understand how you can be in two places at once, and doing so may cause problems. In the worst case, you may be auto-banned by the tracker.


No. This generates extra traffic for the tracker without users visiting the site itself. It also usually results in the torrent being overrun by bad leechers, as users are not aware of the site rules.


Complaints from other sites' administrative staff about our torrents being posted on their sites will result in the banning of the users responsible.


(However, the files you download from us are yours to do as you please. You can always create another torrent, pointing to some other tracker, and upload it to the site of your choice.)
==Freeleech==


== Adoption System ==
===What is Freeleech?===
=== Why should I adopt a torrent? ===


At the time of writing, no outright benefits are given for torrent adoption. You adopt because the description of a torrent does not sit right with you, and you have the irresistible urge to fix it, put it right and provide accurate information for future users of Boxtorrents who will chance upon said torrent.
'''<font color="#00AA00">[F]</font>''' symbol is used to indicate that a torrent is subject to '''Freeleech'''.  


'''*Note: The adopter effectively becomes the new owner of the torrent. As such, he/she is expected to carry out the usual duties of the torrent owner. They'll be responsible for re-seeding the torrent if it dies (so adopters <u>must</u> have the torrent files), keep descriptions up to date, and make torrent swaps where necessary. Torrent adopting is not stamp-collecting.'''
When a torrent is flagged with this symbol, it means leeching that torrent will not affect your download amount and will not decrease your ratio. Meanwhile seeding that torrent will continue to improve your ratio and will increase your upload amount. This is an excellent way to improve your ratio.  


=== What should I do to ensure that my adoption request will be granted? ===
Torrents with specific type of content ([http://bakabt.me/browse.php?only=1&hd=1&reorder=1&q=1080p 1080p torrents], [http://bakabt.me/browse.php?only=1&c7=1&reorder=1 Artbooks], [http://bakabt.me/browse.php?only=1&c8=1&reorder=1 Music Videos], and [http://bakabt.me/browse.php?ordertype=size&only=0&reorder=1&q=&order=1 torrents smaller than 100 MB]) are subject to Freeleech, this is to promote their distribution.


* Submit a proper reason for adoption. Tell us what you are going to fix, what you will add, what you will do with the torrent. If the reason for adoption is "I will fix the torrent", we're not likely to be convinced.
* It helps if you have a portfolio.
** Users who consistently submit good torrent descriptions (by adopting, or making torrent offers) will obviously be trusted more than users without said portfolio. So if you already have torrents in your ''Uploaded'' tab, do take a look at them and work on those first before adopting new torrents.
** If you are a new user with no prior experience do not worry, we will sit you through the description-editing process and help you bring it up to speed, all you need is a willingness to learn and dedication to the adoption process.
* Seed the torrent. While owners are not expected to seed the torrent files 24/7, being a seed on the peerlist gives us the assurance that you have the files are will be able to re-seed the torrent as and when the need arises.


=== What do I need to do after I adopt a torrent? ===
'''Important:''' Warned members can not benefit from Freeleech, as they are not allowed to leech.


Bring it up to date, in accordance with the [[FAQ#What should I put in the description?|torrent description content guidelines]]. Keep tabs on it, and re-seed teh torrent if it dies (has 0 seeders).
'''Note:''' This behavior is controlled by the BakaBT tracker, this means as long as the torrent is flagged with '''<font color="#00AA00">[F]</font>''', you can benefit from this feature during leeching even if you have downloaded the torrent file before it is flagged.


=== What if I want to replace the torrent files with a better, superior version? ===
====How often does global freeleech happen?====


[http://www.boxtorrents.com/upload.php Make a new torrent offer], and add a comment, giving the URL of the torrent you wish to replace. The adoption system is meant for fixing torrents, not replacing them.
Almost never. Don't ask us when it will be happening because we will ignore you.


====The tracker went down. What do I do?====


== Downloading/Seeding ==
You wait until the tracker comes back up.
=== How do I upload? ===


See: "[[FAQ#I've finished downloading the files, so how do I seed back?|I've finished downloading the files, so how do I seed back?]]" and "[[FAQ#Why can't I offer new torrents?|Why can't I offer new torrents?]]"
====Why did the tracker go down?====


Imagine that you and a friend are working at a restaurant. All of a sudden 130,000+ people come into the restaurant and demand 10+ meals each. Obviously the restaurant can't handle that load and eventually shuts down. During its downtime, it will catch up on orders and eventually re-open. Same principle here, when too many people connect to the server, the server may become overloaded and shut down. Be patient, eventually the server will come back up.


=== Why do I have to wait before I can download a new torrent? ===
====What shouldn't I do?====


When new torrents are uploaded, those with Power User (or higher) status are given 'first dibs'. By virtue of their good share ratio we trust that these users will stick around to help seed the torrent after they benefit from having exclusive access to the initial seeders. Other users must wait for the timer to expire before they can download the .torrent file. The amount of time you have to wait is proportional to the size of the torrent (the larger the torrent, the longer you have to wait). This is to encourage more people to become Power Users, and to build up a larger seed base before other users are permitted to join the swarm.
* Do not Manually spam updates on the tracker. It will not help you connect faster; on the contrary, it puts extra strain on the server and may cause more downtime. That means you will not be able to enjoy the full benefits of the freeleech period.  
* Do not leech only. Part of the purpose of freeleech is to help you improve your ratio. It would be foolish if you leeched and don't seed.


=Downloading/Seeding and Connection Issues=


=== What do I do if a torrent has no seeds? ===


Hop on the forums and post in the [http://forums.boxtorrents.com/index.php?board=5.0 Reseed Request] section. Be sure to read the rules before posting.


==Common Questions==


=== What's the difference between seeding and uploading? ===
====What's the difference between seeding and uploading?====


'Uploading' is posting a new torrent to our tracker.
''Uploading'' is posting a new torrent to our tracker, where it will appear on the [http://bakabt.me/offer.php Offered] or [http://bakabt.me/browse.php Browse] pages.


'Seeding' is uploading data on a torrent once you have completed the download.
''Seeding'' is uploading data to other users on a torrent after you have completed the download.


====I don't see the leeching, seeding, seeded torrent tabs in my stats page (anymore)====
As of September 29th, 2010 those tabs have been removed. You can see the torrents you are seeding/leeching on the ''Active'' tab.


=== Why did an active torrent suddenly disappear? ===
The BitTorrent protocol and clients are not designed to report the individual torrent status information in a way that the previous separate tabs mechanism could work as expected.


There may be three reasons for this:
====I have leeched/downloaded the torrents but some torrents won't seed====
# The torrent may have been out-of-sync with the [[Rules|site rules]].
# The uploader or a moderator may have deleted it because it contained bad files. A replacement will probably be uploaded to take its place.
# The torrent was requested to be removed by a 3rd party.


''Leeching'' a torrent requires seeders and the number of seeders generally determine how fast you can leech a torrent, higher the number of seeders - higher the download speed. Unfortunately this becomes a problem when you finish downloading the torrent and afterwards intend to seed it back because if there are too many seeders and no (or a small number of) ''leechers'' when you are seeding you won't get a chance to seed.


=== I've finished downloading the files, so how do I seed back? ===
An option is to continue seeding those torrents as much as possible and wait for the ratio for that torrent to reach 1.5 or alternatively you can download other torrent with more potential to ''seed'' (popular torrents with many ''leechers'')


Once your download has completed, most clients will continue to run the torrent in seeding mode until the ratio is 1:1. If this is not the case, try some of these steps:
See also [[FAQ#Freeleech|Freeleech Torrents]]
1) Simply press Start on your torrent again. Some clients might stop torrents that have finished downloading.
2) Check your client's settings regarding how much a torrent should be seeded to before stopping. Your settings may be preventing seeding. (e.g., uTorrent's 'Torrent Properties' dialogue box for each torrent has a ratio percentage figure which you can adjust)3) Force the torrent to start (e.g., in uTorrent, right click on the torrent entry and click 'Force Start'). This will force your client to ignore the rule mentioned above and seed until you stop the torrent.4) If all else fails, remove the torrent from your client, and see below for instructions on how to restore it to your client.


