What is a torrent
Torrent is very popular in Russia. And it deserves its popularity due to the function described below.
Torrent (BitTorrent) is a protocol that makes it possible to exchange files between users over the Internet.
There are similar protocols that are also designed for information exchange. These are FTP, HTTP and HTTPS. But torrenting has some advantages, but it also has some disadvantages. In general, read on and you will find out everything.
Some definitions that will be useful to you:
Seeds are people who distribute the files that you download. Moreover, the point is that people have the full version of the files. That is, if you download a game, then the seeders distributing it have a full installer. They don't need to download anything. You too can become a seeder when you download the game and do not put a ban on distribution.
Pirs are absolutely all people. Those who are downloading and those who have already downloaded (distributing files). When you start downloading via torrent, you automatically become a peer. You can download from both the seeder and from another user who has not completely downloaded the files (that is, you can download from both the seeder and the peer). But he has some of these files, so you can download them.
Plus, on the description page you may see a word such as repack or RePack . This word means repackaging. That is, the game has been repackaged.
How to download and install a bittorrent client
Although there are many such programs, in our country the most popular torrent client is µTorrent (more often the unusual name “mu-torrent” is denoted without using the µ symbol, as utorrent).
Such a high popularity of this client defies logical explanation: the program, in addition to its undoubted advantages, also has significant disadvantages, while many competitors are in no way inferior to utorrent. But we have what we have.
It is recommended to download the program at https://www.utorrent.com/, which guarantees the use of the latest stable version of the client.
Installation of the program is simple and does not require user intervention, with the exception of a window in which it is proposed to install, along with the Yandex.Bar program itself, several other services from the domestic search engine. We recommend unchecking these products - they will intrusively offer you advertisements, and uninstalling these services is not so easy. Well, that's the cost of free software, which is what µTorrent is.
The program settings section has many sections and parameters, many of which are incomprehensible even to experienced users. By and large, the default parameters can be left untouched. But before using a torrent, we still recommend running the “Installation Assistant” in the settings after successful installation to correctly configure the parameters responsible for the speed of downloading/uploading files, especially if you intend to download large files. This is necessary so that downloads do not interfere with your work on the Internet.
In the tester window, you need to indicate the city closest to your place of residence and start testing by clicking the appropriate button.
As a result, the program will test the speed of the incoming and outgoing channels and give recommendations for setting the speed, which will be set automatically - you just have to agree with them.
The second point concerns saving downloaded files. By default, this is the Download folder, but you can choose any one - after all, it is better to store large files (movies, music, photos) not on the system drive.
At this point, the program setup stage can be considered complete.
Advantages and disadvantages of downloading games via torrent
To the future word. I will say right away that these pros and cons can, in principle, be attributed to downloading files from the Internet via torrent in general. That is, it can be not only games, but also programs, archives, films, various images and courses. In general - all kinds of files. Well, folders too. Yes. Torrent allows you to download folders with files.
Read:
So far I have found the following advantages and disadvantages in all this:
Pros:
- Make it free from paid;
- High download speed;
- Vitality of downloaded files;
- Uploading files;
- Availability;
Minuses:
- Sometimes this is not entirely correct;
- There is a possibility of low download speed;
- Requires installation of a third-party program;
- Chance of catching the virus.
These are the pros and cons. I will analyze them in more detail so that you have a complete understanding of the torrent.
Make it free from paid
You've probably come across information on the Internet that you need to pay for and then use it. Let's assume any course. But you don’t want to pay for it, and the information provided in the course is useful for you. Torrent solves this problem.
If the course is very popular, then there will be a person who will buy it and start distributing it via torrent. And you, in turn, download. This is the most important advantage of torrenting. But for ordinary users. For entrepreneurs who sell information, not so much. Because of this, they suffer losses. This leads to the disadvantage that this is not entirely correct. But that's a completely different story.
All this applies to downloading games via torrent. Developers of paid games suffer financial losses due to the fact that their paid games may become free.
In the end it becomes so. Especially if the game is popular and expected by everyone. If this is really the case, then it appears literally a couple of days on torrent trackers after its release. True, often without a pill (more on that a little later). We have to wait at least another week.
