What does it mean to seed a torrent? First, you need to understand what a torrent is. A torrent is a file that gives you information about the locations where you can find and download the files you’re looking to download. When you download a file through a torrent app, you are not getting that file from any one source but from different sources and directories at the same time. Seeding however, happens after you have completed the download. Seeding is simply a way of keeping a torrent alive by uploading it as soon as your download has been completed. Read on to know more about how to seed a torrent.
Seeds in torrenting means those people who have successfully downloaded a file via torrents and have left those files in their downloaded directories, and their torrent app running so the file can be uploaded for other people who would like to download the same torrent. When a user downloads a torrent, his torrent app does so by checking all the directories specified in the .torrent file. These directories include the various computers where the torrent has previously been downloaded, so, the torrent app downloads the file in parts from these various sources until it has the complete file.
Why is Seeding Important?
Seeding is a way of giving back what you’ve taken in the torrent community. One thing about torrents is that it is based on peer to peer file sharing. Seeding means you’re helping other users find parts that you already have of the file they are downloading. This helps other peers get more information from their torrents. If there were to be a torrent with zero seeds, then what that means is that nobody has the complete file, and the torrent can longer help others download the complete file they are looking for. That torrent would be dead and useless.
Seeding also helps to boost the download speed of torrents. Downloading a torrent with 100 seeds means there are 100 different directories to check to get the complete file. The internet speed would vary among these 100 locations and this will improve the download speed. A torrent with 2 seeds however would mean that there are only 2 locations where the complete file is available and the internet speed in these 2 locations would determine the torrent’s download speed.
How to Seed a Torrent?
According to Wikihow, these 5 steps will help you seed your torrents successfully.
- Seeding starts immediately after your torrent download has finished. The first step is to leave the torrent file in the directory where it was downloaded.
- Let your torrent app continue to run, also, make sure you’re connected to the internet.
- Once you file has downloaded, the status changes from ‘downloading’ to ‘seeding’. If the status doesn’t change, you can change it manually.
- Leave the app running until your seed ratio reaches 1.0. What this means is that you have given back as much as you have taken from the community.
- There’s no harm if you want to give back more than you took. You can continue seeding for as long as you want.
Why is it Recommended to Use VPN for Torrenting?
Use VPN for torrenting is not necessary anyhow, it is recommended. Your details can be seen by ISPs (internet service provider) which is not good for your privacy.
While using torrent sites, your details remain publicly visible and there is a very good possibility that it is being collected and used for different purposes.
All the torrent sites highly recommend using a good VPN so that you connect will be encrypted and you can hide your details like IP address, location, etc. You can also face a legal issue if you seed a copyright-protected file.
The summary is, use a good VPN. Use NordVPN or Express VPN. Both are good and fully hide your identity.
How to Seed Torrent Files
You may have seen the word “Seeding” many time while using BitTorrent. What seeding is? Seeding is a process in which other torrent users like you can get the file that you have downloaded.
The question is, how to seed torrent files so that others can also get that content that you have previously downloaded?
Seeding is quite simple
- Do not move the file that you have previously downloaded from a torrent site.
- Make sure you are connected with internet.
- Keep your BitTorrent running.
- BitTorrent shows seeding option by default. If you did not see than manually change it to seeding.
That all, other users can download this file as long as you want. But make sure this file is not copyright protected otherwise, you can face a serious issue. For seeding, it is highly important to use a well-reputed VPN so that you can hide.
How to Seed Moved Torrent Files
Suppose that, you are a seeder and want to seed a particular file that you have recently downloaded but incidentally, you have renamed or moved it. It is still any method to seed it? Yes, it is still possible to seed it even you have moved a file or renamed it.
If you have renamed or moved a file, BitTorrent will show an error which means that torrent clients are unable to seed that file. You can follow the below steps to seed that file:
- Open uTorrent and select the problematic torrent.
- Click on the Stop button which is at the top-placed toolbar.
- Now take a look at the bottom of the uTorrent’s window. You can see many tabs.
- Now select the Files If you don’t see it, go to Options > Show detailed info.
- Right-click on the file you moved and choose Relocate from the menu.
- You will see a new window. You have to navigate to the new location of the file(s) and then click on Save. This will force uTorrent to search for the new location and you should be seeding once again.
All done! This was a simple way to seed a torrent file if you have moved or renamed it. Surely, you have understood.
Remember, seeding is one of the best ways to keep a torrent alive and help others download the complete files just like you did. So, don’t be in a hurry to close your torrent app when your download completes, leave it running and seed your files.