If you removed the torrent from your torrent client but still have the downloaded files, see "[[How to seed files that have already been downloaded]]" on how to re-seed files.
====I have some files on my computer, how do I seed them or upload them to BakaBT?====


=== I can't seem to seed at all, or my upload speed is really slow. ===
See: "[[FAQ#I've finished downloading the files, so how do I seed back?|I've finished downloading the files, so how do I seed back?]]" and "[[FAQ#Why can't I offer new torrents?|Why can't I offer new torrents?]]"


First, check that you actually have someone to upload any data to. If you are on a torrent that has something like 10 seeders and 2 leechers, the chances of you uploading a great deal are slim to none. If there are no leechers... what are you expecting?
====Why do I have to wait before I can download a new torrent?====
Second, see [[FAQ#Why is my port number reported as "---"? (And why should I care?)|this entry in the FAQ]] if you are not sure whether your ports are open.


See also: "[[FAQ#There are peers in the swarm but I can't connect to any of them.|There are peers in the swarm but I can't connect to any of them.]]"
When new torrents are uploaded, those with Power User (or higher) status are given 'first dibs'. By virtue of their good share ratio we trust that these users will stick around to help seed the torrent after they benefit from having exclusive access to the initial seeders. Other users must wait for the timer to expire before they can download the .torrent file.


The amount of time you have to wait is proportional to the size of the torrent (the larger the torrent, the longer you have to wait). This is to encourage more people to become Power Users, and to build up a larger seed base before other users are permitted to join the swarm.


=== Why do my downloads sometimes stall at 99%? ===
====Why did an active torrent suddenly disappear?====
# The torrent may have been replaced by a superior offer.
# The uploader may have requested for its deletion, with an acceptable reason(s).
# The torrent was requested to be removed by a 3rd party (usually in the form of a cease-and-desist letter).


The more pieces you have, the harder it becomes to find peers who have pieces you are missing. That is why downloads sometimes slow down or even stall when there are just a few percent remaining. Just be patient and you will, sooner or later, get the remaining pieces.
It happens from time to time and we regret that no alerts will be given prior to deletion. If this is unacceptable, we suggest that you get your files from other public trackers (such as Anirena, Minglong or Nyaa) instead, where torrents are less likely to be removed.


====What is a torrent passkey?====


=== What are these "a piece has failed a hash check" messages? ===
See: [[FAQ#How is my traffic tracked?|How is my traffic tracked?]]


BitTorrent clients check the data they receive for integrity. When a piece fails this check it is automatically re-downloaded. Occasional hash fails are a common occurrence, and you shouldn't worry.
====I lost all my files, and I can't download or seed, help!====


Some clients have an (advanced) option/preference to 'kick/ban clients that send you bad data' or similar. It should be turned on, since it makes sure that if a peer repeatedly sends you pieces that fail the hash check it will be ignored in the future.
See: [[For First Timers#Fixing Your Ratio|Fixing Your Ratio]]


==Connectivity and Speed Issues==


=== The torrent is supposed to be 100MB. How come I downloaded 120MB? ===
If your question falls under any of these categories:
# Cannot access BakaBT
# Port number is '---'/other port-related issues
# Proxying and proxies
# Dynamic/static IPs and NAT
# Slow downloading/uploading


See the hash fails topic. If your client receives bad data it will have to redownload it, therefore the total downloaded may be larger than the torrent size. Make sure the "kick/ban" option is turned on to minimize the extra downloads. Overhead may also account for some of this data.
Kindly refer to the [[Troubleshooting]] section for more information.




=== What's this "IOError - [Errno13] Permission denied" error? ===


If you just want to fix it reboot your computer, it should solve the problem. Otherwise, read on.
==Torrenting Issues==


IOError means Input-Output Error, and that is a file system error, not a tracker one. It shows up when your client is for some reason unable to open the partially downloaded torrent files. The most common cause is two instances of the client to be running simultaneously: the last time the client was closed it somehow didn't really close but kept running in the background, and is therefore still locking the files, making it impossible for the new instance to open them.
====I can't leech/seed a torrent====


A more uncommon occurrence is a corrupted FAT. A crash may result in corruption that makes the partially downloaded files unreadable, and the error ensues. Running scandisk should solve the problem. (Note that this may happen only if you're running Windows 9x - which only supports FAT - or NT/2000/XP with FAT formatted hard drives. NTFS is much more robust and should never permit this problem.)
If the BakaBT tracker is preventing you from leeching/seeding a torrent, it will inform your client in the form of error messages through the trackers tab/pane. Look at the tracker status and refer to [[FAQ#Common Torrent Error Messages]]


== Connection Issues ==


=== How can I improve my download speed? ===
====I'm having trouble with this Bittorrent program, something's wrong with it====
The download speed mostly depends on the seeder-to-leecher ratio (SLR). Poor download speed is mainly a problem with new and very popular torrents where the SLR is low.


(side note: make sure you remember that you did not enjoy the low speed. Seed so that others will not endure the same.)
Do a search in the [http://forums.bakabt.me/index.php?board=7.0 Help section of the forums], and see if someone else has faced the same issue.


There are a couple of things that you can try on your end to improve your speed:
If yours is a unique case, make a new post in the same section. Give clear and detailed information, and include links to the torrents you are having trouble with.


''Note: We only provide help for [[BT Clients#Whitelist|whitelisted torrent clients]]. Support for other clients will not be provided.


==== Do not immediately jump on new torrents ====
====What do I do if a torrent has no seeds?====


In particular, do not do it if you have a slow connection. The best speeds will be found around the half-life of a torrent, when the SLR will be at its highest. (The downside is that you will not be able to seed so much. It's up to you to balance the pros and cons of this.)
Hop on the forums and post in the [http://forums.bakabt.me/index.php?board=5.0 Reseed Request] section. Be sure to read the rules before posting.


====I've finished downloading the files, so how do I seed back?====


==== Make yourself connectable ====
See: "[[For First Timers#Seeding|Seeding]]"


See the [[FAQ#Why is my port number reported as "---"? (And why should I care?)|Why is my port number reported as "---"? (And why should I care?)]]&nbsp; section.
====What are these "a piece has failed a hash check" messages?====


BitTorrent clients check the data they receive for integrity. When a piece fails this check it is automatically re-downloaded. Occasional hash fails are a common occurrence, and you shouldn't worry.


==== Limit your upload speed ====
Some clients have an (advanced) option/preference to 'kick/ban clients that send you bad data' or similar. It should be turned on, since it makes sure that if a peer repeatedly sends you pieces that fail the hash check it will be ignored in the future.


The upload speed affects the download speed in essentially two ways:
====The torrent is supposed to be 100MB. How come I downloaded 120MB?====


# Bittorrent peers tend to favour those other peers that upload to them. This means that if A and B are leeching the same torrent and A is sending data to B at high speed then B will try to reciprocate. So due to this effect high upload speeds lead to high download speeds.
See: [[FAQ#What are these "a piece has failed a hash check" messages?|What are these "a piece has failed a hash check" messages?]]
# Due to the way TCP works, when A is downloading something from B it has to keep telling B that it received the data sent to him. (These are called acknowledgements - ACKs -, a sort of "got it!" messages). If A fails to do this then B will stop sending data and wait. If A is uploading at full speed there may be no bandwidth left for the ACKs and they will be delayed. So due to this effect excessively high upload speeds lead to low download speeds.
If your client receives bad data it will have to redownload it, therefore the total downloaded may be larger than the torrent size. Make sure the "kick/ban" option is turned on to minimize the extra downloads.


====What's this "IOError - [Errno13] Permission denied" error?====


The full effect is a combination of the two. The upload should be kept as high as possible while allowing the ACKs to get through without delay. A good thumb rule is keeping the upload at about 80% of the theoretical upload speed. You will have to fine tune yours to find out what works best for you. (Remember that keeping the upload high has the additional benefit of helping with your ratio.)
If you just want to fix it reboot your computer, it should solve the problem. Otherwise, see "[[Troubleshooting#What.27s_this_IOError_-_Error13_Permission_denied_error.3F|What's this "IOError - [Errno13] Permission denied" error?]]".