High download speed
Due to what? Everything is very simple. You can download the game and then start giving it away. Other users will be able to download it from your computer. And the speed of their downloading will depend on what maximum upload speed you configure.
Why am I saying this? And to the fact that when you downloaded the game, you downloaded it not from one computer, but from several. From those who distributed this game. Everything is very simple.
But there is also a minus. Few people distributing – low speed . It happens when a downloaded game is not popular or has long been forgotten. As a result, this is not a high download speed.
File survivability
Vitality stems from the very people who distribute the file. As long as there are such people, you will be able to download and install the game.
Moreover, if you download a file from the Internet directly (without a torrent) directly in the browser. That is, via the http protocol, you download from 1 computer (server). The download may be interrupted and you will have to start the download again. Although there is a special program (Download Master) that solves this problem. But more on that later.
This is both the minus of direct downloading and the plus of torrenting. Since the torrent has file resuming. And even if the person distributing the file turns off the computer, you can download from another computer from another user. If you download the game directly via the Internet (via a browser), you will not have this option. If the server you are downloading from crashes, the download will be interrupted. Turn off the computer without completing the download - it will be interrupted. With the bittorrent client you don't have to worry about this.
Possibility to catch a virus
The most important disadvantage, which, let’s say, is symmetrically equal to all the advantages, is that there is a chance of catching a virus . If an attacker sees that a game is popular, he can create his own torrent distribution and start distributing this game. You will download it through distribution and when you start the installation, your computer will be infected.
Yes. Sometimes it happens. But! In all the time I've been using torrents, I've never caught a virus. This takes a long time to explain and is probably not interesting. So, in short, choose the first search results in the search engine. If you want details, write in the comments to the article.
Now that you have read all of the above and realized that torrenting is more of a plus than a minus, it’s time to start downloading the game! But before you do that, there's something else you should know.
How to use uTorrent Classic
The classic version of uTorrent is difficult for beginners. Its interface is filled with technical information and unfamiliar words. But you don’t have to understand all of this. The main thing is to be able to download content. This is done simply.
1. First, decide what you want to download. Film or music - it doesn't matter.
2. Have you decided? Find a torrent file for your content. What is it - we wrote above.
3. Click on the torrent file or simply drag it into the uTorrent interface.
3.1. Or click on the magnet link, and when the browser asks which program to open it in, select uTorrent.
4. A window to start a new download will open with all the information about the downloaded files. Make sure there is enough free space in the save folder. How much space is required and how much is free is displayed on the right. If necessary, change the folder. Then click OK.
5. The download will begin. Wait until her status bar is completely filled to 100%. After this, the status usually changes to “Distributing” or “In the distribution queue”.
6. When the download is complete, double-click on it, or select the “Open folder” command by right-clicking to show it in Explorer on your computer.
Unneeded torrent files can later be deleted from the uTorrent interface using the Del button on the keyboard. The downloaded content will remain on your computer.
Before downloading the game
Before downloading the game, you will need to download the Bittorren client and then install it. It will help you read files with the .torrent , which contain information from where to download the games you need.
In general, I distinguish 2 main torrent clients: uTorrent and MediaGet . You can download any one. I use uTorrent. I advise you too.
Download uTorrent
Download MediaGet
After you have downloaded one of the above programs, you need to install it. Below is shown how and what needs to be done.
MediaGet installation instructions
1 Launch the downloaded installer.
2 Uncheck the boxes. It's up to you to decide which ones. I took everything off for myself.
3 Here we definitely uncheck all the boxes (this is advertising) so that nothing unnecessary is installed on the computer.
4 Click install. After this, the download will begin.
5 Waiting for complete installation
6 Done. You can run it.
7 This is what you should see as a result. Now you are ready to download games from the Internet. You can proceed to the next point.
uTorrent installation instructions
1 Launch the installer.
2 Agree to the installation by clicking on Agree.
3 Turn off advertising by clicking Decline.
4 Turn off advertising again in the same way.
5 This is up to your discretion. I advise you to leave all the boxes ticked. Although the second one is questionable. If you do not want to launch the program when Windows starts, then uncheck it.
6 Also at your discretion. The last checkbox is responsible for creating a shortcut on the desktop. I left it so I could run the program later.
