Magnetic links for dummies?

Author	All Replies
vincentdelpo join:2010-06-24	Magnetic links for dummies? Hello I barely understand how BitTorrent works, and now I've seen that ThePirateBay has dumped them in favor of magnetic links :-/ Can someone explain in simple terms how magnetic links work to locate and download a file? Thank you.
	to forum · permalink · 2012-02-29 18:45:37 ·
squircle join:2009-06-23 Oakville, ON Reviews: ·linode	Well first, they're "magnet" links, not "magnetic" links (although that gave me quite a chuckle). Basically, the magnet link contains a hash of the torrent file. When you tell your bittorrent client what magnet link to fetch, it searches the swarm and obtains the torrent file from somebody in the swarm (or directly from a tracker). It then downloads the torrent as it normally would.
	to forum · permalink · 2012-03-01 10:40:47 ·
dvd536 as Mr. Pink as they come Premium join:2001-04-27 Phoenix, AZ kudos:4	said by squircle: Well first, they're "magnet" links, not "magnetic" links (although that gave me quite a chuckle). Basically, the magnet link contains a hash of the torrent file. When you tell your bittorrent client what magnet link to fetch, it searches the swarm and obtains the torrent file from somebody in the swarm (or directly from a tracker). It then downloads the torrent as it normally would. Only downside is you can't see the files within using magnets. so you can't pick and choose what you want within the torrent.
	to forum · permalink · 2012-03-01 22:17:30 ·
sivran Opera ex-pat Premium join:2003-09-15 Arlington, TX kudos:1	Sure you can. Click the torrent, click the files tab.
	to forum · permalink · 2012-03-01 22:20:27 ·
goober22 Resident Duh-Huh Member join:2001-12-28 Panama City, FL kudos:1	said by sivran: Sure you can. Click the torrent, click the files tab. No you can't, at least not in utorrent 2.2.1. When aq magnet link loads, there is no file tab and no torrent name to "click". Those options are only available when you load a .torrent from disk or download a .torrent directly into utorrent - but not with magnet links. -- *Certified Jenius!*
	to forum · permalink · 2012-03-02 09:04:10 ·
Napsterbater Premium,MVM join:2002-12-28 Milledgeville, GA Reviews: ·Windstream ·VOIPo	said by goober22: said by sivran: Sure you can. Click the torrent, click the files tab. No you can't, at least not in utorrent 2.2.1. When aq magnet link loads, there is no file tab and no torrent name to "click". Those options are only available when you load a .torrent from disk or download a .torrent directly into utorrent - but not with magnet links. Well you are using an old version, new one you can. -- ASUS M4A79T Deluxe \| AMD Phenom II x3 720 BE AM3 w/4 Cores @ 3.41Ghz(OC) \| 4Gb DDR3 Memory @ 1600mhz \| Sapphire ATI HD4870 1GB 800mhz/1000mhz(OC) \| 2x500GB HDD's Raid 0 \| Windows 7 Ultimate x64 Build 7600 (RTM) \| Windstream DSL 12m (14.9m Sync)/766k
	to forum · permalink · 2012-03-02 12:04:09 ·
goober22 Resident Duh-Huh Member join:2001-12-28 Panama City, FL kudos:1	Oh, the newer ones with all the bloat? I'll keep what I have now then. -- *Certified Jenius!*
	to forum · permalink · 2012-03-02 12:58:10 ·
Napsterbater Premium,MVM join:2002-12-28 Milledgeville, GA	There are also other clients. Just don't complain about not having features on old clients.
	to forum · permalink · 2012-03-02 13:08:38 ·