====Downloading or seeding is slow! How do I speed it up?====


If you are running more than one instance of a client it is the overall upload speed that you must take into account. Some clients (e.g. Azureus) limit global upload speed, others (e.g. Shad0w's) do it on a per torrent basis. Know your client. The same applies if you are using your connection for anything else (e.g. browsing or ftp), always think of the overall upload speed.
See: "[[Troubleshooting#Speed Issues|Troubleshooting: Speed Issues]]".


= Torrent Offers and Adoptions =


==== Limit the number of simultaneous connections ====


Some operating systems (like Windows 9x) do not deal well with a large number of connections, and may even crash. Also some home routers (particularly when running NAT and/or firewall with stateful inspection services) tend to become slow or crash when having to deal with too many connections. There are no fixed values for this, you may try 60 or 100 and experiment with the value. Note that these numbers are additive, if you have two instances of a client running the numbers add up.


== Torrent Offer System ==


==== Limit the number of simultaneous uploads ====
====What does 'New' mean?====
Newly offered torrents are not registered with the tracker until they are approved. Until then, they will not be available for download.<br />
The time it takes for torrent approval varies and is dependent upon many different factors, so a reliable estimate cannot be given.


Isn't this the same as above? No. Connections limit the number of peers your client is talking to and/or downloading from. Uploads limit the number of peers your client is actually uploading to. The ideal number is typically much lower than the number of connections, and highly dependent on your (physical) connection.
====What does 'Semi-approved' mean?====


Offers require the approval of two staff members before they are added to the tracker. 'Semi-approved' is the state an offer acquires when at least one staff member has granted it, but it is pending further approval.


==== Just give it some time ====
====What is 'On hold' status?====


As explained above peers favour other peers that upload to them. When you start leeching a new torrent you have nothing to offer to other peers and they will tend to ignore you. This makes the starts slow, in particular if, by change, the peers you are connected to include few or no seeders. The download speed should increase as soon as you have some pieces to share.
Pending notification for all offers that require more work. On hold status is usually followed with a reason.<br />
Offers on hold are no longer counted on the 'Offered' page.


====Why can't I offer new torrents?====


==== Why is my browsing so slow while leeching? ====
Only Power Users can make new torrent offers, which will be granted or rejected by staff. Torrents offered by staff members and Power Uploaders are added to the torrent pool directly without going through the approval procedure.
Non-Power Users can not make offers.


Your download speed is always finite. If you are a peer in a fast torrent it will almost certainly saturate your download bandwidth, and your browsing will suffer. A client like Azureus allows the user to limit uploads &amp; downloads. You will have to use a third-party solution, such as [http://www.netlimiter.com/ NetLimiter].
====Is there a limit to the amount of offers I can make?====


As a Power User you can offer a maximum of 5 torrents. When that limit has been reached you'll have to wait for staff to inspect one of your pending offers.


Browsing was used just as an example. The same would apply to gaming, IMing, etc., ...
====Why are rejected torrents in the Recently rejected section?====


For rejected torrents, we will prune them after a minimum of 7 days, maximum of 30 days on the "recently rejected" list. While the torrents are in the recently rejected list, it will still occupy a slot on the uploader's account.<br />Please refrain from asking the admins or mods to prune the torrents before time.


=== Why is my port number reported as "---"? (And why should I care?) ===
====I have another question related to torrents and offers====


The tracker has determined that you are firewalled or NATed and cannot accept incoming connections.
If it is any of the following questions:
# What can I offer/not offer to BakaBT?
# I have files that I would like to upload, how do I upload them here?
# What should I put in the description?
# How should I name my files?
# What are good keywords for my torrent?
# Why does it say "This torrent contains improper files, please swap the torrent file" on the torrent page?
# What are "extra files" and what should I add?
# How do I attach extra files?
# What should I put in my torrents?
# What is this torrent swapping feature?


This means that other peers in the swarm will be unable to connect to you, only you to them. Even worse, if two peers are both in this state they will not be able to connect at all. This has obviously a detrimental effect on the overall speed.
Kindly see: "[[How to make an offer]]"


The way to solve the problem involves opening the ports used for incoming connections (the same range you defined in your client) on the firewall and/or configuring your NAT server to use a basic form of NAT for that range instead of NAPT (the actual process differs widely between different router models. Check your router documentation and/or support forum. You will also find lots of information on the subject at [http://www.portforward.com PortForward]).
== Torrent Adoption System ==


====Why should I adopt a torrent?====


=== My ISP uses a transparent proxy. What should I do? ===
You adopt because the (faulty) description of a torrent does not sit right with you, and you have the irresistible urge to fix it, put it right and provide accurate information for future users of BakaBT who will chance upon said torrent.


''Caveat: This is a large and complex topic. It is not possible to cover all variations here.''


Short reply: change to an ISP that does not force a proxy upon you. If you cannot or do not want to then read on.
''Note: The adopter effectively becomes the new owner of the torrent. As such, he/she is expected to carry out the usual duties of the torrent owner. They'll be responsible for re-seeding the torrent if it dies (so adopters <u>must</u> have the torrent files), keep descriptions up to date, and make torrent swaps where necessary. Torrent adopting is not stamp-collecting.''


''Note 2: Many users are under a false impression that adopting torrents will inadvertently fix your ratio or give you freeleech right even if you are warned. This is <u>'''false'''</u>.<br />Only seeding can increase your ratio, and by adopting you are assumed to already have the files you planning to adopt and therefore seed.''


==== What is a proxy? ====
====What should I do to ensure that my adoption request will be granted?====


Basically a middleman. When you are browsing a site through a proxy your requests are sent to the proxy and the proxy forwards them to the site instead of you connecting directly to the site. There are several classifications (the terminology is far from standard):
* Submit a proper reason for adoption. Tell us what you are going to fix, what you will add, what you will do with the torrent. If the reason for adoption is "I will fix the torrent", we're not likely to be convinced. Look at the checklist below for things that you need to point out in your request.
* It helps if you have a portfolio.
** Users who consistently submit good torrent descriptions (by adopting, or making torrent offers) will obviously be trusted more than users without said portfolio. So if you already have torrents in your ''Uploaded'' tab, do take a look at them and work on those first before adopting new torrents.
** If you are a new user with no prior experience do not worry, we will sit you through the description-editing process and help you bring it up to speed, all you need is a willingness to learn and dedication to the adoption process.
* Seed the torrent. While owners are not expected to seed the torrent files 24/7, being a seed on the peerlist gives us the assurance that you have the files are will be able to re-seed the torrent as and when the need arises.


{|border="1"
{| role="presentation" class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
| <strong>Checklist for adoptions</strong>
|-
|-
! '''Type''' !! '''Description'''
| Are the links working?
|-
|-
! Transparent ||align="left"|  A transparent proxy is one that needs no configuration on the clients. It works by automatically redirecting all port 80 traffic to the proxy. (Sometimes used as synonymous for non-anonymous.)
| Are all images being displayed correctly?
|-
! Explicit/Voluntary ||align="left"|Clients must configure their browsers to use them.
|-
|-
! Anonymous ||align="left"|The proxy sends no client identification to the server. (HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR header is not sent; the server does not see your IP.)
| Are all images hosted on BakaShots?
|-
|-
! Highly Anonymous ||align="left"| The proxy sends no client or proxy identification to the server. (HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR, HTTP_VIA and HTTP_PROXY_CONNECTION headers are not sent; the server doesn't see your IP and doesn't even know you're using a proxy.)
| Is all information correct and complete for that release?
|-
|-
! Public ||align="left"| (Self explanatory)  <!-- O rly? -->
| Is there a higher quality release?
|-
|-
| Are you seeding the torrent you wish to adopt?
|}
|}


====What do I need to do after I adopt a torrent?====


A transparent proxy may or may not be anonymous, and there are several levels of anonymity.
Bring it up to date, in accordance with the [[How_to_make_an_offer#Description_Content|torrent description content guidelines]].<br />Keep tabs on it, and re-seed the torrent if it dies (has 0 seeders).


====That sounds complicated, can you help me?====


==== How do I find out if I'm behind a (transparent/anonymous) proxy? ====
In general, we will give advice when needed, but first you should check out this [[Adoptions_for_Dummies|guide]]. It covers most of what you'll ever need!