7 After all the steps have been completed, the installation will begin.
8 Done! You can run it. Click Finish leaving the checkbox active.
How to make your distribution as safe as possible
Creating an archive with a password via “Terminal”
Experienced users know that in DHT networks you can search for torrents during distribution. This is why we advise removing distributions from clients when they are not needed. If the task is to convey something really important in this way, it is better to protect it.
Important files can be collected into a password-protected archive . It will be almost impossible to extract them from it by any fraudulent means. It’s a pity, archivers with the necessary functionality for Mac are quite expensive - for the same WinZip they ask for 2,290 rubles.
Few people know that you can use Terminal to create password-protected archives on Mac. The following command will do:
zip -ejr [path/archive_name] [path_to_folder_or_file]
Here [path/archive_name] is the path and name of the archive, and [path_to_folder_or_file] is the path and name of the source file.
To add both the first and second set from the path to the file and its name, simply drag the necessary documents from the Finder into the “Terminal” using drag-and-drop.
After entering the command, “Terminal” will ask for a password for the archive, as well as its confirmation. They must match. Obviously, the more information, the longer it will take to be archived.
Download the game via torrent
We figured out what a torrent is and how it works. Even if it’s superficial, it’s enough for us. There is no need to go deeper if you are only going to download. Plus, we downloaded the client program and installed it. If not, then download and install. Now let’s find the game you need and download it to your computer.
In order to download the game via torrent you need to:
- Launch Bittorrent client;
- Find the game on the Internet using a search query. For example: download “game title” via torrent;
- Go to your favorite site with the game;
- Find the “Download” button and click on it;
- Run the downloaded file with the .torrent extension using the Bittorrent client;
- Select the directory where the game will be downloaded;
- Click “Ok” and wait for the download to finish.
Now let's go through these points in a little more detail. Let's start with the search. We enter the required phrase into the search engine. Example below.
Select any link and click. As soon as you go to the selected site, look for the following information presented in the screenshot below Screenshot 2. And this is the first thing you need to pay attention to.
The game you download must have a so-called tablet .
A pill, a medicine, a crack, a keygen - they are all the same in essence. This is activating something to unlock it. In this case, games.
If you found this information on the site and it says something like “Embedded”, “Activated”, “Present” - congratulations. You can download, install and most importantly run the game absolutely free.
2 The second thing you need to pay attention to is the system requirements of the game Screenshot 3. If your computer is weak in performance and the system requirements are high, then unfortunately the game will slow down.
Although if the computer’s characteristics are not too far behind, then you can try playing on the minimum game settings. But all this is another topic. A topic for a separate article. Someday I will definitely write about this. So subscribe so you don't miss out.
And the last 3 things you need to pay attention to are the comments Screenshot 4. If you are not too lazy, you can read everything. Sometimes some may write that the game does not start or something like that. And there may be those who solved this problem.
In general, the comment is a useful thing. They will help answer your internal question - is it worth downloading this game or not.
So. You have visited the site. There is a description that contains information about the tablet and system requirements . And they fully suit your conditions. The comments are perfect. You decide to download the game. To do this, look at Screenshot 5 below.
On the site you need to find a button that is responsible for downloading the torrent file of the game. It's usually a green button at the end that says "Download Torrent" or something like that.
If you find it, then click on it. You will download an incomprehensible file with a .torrent extension. Now you need to launch it.
As I wrote above. Files with this extension contain information necessary to download the game. It is these files that we open using Bittorrent clients. But since you have already installed the necessary program, double-clicking on the file will launch uTorrent or MediaGet (depending on what you downloaded and installed).
In the screenshot above you can see the result of opening such a file in uTorrent. In principle, nothing can be changed. Just click on “Ok”. Then the game will start downloading. At first it may not be so fast. But we have to wait.
In general, this is the way. Perhaps a little tedious, but worth it. Once you figure it out, remember it for the rest of your life. Re-read the article if something is not clear. Or write your question in the comments. I will help you! I will definitely answer!
Let's now install the game. There are also some nuances here. You will learn about them below. The short answer is that they come from downloaded files. But it's easy to figure out.
