FAQ
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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.
This is a public tracker, but we do prefer users to register before using the site. 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).
Submit a report?
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.
Reporting Torrents
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)
- 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)
- 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.
- Reporting a torrent for any other reason than those just listed will incur warnings, and bans will be issued if abuse continues. In other words, dont' 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:
- 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 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:
- They are abusive or contribute to flaming.
- They contain unhidden spoilers for the anime.
- 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.
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.
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 removed and warnings issued. Repeated attempts to create new accounts will result in permanent bans of all accounts from our site.
Can my friend/family member use his/her own account on the same computer as me?
This is highly discouraged, as the system will identify both of you as multi-account users.
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.
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.
Accounts registered using 'disposable' email accounts will be rejected by the server, so do not use them. Get a proper email account (GMail accounts tend to see the most success so far).
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 about 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 rename their account on the tracker by using 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.
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 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.
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. Accounts with 0 download and 0 upload are pruned earlier.
My account is gone! Can you recover it?
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.
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. |
| 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 BakaBT 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?
User status updates every day. Give it 24-48 hours and drop any of the staff a PM 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/etc and I lost all my files so I can't seed. Please unwarn me so I can download
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 moderators can view your IP address and email. Other users do not 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.
Is there anything I can do about it?
No. 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
Failure: access denied, leeching forbidden, you are only allowed to seed
Cause: Your ratio is too low and your account has been warned.
Solution: Seed more and improve your ratio.
"Failure: unregistered torrent pass"
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.
Solution: Re-download the torrent file from the site.
"Failure: unregistered torrent"
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.
"No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it"
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. 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"
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.
"Failure: use of this client is not allowed on our tracker, please see http://www.bakabt.com/whitelist.php"
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.
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.
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 hot-link to the description page), and do not post your personal .torrent file (the one you download when logged in) to other trackers.
Why is a torrent I'm leeching/seeding listed several times in my userpage?
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.
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.
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 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 bonus page (this means you can add an amount onto your 'uploaded' stat on your user page).
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, log out before downloading the 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 :P. In the worst case, you may be auto-banned by the tracker.
Downloading/Seeding and Connection Issues
Common Questions
What's the difference between seeding and uploading?
Uploading is posting a new torrent to our tracker. Seeding is uploading data to other users on a torrent after you have completed the download.
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?
- 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).
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 TPB and TT) 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:
- Cannot access BakaBT
- Port number is '---'/other port-related issues
- Proxying and proxies
- Dynamic/static IPs and NAT
- Slow downloading/uploading
Kindly refer to the Troubleshooting section for more information.
Torrenting Issues
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 "TWhat'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 'Semi-granted' mean?
Offers require the approval of three staff members before they are added to the tracker. 'Semi-granted' is the state an offer acquires when at least one staff member has granted it, but it is pending further approval.
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.
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?
Kindly see: "How to make an offer"
Torrent Adoption System
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 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.
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.
- 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).
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.
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. Information about the script, Download Link.
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 adress 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 loging 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:
- 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.