Try [http://www.proxyjudge.org ProxyJudge]. It lists the HTTP headers that the server where it is running received from you. The relevant ones are HTTP_CLIENT_IP, HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR and REMOTE_ADDR.
====Bonus points bounty for a successful adoption====


Upon successful completion of an adoption, depending on the work you've invested, you'll either get 1/10th of the bounty (for minimal or no changes, if none are required), the full bounty, 1.5 x the bounty for a really good job, or 2.5 x the bounty for excellent work.<br />The amount you receive is, of course, at the supervising mod's discretion.


==== Why is my port listed as "---" even though I'm not NAT/Firewalled? ====
====What if I want to replace the torrent files with a better, superior version?====


The BoxTorrents tracker is quite smart at finding your real IP, but it does need the proxy to send the HTTP header HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR. If your ISP's proxy does not then what happens is that the tracker will interpret the proxy's IP address as the client's IP address. So when you login and the tracker tries to connect to your client to see if you are NAT/firewalled it will actually try to connect to the proxy on the port your client reports to be using for incoming connections. Naturally the proxy will not be listening on that port, the connection will fail and the tracker will think you are NAT/firewalled.
[http://bakabt.me/upload.php Make a new torrent offer], and add a comment, giving the URL of the torrent you wish to replace. The adoption system is meant for fixing torrents, not replacing them.


= Is there an RSS feed available for BakaBT? =


=== I am on a dynamic IP/I just changed my static IP recently, and it seems to have affected my bittorent connection settings. ===
RSS Feeds are only available for Power Users. You will see the RSS Feed link appear when you become one.
Boxtorrents uses a keypass-based system (See: [http://wiki.boxtorrents.com/index.php/FAQ#How_is_my_traffic_tracked.3F How is my traffic tracked?]). Changes in your IP will not affect your connection to the tracker, as long as you downloaded the torrent file when logged in.


To get fast updates on newly approved torrents alternatively you can join [irc://irc.rizon.net/BakaBT #BakaBT] where all new approvals are announced by our bot.


=== There are peers in the swarm but I can't connect to any of them. ===
= Can I add an RSS feed in my torrent client? =
Your ISP may be shaping traffic. Enable encryption in your torrent client, and set it to the highest level possible.


'''Note:''' This does not hide your IP from other peers!
No. RSS feature is purely for informative purpose, automatic torrent leeching via RSS is not supported.


=== Why can't I connect to www.boxtorrents.com? Is the site blocking me? ===
= How can I get an avatar on the Blog? =
Your failure to connect may be due to several reasons.


==== Maybe my address is blacklisted? ====
Wordpress has its own Avatar-System with which you can have the same avatar on all Wordpress-Blogs you have an account on.
The site blocks addresses of banned users. This works at Apache/PHP level, it's just a script that blocks logins from those addresses. It should not stop you from reaching the site. In particular it does not block lower level protocols, you should be able to ping/traceroute the server even if your address is blacklisted. If you cannot then the reason for the problem lies elsewhere.
 
For this you have to go to [http://www.gravatar.com/ Gravatar] and sign up with your e-mail address with which you created your account on the blog
Wait for the e-mail with the activation-key, click on the link and enter the needed information.
 
After logging in click on <u>"Add one by clicking here"</u>, choose the location of the avatar and resize the box to fit your avatar.
Now you only have to choose a rating for it and you are finished.


==== Your ISP blocks the site's address ====
(In first place, it's unlikely your ISP is doing so. DNS name resolution and/or network problems are the usual culprits.)
There's nothing we can do. You should contact your ISP (or get a new one). Note that you can still visit the site via a proxy, follow the instructions in the relevant section. In this case it doesn't matter if the proxy is anonymous or not, or which port it listens to.


Notice that you will always be listed as an "unconnectable" client because the tracker will be unable to check that you're capable of accepting incoming connections.


== Is there an RSS feed available for BoxTorrents? ==
RSS Feeds are only available for Power Users. You will see the RSS Feed link appear when you become one.


An mIRC script is available that will check the RSS feed every x minutes, if there are any new torrents uploaded then it lists the new torrents, you can also manually check for new torrents. [http://force.power-net.org/?page=mscripts&amp;gsinfo=1 Information about the script], [http://force.power-net.org/?page=download&amp;section=mscripts&amp;id=1 Download Link].


= What if I can't find the answer to my problem here? =


== What if I can't find the answer to my problem here? ==
So, after reading all that, you still can't find a solution? Read on. Post in the [http://forums.bakabt.me/ forums], by all means. You'll find it's a friendly and helpful place, '''provided you follow a few basic guidelines''':
So, after reading all that, you still can't find a solution? Read on.
* You might have missed a few wiki pages. Did you know we also have the following wiki pages?
Post in the [http://forums.BoxTorrents.com/ forums], by all means. You'll find it's a friendly and helpful place, '''provided you follow a few basic guidelines''':
# [[Site Rules]]
* Make sure your problem is not answered in this FAQ. There's no point in posting just to be sent back here amidst a torrent of angry remarks telling you not to waste other people's time.
# [[For First Timers|Beginner's FAQ]]
* Before posting, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">'''read the stickied topics'''</span> (the ones at the top). Many times, new information that still hasn't been incorporated in the FAQ can be found there.
# [[Troubleshooting]]
* Help us in helping you. Do '''not''' just say "it doesn't work!". Provide details so that we don't have to guess or waste time asking. What client do you use? What's your OS? What's your network setup? What's the exact error message you get, if any? What are the torrents you are having problems with? The more you tell the easiest it will be for us, and the more probable your post will get a reply that's useful, as opposed to 'more info'.
# [[Account Restrictions]]
# [[How to make an offer]]
# [[Format Preferences|What we allow on BakaBT]]
* Make sure your problem has not been answered in this FAQ. There's no point in posting just to be sent back here amidst a torrent of angry remarks telling you not to waste other people's time.
* Before posting, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">'''read the stickied topics'''</span> (the ones at the top of each subforum page). Many times, new information that still hasn't been incorporated in the FAQ can be found there.
* Help us in helping you. Do '''not''' just say "it doesn't work!". Provide details so that we don't have to guess or waste time asking. What client do you use? What's your OS? What's your network setup? What's the exact error message you get, if any? What are the torrents you are having problems with? The more details you give the easier it will be for us, and the more likely your post will get a useful reply, as opposed to a reply that just asks for more information.
* PLEASE make an effort to make your posts readable. There is nothing worse than trying to decipher a post that looks like it was written by someone mashing their face on the keyboard. Perfect spelling isn't necessary, but basic grammar and punctuation definitely helps.
* PLEASE make an effort to make your posts readable. There is nothing worse than trying to decipher a post that looks like it was written by someone mashing their face on the keyboard. Perfect spelling isn't necessary, but basic grammar and punctuation definitely helps.
* ... and needless to say: be polite. Demanding help rarely works. Asking nicely for it usually does the trick.
* ... and needless to say: be polite. Demanding help rarely works. Asking nicely for it usually does the trick.
* '''DO NOT''' send a private message to a staff member. If you don't wish to post in the forums, use [http://www.boxtorrents.com/help.php the help form] instead, or ask on the [[IRC]] channel.
* '''DO NOT''' send a private message to a staff member. If you don't wish to post in the forums, use [http://bakabt.me/help.php the help form] instead, or ask on the [[IRC|IRC channel]].
* To prove that you have read this FAQ before seeking help, please quote the words 'Amorphous Plate Wiggle' in your post. We are quite serious. Failure to do so will result in your thread being locked immediately or your help request being ignored. This phrase is subject to change.
* To prove that you have read this FAQ before seeking help, please quote the words 'Amorphous Plate Wiggle' in your post. We are quite serious. Failure to do so will result in your thread being locked immediately or your help request being ignored. This phrase is subject to change.

Latest revision as of 02:50, 20 December 2021

Questions We Don’t Like Answering Over and Over Again
In here, you might just find the answers you're looking for!

If you are new to Bittorrent and/or the anime fansub scene, you should take a look at the Beginner's FAQ as well.



Site information and Basic Help

What makes BakaBT different?

There are many anime torrent sites but BakaBT is unique in the quality of our content. Our goal is to provide torrents only for completed anime or anime-related material and we pick only the best versions. We do not accept public submissions; only Power Users and Power Uploaders may do so.