goober22 Resident Duh-Huh Member join:2001-12-28 Panama City, FL kudos:1	I'm not complaining, I am happy with what I am using. Someone says they can, I say they can't. Seems it depends on clients and version numbers, huh? Maybe folks should not make a blanket statement in the future that's not true for everyone or everything. Not everyone lives in "your" world (or whose world posts the blanket statement). -- *Certified Jenius!*
	to forum · permalink · 2012-03-02 17:32:18 ·
sivran Opera ex-pat Premium join:2003-09-15 Arlington, TX kudos:1	reply to goober22 said by goober22: said by sivran: Sure you can. Click the torrent, click the files tab. No you can't, at least not in utorrent 2.2.1. When aq magnet link loads, there is no file tab and no torrent name to "click". Those options are only available when you load a .torrent from disk or download a .torrent directly into utorrent - but not with magnet links. So sure are you? Files tab You make it sound like the torrent's invisible... but of course, it isn't. -- Think Outside the Fox.
	to forum · permalink · 2012-03-02 19:45:53 ·
beamann21 join:2012-03-06 New York, NY	I'm using the latest version of utorrent client and I have the same issue: when clicking on a magnet link it won't display the files inside to be able to choose which ones to download, even though the settings are configured correctly.
	to forum · permalink · 2012-03-06 16:55:06 ·
sivran Opera ex-pat Premium join:2003-09-15 Arlington, TX kudos:1	Yeah, I saw that too. But after the torrent is added, you can do it just fine.
	to forum · permalink · 2012-03-06 19:28:51 ·
beamann21 join:2012-03-06 New York, NY	said by sivran: Yeah, I saw that too. But after the torrent is added, you can do it just fine. Can you explain how you do that? Thanks
	to forum · permalink · 2012-03-06 20:48:41 ·
sivran Opera ex-pat Premium join:2003-09-15 Arlington, TX kudos:1	Uh, after I click ok and it shows up in the torrent list.. well.. see the screenshot. It's treated like any other torrent. -- Think Outside the Fox.
	to forum · permalink · 2012-03-06 21:27:20 ·
beamann21 join:2012-03-06 New York, NY	said by sivran: Uh, after I click ok and it shows up in the torrent list.. well.. see the screenshot. It's treated like any other torrent. What is meant in this thread is the capability of being able to select which files to download and which files not to in a multi file torrent BEFORE the actual download starts. This is done by choosing "Show a window that displays the files inside the torrent" in the UI Settins of the uTorrent client. The problem is that even when this option is selected, when clickin on a Magnet link the window shows empty (no files), so one is unable to select the files to download and instead all of the files start downloading.
	to forum · permalink · 2012-03-06 22:38:46 ·
sivran Opera ex-pat Premium join:2003-09-15 Arlington, TX kudos:1	The original claim was this: quote: Only downside is you can't see the files within using magnets. so you can't pick and choose what you want within the torrent. This isn't the case, as I have demonstrated. The net result is the same: you get to pick which files to skip or change priority. -- Think Outside the Fox.
	to forum · permalink · 2012-03-06 23:34:48 ·
shearer Northern Lights Premium join:2002-06-18 Asia	reply to vincentdelpo So, AFTER the download starts, I can then choose which files I'd like to download?
	to forum · permalink · 2012-03-10 19:46:43 ·
dvd536 as Mr. Pink as they come Premium join:2001-04-27 Phoenix, AZ kudos:4	said by shearer: So, AFTER the download starts, I can then choose which files I'd like to download? no. you download them all then when you're SEEDING you stop it and choose what to delete. if its a tv show chances are its just one file. warez and movies will differ.
	to forum · permalink · 2012-03-11 00:23:28 ·
Xioden Premium join:2008-06-10 Monticello, NY kudos:1	said by dvd536: said by shearer: So, AFTER the download starts, I can then choose which files I'd like to download? no. you download them all then when you're SEEDING you stop it and choose what to delete. if its a tv show chances are its just one file. warez and movies will differ. You don't have to wait for them to finish downloading. It'll either be a right-click option for the individual files (utorrent), or a file priority setting (Azureus/Vuze)
	to forum · permalink · 2012-03-11 03:35:26 ·
sivran Opera ex-pat Premium join:2003-09-15 Arlington, TX kudos:1	reply to dvd536 said by dvd536: said by shearer: So, AFTER the download starts, I can then choose which files I'd like to download? no. you download them all then when you're SEEDING you stop it and choose what to delete. if its a tv show chances are its just one file. warez and movies will differ. False, as demonstrated. Well, I guess unless it's a fairly small torrent and it maxes out in the time between clicking ok, then clicking the torrent in the list and then clicking files. -- Think Outside the Fox.
	to forum · permalink · 2012-03-11 14:28:39 ·

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