How to use magnet links to post on your blog
Copying a magnet link via Transmission
Magnet links are designed for quickly posting files on websites. Using them, for example, we can add a complete set of necessary additional files to an article. The only thing is that for this you need a computer that will constantly be online and distribute all this.
You can usually create a magnet link through the context menu of a specific distribution in a torrent tracker. After clicking on it, the download will open automatically.
Download the game without torrent
It is also possible to download games without torrenting. To do this, we also enter the required phrase in the search, but without the torrent. For example: download “game title” without torrent. And we are looking for a site that is interesting to us.
There are very, very few such sites. You will download the game not through a torren , but directly via http or https protocols. In other words, the download will occur directly in the browser .
The main thing you need to pay attention to is the size of the game (you can see it during the download process). It should weigh not kilobytes, but at least 100 megabytes, I think. Otherwise, you will stumble upon some kind of virus that will install a bunch of unnecessary programs. The probability is high. Very big.
For those who don’t understand much about these kilobytes, megabytes and gigabytes. If you started downloading a game and it downloaded quickly, then most likely this is not what we wanted. If it takes a long time to swing, then this is what you need. Most likely a game. Of course, your Internet speed directly affects your download speed.
I do not recommend downloading from such sites (without a torrent). If you are not an experienced Internet surfer, you may stumble upon viruses. It’s better to download via torrent (I already described it above) or buy the game. Otherwise, you act at your own risk and may run into trouble.
For easy downloads
For the convenience of direct downloading, I recommend installing the Download Master program.
Download Download Master
It will help you download large games. If you download, say, a 40GB game through a browser, there is a chance that the download will be interrupted and you will have to download again. The program will help you avoid this. Especially useful for those who have low Internet speed. When you have to download something for several days, or even weeks.
The program is very easy to use. You need to copy the link of the game where it is downloaded from and add it to the program. To do this, start downloading it first in your browser. Then go to Downloads. You can use the keyboard shortcut in the browser Ctrl + J.
Once you have entered the downloads section, copy the link as shown above. Then go to the Download Master program and add a link using paste using the Ctrl + V keys.
After this has been done, the program will be able to download the game constantly. Even if you exit or restart your computer. Then, when you run the program again, you will see that it will continue to download.
Zona
The main disadvantage of the program is that it offers the installation of unnecessary software and extensions. The second disadvantage is the heavy weight and load on the computer OS, which leads to slower downloading. The big advantage of Zona is that it has built-in search and the ability to view files directly in the application. This option increases security.
Downloaded the game via torrent how to install
I have divided this point into 2 sub-points.
In the first, you will learn what you need to do before installation for its successful implementation. It is necessary if you encounter an incomprehensible game file(s) that need to be launched somehow. Programs will help with this.
In the second subsection, I discussed the game installation process itself. In different variations.
What you need to do to successfully install the game
What I will describe in this paragraph will help you install the game on your laptop. Often, when you download games, you will come across files that Windows cannot run using standard means. You will download images and possibly archives . Sometimes, if you're lucky, then a regular folder with the installer.
The advantage of images and archives is that they compress the content. Because of this, you will need less time to load. But they often don’t compress much at all. Therefore, in principle, the loading time will be the same. It’s better to download the folder right away and not bother. But it doesn't always work out.
The disadvantage of images and archives is that before installing the game, you will need to first open and unzip the archive or mount the image (depending on what file you download). In principle it's simple. You just need to install another program and open the downloaded file with it. But again. If you downloaded the game folder, and not the image or archive, then you don’t have to do this.
The good thing about downloading a regular game folder is that after downloading, you can go into it and run the installation file. As a rule, in 99% of cases this is a file with the extension .exe . That is, you do not need to run other programs to install the toy.
Archive extensions: .rar, .zip - these are the most popular;
Image extensions: .iso, .mdf, .mds, .md1 - there are more, but these are the most popular;
Accordingly, depending on the extensions, we will use one or another program to launch the installer or installer (the same thing) of the game.
The best programs in my opinion:
Download WinRar
Download DAEMON Tools
WinRar is for working with archives. DAEMON Tools - for working with images. I think you’ll figure out how to install and activate programs.