All submissions are thoroughly checked before they are added to our ever-growing list of series; by ever-growing, we really mean ever-growing in the sense that even old torrents are still seeded. Our mantra in short: quality over quantity, and ease-of-use.

Do keep in mind that BakaBT exists because of its users; old content is still available because of the many dedicated seeders who provide you with good download speeds, so returning the favour is a must.

Before you do anything here at BakaBT, we suggest you read the Rules! There are only a few rules to abide by and most are common sense.

How do I...

Bookmark a torrent or remove a bookmarked torrent?

Click on the star icon labelled 'Bookmark' next to the torrent title at the top of every torrent page. If the star icon appears grey, the torrent is not bookmarked; If it is yellow, the torrent is bookmarked.

On your userpage, the torrents you have bookmarked will show up under the 'Bookmarked' tab (below your 'Uploaded' tab).

Add a torrent to my wishlist?

Click on the scroll icon labelled 'Wishlist' next to the torrent title. If the scroll icon appears grey, the torrent is not in your wishlist; If the scroll appears blue, the torrent is in your wishlist.

On your userpage, the torrents you have put in your wishlist will show up under the 'Wishlist' tab (below your 'Bookmarked' tab).

Get notified on torrent swaps and new comments for a torrent?

Click on the bell icon labelled 'Notify me' next to the torrent title. If the bell icon appears grey, the torrent is not in your notify list; If the bell appears golden, the torrent is in your notify list.

On your userpage, the torrents you have put in your notify list will show up under the 'Notify' tab (below your 'Wishlist' tab).

Report problems that I noticed?

A report is a system message that informs staff members of issues that need attention. Staff members will deal with these issues as they see fit. Only Power users can use the report feature on the tracker.


Reporting Torrents

The report function brings a torrent or a comment to moderators' attention. Use this function if:

  1. A torrent does not comply with site rules (e.g., if it is blacklisted material)
  2. It has corrupted files
  3. The link is broken (i.e., you are unable to download the .torrent file)
  4. Image links are broken (PM the uploader first; if you get no reply after a week then report it). Please note that a single broken image is not grounds for reporting, if all other images conform to the rules. Report if images are of wrong resolution, don't have subtitles or are in the wrong format.
  5. A better version of the torrent exists (Note that we do allow XViD releases. TV fansubs are allowed alongside DVD rips with only R1 subtitles). Please link us to the newer torrent in that case.
  6. Other torrent-related problems (e.g. groupings not set or incorrectly set)
  7. Reporting a torrent for unrelated reasons will incur warnings; and bans will be issued if abuse continues. In other words, don't report a torrent just because you don't like the user, or because you are having trouble getting a good download speed on it.
To report a torrent, click on the exclamation mark icon labelled 'Report' next to the torrent title. If the exclamation mark icon appears grey, the torrent has not been reported; If the exclamation mark appears red, the torrent has been reported (by you or someone else).


Reporting Comments

Report comments if:

  1. They are abusive or contribute to flaming.
  2. They constitute useless spam (such as 'seed this' or 'approve this').
  3. They contain unhidden spoilers for the anime.
  4. They flout any of the tracker guidelines.
To report a comment, click on the exclamation mark icon labelled 'Report' next to the 'Quote' button in the upper-right corner of the comment box. If the icon is labelled 'REPORTED' in capital letters, the comment has been reported to site staff and will be dealt with soon.


Reporting Forum Posts

Report forum posts if:

  1. They are abusive or contribute to flaming.
  2. They contain unhidden spoilers for the anime.
  3. They flout any of the forum guidelines.
The report link for forum posts is at the bottom-right corner of each forum post.


Reporting Stat-Hackers

If you find people with downright impossible torrent statistics, post a link to their userpage in this forum thread and include a reason for suspicion.


Reporting Site Errors

Errors you get with site behaviour (especially if you get error messages) can be reported in the Site Errors forum thread. Read the first post and do a quick search before reporting; someone might have reported the problem already.


Other Reports

Reports regarding other things (that do not have a proper reporting channel) may be reported using the help form. Do not abuse this feature.

Why is some content on the blacklist?

The Blacklist#Torrent Content Upload Guidelines are self-explanatory. We are quite specific about the kind of animation we archive, and also require that they meet certain quality standards.

Stuff on the blacklist is there because it is liable to get BakaBT into *trouble*.

What information about me does BakaBT store? Is it secure?

We store your account information used for registration. your email is hidden from other users, and only shown to site staff.

The amount of upload and download you get on each torrent, as well as your total upload and download, is stored permanently by the server until your account is deleted. These upload and download statistics will always be shown wherever relevant. Torrent stats will be shown in peerlists (if you appear in them), and in your userpage under the relevant columns (if you chose not to hide them).

Information about torrents that you are leeching and/or seeding, as well as torrents you have leeched and/or seeded, are stored on the server. If you have enabled privacy settings, only information for the past 30 days will be kept. If privacy settings are disabled, all prior information is stored on the server.

Account information

How many accounts am I allowed to have?

One. Ever. You are only allowed a single account in your lifetime. What would you do with more than one account anyway? Users who are found with more than one account will have the newest ones disabled and warnings issued. Repeated attempts to create new accounts will result in permanent bans of all accounts from our site.

Can my friends and family use their account on the same computer?

This is highly discouraged, as the system will identify both of you as multi-account users.

What do you do about stat-hackers?

Permanent ban, no appeal. See Why Stat-Hacking on BakaBT is a Losing Proposition for more information.


Registration and Login

I registered an account but did not receive the confirmation e-mail!

Mail can sometimes take up to half a day to be sent out by our server. Please be patient.
Remember to check your spam/trash/etc. folder in case our confirmation mail doesn't appear in your Inbox.
If the mail is nowhere to be found, drop by #bakabt-support on IRC to ask for further assistance.

Alternatively, try another email address (GMail accounts tend to see the most success so far).
Accounts registered using 'disposable' email accounts will be rejected by the server, so do not use those. Get a proper email account.

If you registered for an account and got the confirmation email, but decided you don't like the username you picked, leave the email alone (do not click the confirmation link). Unconfirmed accounts are removed after 3 days so you can try again with a different username.

Help! I cannot login!? (a.k.a. Login of Death)

See: Troubleshooting: Login Issues

Another solution is to visit your settings page.

I've lost my user name or password! Can you send it to me?

Use this form to have the login details mailed back to you (Or click "Lost Password?" beside the login field).

Can you change my username or rename my account?

Users can request their tracker account renamed in our support channel #bakabt-support only once. You are required to state a valid reason for your request, otherwise it will be rejected. Using your real name in your nick is a valid reason; getting tired of your old name is not.

Forum usernames are not renamed.

Note that if your tracker account is renamed, members might have trouble identifying you later (different tracker account name & forum username).

Also the users cannot request existing account names so please check availability before asking.

Forum registration is closed, what do I do?

Your main site account and forum account are linked. However, your forum account needs to be activated via your main site account. To do this, go to your settings page and scroll down to the checkbox that says "Enable Forum Account". Check the box, enter your password in the "Change password field" twice and click "Submit Changes". Your forum account will then be active.

How do I verify if my forum account is active?

There are 2 ways to verify if you've successfully activated your forum account:

  • After you've enabled the account and saved the changes, the checkbox next to the "Enable Forum Account" field will remain checked and greyed out, followed with "Forum account enabled".
  • Alternatively you can double-check by clicking the Forum account link from your profile page. If you've activated it successfully you'll see your Forum Profile page, otherwise you'll encounter the following error: "The user whose profile you are trying to view does not exist."
I've confirmed I've activated my account, but every time I try to log in I get the "Wrong Password"

If you are certain you've followed all the steps correctly and have not simply mistyped your password, please use the Help Form to explain your issue and we'll provide you with assistance as soon as possible.

Account Pruning and Deletion

Will my account still exist if I don't use it for a while?

Accounts are pruned after 11 months of disuse (i.e. not logging into the tracker account). Accounts with 0 download and 0 upload are pruned earlier. (See also: "Forum Account").

