Losing partial downloads between sessions

[jamessmithjune]

Hi.

It has happenned to me three or four times with smaller downloads so it wasn't a big problem, but this time I lost >15GB from a 32GB download...

What happens is that I need to close the program and shut down the computer with downloads going on, so I usually pause them and close or just close de program (File->Exit).

Next day when I start the program, the download is at 0.0%... And there is no sign of temporal files in the temp directory, so I can't recover partial downloaded data and I have to start over... it's really frustrating.

It has happened across different versions (from 3.0.0 if I recall correctly) so I don't know what's going on.

[ciaobaby]

Client version?

Operating system?

, so I usually pause them and close or just close de program (File->Exit).

And how long are you waiting after that, before you power the machine down?

[jamessmithjune]

Hi.

Client version is the current one as of today —but I'll check later when I get home.

OS is Win8.1 Home.

And how long are you waiting after that, before you power the machine down?

Usually I stop/pause everything and close the client. Never had any problem before (other clients, I mean). Lately with qBittorrent I've been waiting a fair amount of time, keeping myself busy browsing or doing any other stuff just for peace of mind and had no problems... But the other day I set qBittorrent to shut down the computer when finishing downloads and it lost the last one, a +500MB torrent. It wasn't much to download it again, but a reiteration of the problem.

I thought I had this fixed since I activated file preallocation, but since it happened again as described above, I don't know.

BTW: Is any way for qBittorrent to skip the start up check on inactive torrents?? I mean: completed torrents, that I pause/stop after seeding for a while, and then move the files around... I would like them to show "complete" unless re-activated. It's very confusing when they show 0.0% again.

Thanks.

[ciaobaby]

Client version is the current one as of today —but I'll check later when I get home.

In numbers please.

Usually I stop/pause everything and close the client.

Do you wait for the activity to cease in the GUI before closing?

I thought I had this fixed since I activated file preallocation,

Pre-allocation is not what you think it is then. Pre-allocation simply fills the disc space allocated to the payload with zeroes (0)

But the other day I set qBittorrent to shut down the computer when finishing downloads and it lost the last one, a +500MB torrent. It wasn't much to download it again, but a reiteration of the problem.

Known problem with libtorrent signalling completion on last piece received before the data is fully committed to disc storage.

BTW: Is any way for qBittorrent to skip the start up check on inactive torrents?

No if they are flagged as "dirty" or "missing". The entire payload HAS to be checked against the metadata hashsums to ensure integrity, this is a fundamental requirement of the BitTorrent protocol and is not going to change.

and then move the files around...

If YOU move the files qbittorrent/libtorrent does not 'know' where they are to re-check them so they ARE at 0%, that is a user problem not a client problem.



[ General comment and advice ]

You cannot be genuinely serious about 'torrenting' and then run your client as a 'casual' user would. If you want to run more than half a dozen torrents with minimal problems, the machine you run Bittorrent client(s) should not be rebooted or shut down at random times. It should be managed as a server would be, mainly because that is exactly what it has become.

Automatic operating system update installs should be turned off.

Automatic anti virus or anti spy ware signature updates can be left on but any updates that may require or force a reboot should be turned off.

If you live somewhere that suffers regular or irregular power 'outages' have a Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) in place that will perform a clean shut down.

Do NOT have the machine connected to a circuit that has Residual Current Device (RCD) or Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker (ELCB) protection unless you do have a UPS in place.

If you have pets or other rug-rats make sure that the power or reset buttons are disabled or protected from being pressed and cables cannot be pulled out.

If you have teenagers, put a lockable guard on the mains socket, so they cannot be 'Like duuuuhhh! But I'm just charging my phone/ipod/tablet etc." or "but I NEED to dry my hair!"

In short NO unexpected shut down or restart should occur at all.

BT client(s) should not be set to start with the OS so you can ensure that network drives are connected, raid stacks, USB devices, NAS devices etc. are connected and mounted before starting the client(s)


If you are a 'casual' user just downloading 'stuff' occasionally, none of the above matter, because you probably only have three or four jobs running and the time between client close and the processes ending is about the same time it takes for the machine to finally close.

[Nili]

also backup frequently your torrent settings

[ciaobaby]

[quote="Nili"]
also backup frequently your torrent settings
[/quote]

Absolutely.


I was kind of hoping that went without saying, but I should know better by now.

[Nili]

[quote="ciaobaby"]

Absolutely.

I was kind of hoping that went without saying, but I should know better by now.
[/quote]

You told the very importants info with General comment and advice
I thought once i read. Good info!!!

[jamessmithjune]

In numbers please.

It's v3.2.3.

Do you wait for the activity to cease in the GUI before closing?

I'm doing it now and it's generally ok. But I never need to before —I mean before using qBittorrent— and I never lost downloads, neither partial bits nor complete ones because of shutting down the torrent client when needed. That's why I find it so odd.

I thought I had this fixed since I activated file preallocation,

Pre-allocation is not what you think it is then. Pre-allocation simply fills the disc space allocated to the payload with zeroes (0)

I suppose I was wrong then

But the other day I set qBittorrent to shut down the computer when finishing downloads and it lost the last one, a +500MB torrent. It wasn't much to download it again, but a reiteration of the problem.

Known problem with libtorrent signalling completion on last piece received before the data is fully committed to disc storage.

By the very nature of this feature, I won't be in front of the computer when the downloads finish, in order to wait for all the activity to cease, so I don't understand why the program shuts itself down without waiting for all the data to be positively on the disk.

BTW: Is any way for qBittorrent to skip the start up check on inactive torrents?

No if they are flagged as "dirty" or "missing". The entire payload HAS to be checked against the metadata hashsums to ensure integrity, this is a fundamental requirement of the BitTorrent protocol and is not going to change.[...] If YOU move the files qbittorrent/libtorrent does not 'know' where they are to re-check them so they ARE at 0%, that is a user problem not a client problem.

I didn't explained myself correctly, sorry. I meant that I would like qBittorrent to omit checking inactive torrents because they won't be active again after completed and seeded for a while.

If a torrent from my library is supposed to be active again at some point, I guess qBittorrent could do all the checking then, before negotiating any upload/download. Why it would check the whole library every time the program starts?

[ General comment and advice ]

Ok, thanks. I'll keep all that in mind.

[ciaobaby]

I meant that I would like qBittorrent to omit checking inactive torrents because they won't be active again after completed and seeded for a while.

libtorrent does not 'know' whether a torrent can be active or inactive until the payload has been checked.

and I never lost downloads, neither partial bits nor complete ones because of shutting down the torrent client when needed. That's why I find it so odd.

I can only assume that you never ran uTorrent 3.2 through to around 3.4.