Direct installation of the game
So. This is the final stage of all manipulations. You should already have the programs I mentioned installed. The game must also be downloaded via torrent. Now let's figure out how to install the downloaded game on your computer. I provide 3 different options. Again, you will have to use one of them. It all depends on the form in which you downloaded the game.
1st case. If you downloaded the folder
1st case. This is when you downloaded the exact folder with the game installer. You need to go to this folder and find the installer. Typically this is setup.exe or install.exe. Screenshot 7 shows such an installer.
Just launch it and then follow all the points it shows you. The last step will be the installation process itself. We'll have to wait a while. After that, you just click "Finish" and that's it. You can try to launch the game. As a rule, a shortcut appears on the desktop. You can launch from there. Or you can go to the folder with the installed game (the directory or installation path of the game you set during the installation process) and run the game there.
2nd case. If you downloaded the game image
2nd case. This is when you downloaded the image. Most often this is a file with the extension .iso . You should have already installed this program. Now we will see an example of its action. Launch the Daemon Tools program and click Add image as shown below in screenshot 8.
After that, select the downloaded image (the game you downloaded). You can simply drag the image into the program. It's more convenient here. As a result, you should see something similar to what is shown in screenshot 9.
After this is done, select the image and click the top “Mount” button. Screenshot 10
That's all! Go to “My Computer” or Explorer. Let's go to where the hard drives are displayed. Computer memory. A new drive will appear there. This is a virtual disk drive that the program mounted. Now you can go there and start installing the game. From this moment the first case begins when you downloaded only the game folder.
If you can't mount the image, then you first need to add a virtual drive. This can also be done in the program. Usually in this case the error “You need at least one device” pops up. Virtual drives are added in the DVD/CD-ROM drives section
3rd case. When you downloaded the archive. In this case, you need to unzip the game installer. This can be done using the WinRar program, which I recommend installing (I already provided the link above). Simply launch the downloaded game file using this program and drag and drop the content somewhere on your computer. After everything is transferred, you can launch the installer. Everything is easy and simple.
BitTorrent
BitTorrent is one of the oldest torrent clients. Its functionality is almost completely identical to uTorrent.
Benefits of the program:
- possibility of parallel loading of several objects with adjustable speed;
- providing extensive information about the distribution with the ability to specify the files to be downloaded;
- minimal download on PC;
- automatic update.
BitTorrent is free to download. The developer offers to download three paid versions costing $4.95 - $69.95 per year. Differences from the free version are the absence of advertising, the presence of additional functions (viewing files before downloading, antivirus, VPN).
Alternative to torrent
Of course, there is an alternative to torrenting. This means not using torrents, not downloading pirated games and programs. To be a hypocrite. Buy games rather than download them from torrent trackers.
You can use, for example, the popular Steam launcher. When you buy games on Steam, you are buying licensed ones. Such games certainly have some advantages. However, you are spending money.
I'll tell you more about alternatives to torrenting another time. So be sure to subscribe so you don't miss out.
This is where I end my article. Now you know how to download a game via torrent and install it on your computer. I hope the article helped you. If something is not clear, be sure to write in the comments. I'll be glad to answer.
Sites for searching torrents
There are a lot of torrent sites on the Internet. There are those for which you must register, and there are so-called free ones. That is, those where you came, found a file and downloaded it. No registrations or other gestures.
But, unfortunately, many of them turn into trash - a bunch of files of dubious quality, not matching the description and even containing viruses.
Personally, I try to download torrents from rutracker.org. This is the coolest Russian-language site for searching for such files. What is there: videos, music, books, programs, games, educational materials, sports and much more.
It is somewhat more complicated than the one I talked about, but there are many times more files and they are, as a rule, of better quality. In order to be able to download something from it, you will have to register (it’s free and easy).
Here are two simpler trackers:
- rutor.info
- fast-torrent.ru - movie torrent tracker
qBittorrent
The main advantage of the qBittorrent program is the absence of advertising. The program has a simple interface, ease of adding files and searching for torrents. The user can preview the downloaded file if necessary. To launch the function, you need to right-click on the distribution and click on the “Download sequentially” option. After downloading a small part of the file to your computer, you can begin viewing.