Donator accounts (people who've donated to BakaBT and received a donator status) have the option of disabling inactivity pruning, and safeguarding their account for as long as they choose.
The option is disabled by default, and can be found in your settings page.

My account is gone! Can you recover it?

Remaking your account

  • For a limited time we're allowing pruned users who activated their forum accounts to remake their accounts.
  • All you need to do is, login to your forums account, go to your forum account's profile page, and click the Remake pruned account link
  • If you forgot your login credentials and have trouble recovering your password join us on IRC
  • If it's unrecoverable just follow the steps below.

New account creation

Normal registration is not available at this time. We're moving to an invite based system and are conducting interviews to hand out invites at the moment. (See also: "Sign up").

I don't want my account anymore. Can you delete it?

Leave your account alone and it will be pruned after 11 months (See: "Will my account still exist if I don't use it for a while?").

User Classes

What are the different user classes?

Class Description
User Normal user, can choose to view hentai, can adopt torrents, can register in our forum. Cannot make torrent offers.
Power User Higher user, can view peer lists and report bad torrents or comments. Has access to RSS feed. Can make torrent offers. Maximum 5 offer slots available to a power user at any given moment in time.
Uploader Deprecated and merged with the Power User class.
Power Uploader These people can upload directly to the torrent pool without requiring moderator approval. These people are appointed by staff if deemed a trustworthy member of the BakaBT community. Don't ask about becoming one.
Moderator/Admins Appointed by Admins. Don't ask about becoming one.

How do I become a Power User?

Both seed and leech at least 25GB and have a ratio equal to or greater than 0.5 to maintain it.

I just qualified as a Power User, but my status hasn't updated?

User status updates every day. Give it 24-48 hours and use the help form if it still does not update.


Warnings and Bans

I got a warning/was suspended/might be banned, what do I do?

See: "Warnings, Suspensions and Bans"


I got warned but my hard drive crashed/ I got a virus/ Computer got thrown out of window/ Dog ate my homework/ Nobody really likes to leech my hentai/ etc so I lost all my files so I can't seed. Please unwarn me so I can download something to seed...
If you racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt on a credit card and then suddenly lost your main source of income, do you think the credit card company is going to let you off with a debt writeoff (or even reactivate your card for more spending)?
You got yourself into that situation, you'll have to pull yourself out of it.


But I've turned over a new leaf, and I am now a dedicated seeder who will keep his/her torrents running 24/7. Please unwarn me.
If you have indeed turned over a new leaf, prove it by fixing your ratio. We've outlined a few ways for you to do so.

Privacy

Why is my IP displayed on my details page?

Only you and the site staff can view your IP address and email. Other users cannot see that information.

How do I hide torrents on my userpage?

You can edit statistics display level through the settings page, in the User page tab.

Does BakaBT store information on the things I download?

Yes. This is a statistics-tracking site after all, so we store as much information as is needed to implement the features you find on this site. You can hide your torrent statistics, but no requests for deletion of data from our database will be entertained.



Torrent and Tracker Issues

Common Torrent Error Messages

"Finding peers"
"Failure: unregistered torrent pass"

Cause:
You are not even looking in the right place to find what the error actually is.

Solution:
Find the trackers tab in your client, and see what status message is displayed next to the tracker url. Now you can troubleshoot further by referring to torrent error messages.

Cause #1:
The tracker can not find a user associated with the torrent pass you're sending it in your announce URL.

Solution:
Log in to your BakaBT account and re-download the torrent from the site.


Cause #2:
The torrent is using an expired public key. Note: Public key is only valid until the end of the month.

Solution:
Re-download the torrent file from the site.

"Failure: unregistered torrent"
"No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it"

Cause:
The torrent you downloaded is not/no longer tracked by our tracker.

Solution:
Check if the torrent has been swapped, replaced or removed. We occasionally prune old obsolete torrents or material that have become blacklisted.

If you have checked and verified that it is neither of these causes, then it may be a database error. Report the torrent (click on the exclamation mark beside the torrent title) and let us know. Note that you need to be logged in to your BakaBT account in order to make reports.

Note: This message also is present on new offers, since the torrent needs to be approved first in order to be registered with the tracker.

Cause:
The tracker is down

Solution:
Check if the tracker is momentarily offline, you can see the tracker status in the topic title on #BakaBT channel. If it is down, there is nothing you can do except to wait for it to come back up. Leave your client running and stats will update correctly after the tracker is back online. If you stop torrents while it's down, they won't update.

If the tracker seems to be online and you're still having the problem, drop by the support channel at #bakabt-support and we'll try to see what the problem actually is.

"Failure: access denied, torrents limit reached"
"Failure: use of this client is not allowed on our tracker, please see whitelisted torrent clients"

Cause:
You are downloading too many torrents.

Solution:
Users are allowed to download 3 torrents at a time. Power Users are allowed to download 10 torrents at a time. You are allowed to seed an unlimited number of torrents, regardless of your class. Check your userpage to see which torrents you are already downloading.

Cause:
Your torrent client is not in the whitelist.

Solution:
Use a torrent client that is in the whitelist. See this forum thread for more information.

"Failure: you are warned, you are not allowed to download, see our wiki for more info"

Cause:
Your ratio is too low and your account has been warned.

Solution:
Seed more and improve your ratio.


Common Torrent-related Problems

Well known site errors

Errors in this section are considered to be well known. This means, other members have reported the error before and BakaBT experts are working to solve the problem or the problem is just temporary. Unless otherwise stated, you don't need to report the error again.

Some torrents on my userpage are listed in wrong tabs

You might see your torrents listed on the tabs where it is not supposed to be, this is a known bug. Examples:

  1. Missing, appearing/disappearing torrents in tabs.
  2. Torrents not in correct tabs
  3. Torrents listed in multiple tabs

I've finished or cancelled a torrent. Why is it still listed in my userpage?

Some older clients do not report properly to the tracker when cancelling or finishing a torrent. In that case the tracker will keep waiting for the message - and thus listing the torrent as seeding or leeching - until the peer information timeout occurs. Just ignore it, it should go away after a few hours.

I am seeing torrents on my userpage that I never downloaded / Someone has hijacked my account

Cause #1: People are using your torrent key (you accidentally posted your torrent key publicly)
Cause #2: You hot-linked to a .torrent file that is tagged with your passkey
Cause #3: You posted a screenshot of your torrent program with your passkey visible
Cause #4: You revealed your torrent passkey to one or more people
Cause #5: You uploaded a .torrent file that has your passkey to another tracker.
Cause #6: You sent a .torrent file that has your passkey to a friend, or hotlinked the torrent download button to him.

Solution: Go to your settings page and generate a new key. All your old torrents will become invalid immediately, so you will have to re-download your torrents. Wait about 10-20 minutes to be sure the tracker has recorded your key change before resuming your torrenting.

To prevent similar issues occurring in future, do not hot-link to our torrent files (only link to the description page), and do not post your personal .torrent file (the one you download when logged in) to other trackers.

I'm uploading or downloading some torrents but I don't see them on my userpage

Cause: You downloaded a public torrent.

Solution: Log in and re-download the torrent.

My stats are not updating. What can I do?

Check that the torrent pass in your client's tracker announce URL matches the one shown on your settings page. If it doesn't (or if it does, but you're still having problems), then: Remove the torrent entries from your torrent client. Re-download the .torrent files and open them in your client. Force a hash recheck and resume activity.

If that doesn't help, go to your settings page and regenerate your torrent pass. Wait about 10-20 minutes to be sure the tracker has recorded your key change, then repeat the above step. Use only official non-beta clients.


Site stats are different compared to my BitTorrent Client for some torrents

Your BitTorrent client is responsible for reporting the torrent upload/download statistics data to the tracker. This data is transmitted in pre-determined intervals (i.e. 30mins) and is incremental which means only the upload/download amount during that period (or successful tracker connections) is sent to the tracker. This mechanism is defined by the BitTorrent Protocol and is not specific to BakaBT. Statistics accuracy is important and is ensured by limiting the BitTorrent clients allowed trough the BakaBT BitTorrent Client Whitelist. The data collected trough the tracker is then reflected to your statistics page on the BakaBT site.

Under normal circumstances, this mechanism works as intended and your statistics for any torrent will be properly sent to the tracker by your BitTorrent client and you will see similar stats on your client and the BakaBT stats page.

However, the following events can prevent this mechanism from working properly

  1. client loses internet connectivity during seeding/leeching (uploading/downloading) and is closed prior to re-establishing a connection
  2. client crashes due to an error or you forcefully terminate it
  3. client cannot connect to the tracker despite retries (it will continue its P2P activity with the last successful peer list received)
  4. tracker might be down for an unknown period of time
  5. your ISP is intervening with your connection to the tracker by manipulating packets
  6. administrative operations on the tracker/site software (data restore, upgrades)

Due to these events, your statistics for a given torrent can be below what you expect it to be. Most BitTorrent clients will transmit the statistics data in the next successful connection when a tracker connection cannot be established immediately given that they are not closed.

How is my traffic tracked?

BakaBT uses a passkey system to identify each user. Your passkey can be found on your settings page. When you announce, your passkey is used to identify you and to (very accurately) track your upload and download traffic, regardless of any IP changes. The passkey is automatically added to the announce URL of every torrent you download whilst logged in. YOU MUST NEVER, EVER GIVE OUT YOUR PASSKEY TO ANY OTHER PERSON. Doing so will result in undesirable outcomes. We will not help to fix any bad ratios caused by user's negligence of the security of their torrent passkey.

What are bonus torrents?

Bonus torrents are torrents with few seeders or few leechers, the idea of the bonus system is to keep older torrents alive. Bonus torrents are marked with bonus torrent icon Bonus icon.jpg. When you seed a bonus torrent (and have 100% complete file) you will earn 1 bonus point per hour per bonus torrent. You cannot earn more than 10 bonus points per hour even if you are seeding more than 10 bonus torrents at a time. Note that bonus points can be earned more reliably and much faster through adoptions.

Bonus points can be exchanged for upload credit on the bonus page (this means you can add an amount onto your 'uploaded' stat on your user page).

Bonus status depends on the number of seeders as well as the seeder-to-leecher ratio, and a few other factors. And since the number of seeders and leechers on a torrent can change, a torrent can gain or lose bonus status as well.

Bonus status is checked and updated every hour.

Best practices

If a torrent you are currently leeching or seeding is not listed on your userpage, stop the torrent and resume it again. (also see: I'm uploading or downloading some torrents but I don't see them on my userpage) Make sure you exit your client properly, so that the tracker receives the required information.If the tracker is down, do not stop seeding. Your traffic may not be tracked during downtime but as soon as the tracker is working again then your traffic will be tracked again.

What BitTorrent clients can I use?

See: "Bittorrent Clients"

Can I upload your torrents to other trackers?

Yes. However, only post the public torrent files to other trackers, do not post the .torrent file you downloaded when logged in (otherwise these things might happen). In other words, create a new .torrent file if you intend to upload it to other trackers.

(Of course, the torrent files you download through your torrent client are yours to do as you please.)

Using BakaBT from multiple machines

Can I login from different computers/IPs?

Yes. But you are advised not to log in at the computer of another BakaBT user; the system may identify you as a multi-account user.

See also: "Why was my account disabled?"

Can I seed from different computers/IPs?

Yes, but you may not seed the same torrent from two different computers/IPs as the tracker will not understand how you can be in two places at once, and doing so may cause problems. In the worst case, you may be auto-banned by the tracker.


Freeleech

What is Freeleech?

[F] symbol is used to indicate that a torrent is subject to Freeleech.

When a torrent is flagged with this symbol, it means leeching that torrent will not affect your download amount and will not decrease your ratio. Meanwhile seeding that torrent will continue to improve your ratio and will increase your upload amount. This is an excellent way to improve your ratio.

Torrents with specific type of content (1080p torrents, Artbooks, Music Videos, and torrents smaller than 100 MB) are subject to Freeleech, this is to promote their distribution.


Important: Warned members can not benefit from Freeleech, as they are not allowed to leech.

Note: This behavior is controlled by the BakaBT tracker, this means as long as the torrent is flagged with [F], you can benefit from this feature during leeching even if you have downloaded the torrent file before it is flagged.

How often does global freeleech happen?

Almost never. Don't ask us when it will be happening because we will ignore you.

The tracker went down. What do I do?

You wait until the tracker comes back up.

Why did the tracker go down?

Imagine that you and a friend are working at a restaurant. All of a sudden 130,000+ people come into the restaurant and demand 10+ meals each. Obviously the restaurant can't handle that load and eventually shuts down. During its downtime, it will catch up on orders and eventually re-open. Same principle here, when too many people connect to the server, the server may become overloaded and shut down. Be patient, eventually the server will come back up.

What shouldn't I do?

  • Do not Manually spam updates on the tracker. It will not help you connect faster; on the contrary, it puts extra strain on the server and may cause more downtime. That means you will not be able to enjoy the full benefits of the freeleech period.
  • Do not leech only. Part of the purpose of freeleech is to help you improve your ratio. It would be foolish if you leeched and don't seed.

Downloading/Seeding and Connection Issues

Common Questions

What's the difference between seeding and uploading?

Uploading is posting a new torrent to our tracker, where it will appear on the Offered or Browse pages.

Seeding is uploading data to other users on a torrent after you have completed the download.

I don't see the leeching, seeding, seeded torrent tabs in my stats page (anymore)

As of September 29th, 2010 those tabs have been removed. You can see the torrents you are seeding/leeching on the Active tab.

The BitTorrent protocol and clients are not designed to report the individual torrent status information in a way that the previous separate tabs mechanism could work as expected.

I have leeched/downloaded the torrents but some torrents won't seed

Leeching a torrent requires seeders and the number of seeders generally determine how fast you can leech a torrent, higher the number of seeders - higher the download speed. Unfortunately this becomes a problem when you finish downloading the torrent and afterwards intend to seed it back because if there are too many seeders and no (or a small number of) leechers when you are seeding you won't get a chance to seed.

An option is to continue seeding those torrents as much as possible and wait for the ratio for that torrent to reach 1.5 or alternatively you can download other torrent with more potential to seed (popular torrents with many leechers)

See also Freeleech Torrents

I have some files on my computer, how do I seed them or upload them to BakaBT?

See: "I've finished downloading the files, so how do I seed back?" and "Why can't I offer new torrents?"

Why do I have to wait before I can download a new torrent?

When new torrents are uploaded, those with Power User (or higher) status are given 'first dibs'. By virtue of their good share ratio we trust that these users will stick around to help seed the torrent after they benefit from having exclusive access to the initial seeders. Other users must wait for the timer to expire before they can download the .torrent file.

The amount of time you have to wait is proportional to the size of the torrent (the larger the torrent, the longer you have to wait). This is to encourage more people to become Power Users, and to build up a larger seed base before other users are permitted to join the swarm.

Why did an active torrent suddenly disappear?

  1. The torrent may have been replaced by a superior offer.
  2. The uploader may have requested for its deletion, with an acceptable reason(s).
  3. The torrent was requested to be removed by a 3rd party (usually in the form of a cease-and-desist letter).

It happens from time to time and we regret that no alerts will be given prior to deletion. If this is unacceptable, we suggest that you get your files from other public trackers (such as Anirena, Minglong or Nyaa) instead, where torrents are less likely to be removed.

What is a torrent passkey?

See: How is my traffic tracked?

I lost all my files, and I can't download or seed, help!

See: Fixing Your Ratio

Connectivity and Speed Issues

If your question falls under any of these categories:

  1. Cannot access BakaBT
  2. Port number is '---'/other port-related issues
  3. Proxying and proxies
  4. Dynamic/static IPs and NAT
  5. Slow downloading/uploading

Kindly refer to the Troubleshooting section for more information.


Torrenting Issues

I can't leech/seed a torrent

If the BakaBT tracker is preventing you from leeching/seeding a torrent, it will inform your client in the form of error messages through the trackers tab/pane. Look at the tracker status and refer to FAQ#Common Torrent Error Messages


I'm having trouble with this Bittorrent program, something's wrong with it

Do a search in the Help section of the forums, and see if someone else has faced the same issue.

If yours is a unique case, make a new post in the same section. Give clear and detailed information, and include links to the torrents you are having trouble with.

Note: We only provide help for whitelisted torrent clients. Support for other clients will not be provided.

What do I do if a torrent has no seeds?

Hop on the forums and post in the Reseed Request section. Be sure to read the rules before posting.

I've finished downloading the files, so how do I seed back?

See: "Seeding"

What are these "a piece has failed a hash check" messages?

BitTorrent clients check the data they receive for integrity. When a piece fails this check it is automatically re-downloaded. Occasional hash fails are a common occurrence, and you shouldn't worry.

Some clients have an (advanced) option/preference to 'kick/ban clients that send you bad data' or similar. It should be turned on, since it makes sure that if a peer repeatedly sends you pieces that fail the hash check it will be ignored in the future.

The torrent is supposed to be 100MB. How come I downloaded 120MB?

See: What are these "a piece has failed a hash check" messages? If your client receives bad data it will have to redownload it, therefore the total downloaded may be larger than the torrent size. Make sure the "kick/ban" option is turned on to minimize the extra downloads.

What's this "IOError - [Errno13] Permission denied" error?

If you just want to fix it reboot your computer, it should solve the problem. Otherwise, see "What's this "IOError - [Errno13] Permission denied" error?".

Downloading or seeding is slow! How do I speed it up?

See: "Troubleshooting: Speed Issues".

Torrent Offers and Adoptions

Torrent Offer System

What does 'New' mean?

Newly offered torrents are not registered with the tracker until they are approved. Until then, they will not be available for download.
The time it takes for torrent approval varies and is dependent upon many different factors, so a reliable estimate cannot be given.

What does 'Semi-approved' mean?

Offers require the approval of two staff members before they are added to the tracker. 'Semi-approved' is the state an offer acquires when at least one staff member has granted it, but it is pending further approval.

What is 'On hold' status?

Pending notification for all offers that require more work. On hold status is usually followed with a reason.
Offers on hold are no longer counted on the 'Offered' page.

Why can't I offer new torrents?

Only Power Users can make new torrent offers, which will be granted or rejected by staff. Torrents offered by staff members and Power Uploaders are added to the torrent pool directly without going through the approval procedure. Non-Power Users can not make offers.

Is there a limit to the amount of offers I can make?

As a Power User you can offer a maximum of 5 torrents. When that limit has been reached you'll have to wait for staff to inspect one of your pending offers.

Why are rejected torrents in the Recently rejected section?

For rejected torrents, we will prune them after a minimum of 7 days, maximum of 30 days on the "recently rejected" list. While the torrents are in the recently rejected list, it will still occupy a slot on the uploader's account.
Please refrain from asking the admins or mods to prune the torrents before time.

I have another question related to torrents and offers

If it is any of the following questions:

  1. What can I offer/not offer to BakaBT?
  2. I have files that I would like to upload, how do I upload them here?
  3. What should I put in the description?
  4. How should I name my files?
  5. What are good keywords for my torrent?
  6. Why does it say "This torrent contains improper files, please swap the torrent file" on the torrent page?
  7. What are "extra files" and what should I add?
  8. How do I attach extra files?
  9. What should I put in my torrents?
  10. What is this torrent swapping feature?

Kindly see: "How to make an offer"

Torrent Adoption System

Why should I adopt a torrent?

You adopt because the (faulty) description of a torrent does not sit right with you, and you have the irresistible urge to fix it, put it right and provide accurate information for future users of BakaBT who will chance upon said torrent.


Note: The adopter effectively becomes the new owner of the torrent. As such, he/she is expected to carry out the usual duties of the torrent owner. They'll be responsible for re-seeding the torrent if it dies (so adopters must have the torrent files), keep descriptions up to date, and make torrent swaps where necessary. Torrent adopting is not stamp-collecting.

Note 2: Many users are under a false impression that adopting torrents will inadvertently fix your ratio or give you freeleech right even if you are warned. This is false.
Only seeding can increase your ratio, and by adopting you are assumed to already have the files you planning to adopt and therefore seed.

What should I do to ensure that my adoption request will be granted?

  • Submit a proper reason for adoption. Tell us what you are going to fix, what you will add, what you will do with the torrent. If the reason for adoption is "I will fix the torrent", we're not likely to be convinced. Look at the checklist below for things that you need to point out in your request.
  • It helps if you have a portfolio.
    • Users who consistently submit good torrent descriptions (by adopting, or making torrent offers) will obviously be trusted more than users without said portfolio. So if you already have torrents in your Uploaded tab, do take a look at them and work on those first before adopting new torrents.
    • If you are a new user with no prior experience do not worry, we will sit you through the description-editing process and help you bring it up to speed, all you need is a willingness to learn and dedication to the adoption process.
  • Seed the torrent. While owners are not expected to seed the torrent files 24/7, being a seed on the peerlist gives us the assurance that you have the files are will be able to re-seed the torrent as and when the need arises.

What do I need to do after I adopt a torrent?

Bring it up to date, in accordance with the torrent description content guidelines.
Keep tabs on it, and re-seed the torrent if it dies (has 0 seeders).

That sounds complicated, can you help me?

In general, we will give advice when needed, but first you should check out this guide. It covers most of what you'll ever need!

Bonus points bounty for a successful adoption

Upon successful completion of an adoption, depending on the work you've invested, you'll either get 1/10th of the bounty (for minimal or no changes, if none are required), the full bounty, 1.5 x the bounty for a really good job, or 2.5 x the bounty for excellent work.
The amount you receive is, of course, at the supervising mod's discretion.

What if I want to replace the torrent files with a better, superior version?

Make a new torrent offer, and add a comment, giving the URL of the torrent you wish to replace. The adoption system is meant for fixing torrents, not replacing them.

Is there an RSS feed available for BakaBT?

RSS Feeds are only available for Power Users. You will see the RSS Feed link appear when you become one.

To get fast updates on newly approved torrents alternatively you can join #BakaBT where all new approvals are announced by our bot.

Can I add an RSS feed in my torrent client?

No. RSS feature is purely for informative purpose, automatic torrent leeching via RSS is not supported.

How can I get an avatar on the Blog?

Wordpress has its own Avatar-System with which you can have the same avatar on all Wordpress-Blogs you have an account on.

For this you have to go to Gravatar and sign up with your e-mail address with which you created your account on the blog Wait for the e-mail with the activation-key, click on the link and enter the needed information.

After logging in click on "Add one by clicking here", choose the location of the avatar and resize the box to fit your avatar. Now you only have to choose a rating for it and you are finished.



What if I can't find the answer to my problem here?

So, after reading all that, you still can't find a solution? Read on. Post in the forums, by all means. You'll find it's a friendly and helpful place, provided you follow a few basic guidelines:

  • You might have missed a few wiki pages. Did you know we also have the following wiki pages?
  1. Site Rules
  2. Beginner's FAQ
  3. Troubleshooting
  4. Account Restrictions
  5. How to make an offer
  6. What we allow on BakaBT
  • Make sure your problem has not been answered in this FAQ. There's no point in posting just to be sent back here amidst a torrent of angry remarks telling you not to waste other people's time.
  • Before posting, read the stickied topics (the ones at the top of each subforum page). Many times, new information that still hasn't been incorporated in the FAQ can be found there.
  • Help us in helping you. Do not just say "it doesn't work!". Provide details so that we don't have to guess or waste time asking. What client do you use? What's your OS? What's your network setup? What's the exact error message you get, if any? What are the torrents you are having problems with? The more details you give the easier it will be for us, and the more likely your post will get a useful reply, as opposed to a reply that just asks for more information.
  • PLEASE make an effort to make your posts readable. There is nothing worse than trying to decipher a post that looks like it was written by someone mashing their face on the keyboard. Perfect spelling isn't necessary, but basic grammar and punctuation definitely helps.
  • ... and needless to say: be polite. Demanding help rarely works. Asking nicely for it usually does the trick.
  • DO NOT send a private message to a staff member. If you don't wish to post in the forums, use the help form instead, or ask on the IRC channel.
  • To prove that you have read this FAQ before seeking help, please quote the words 'Amorphous Plate Wiggle' in your post. We are quite serious. Failure to do so will result in your thread being locked immediately or your help request being ignored. This phrase is subject to change.