How to Run Utorrent As a Service

If you run a home network using Windows Home Server (Windows Server), then you may want to run uTorrent as a service. When you run an application as a service the program will run at all times via the main server computer, rather than rely on users to open the program. This is useful if you want to have uTorrent running all the time.

Instructions

1. Connect to your server with Remote Desktop Connection as the admin.

2. Click "Start" on your Windows Server admin computer. Click "All Programs," "Administrative Tools," "Computer Management."

3. Click the "+" next to "Local Users and Groups," click "Users."

4. Click "Action," "New Users." Enter details for a new user. This is going to be your "Services" user. Name it "Services" if you wish, then click "Create."

5. Right-click the user, click "Properties." Click "Add," then type "Administrators" in the dialog box. Click "OK." Click "OK" again. Click "Start," then "Log Off."

6. Log back in with the new "Services" user.

7. Download the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools (see Resources) if you are running a 2003 edition of the sever. Later editions have this toolkit built in.

8. Download and install uTorrent. Complete the setup for the uTorrent setup.

9. Download and extract (right-click then "Extract") the uTorrent WebUI (see Resources). Select the files in the folder and press "Ctrl"+"C" to copy the files.

10. Click "Start," type "%AppData%\uTorrent" and press "enter." Press "Ctrl"+"V" to paste the WebUI files.

11. Open uTorrent. Click "Options," then "Preferences." Set the "Downloads" directory to a "\\server\path" address."

12. Click "Advanced," then "Web UI." Click "Enable Web Interface." Create a user name and password. Click "OK" and close uTorrent.

13. Click "Start," then "Run." Type "Cmd" and press "enter."

14. Type "instsrv.exe uTorrent srvany.exe" and press "Enter." If you are using Windows Server 2003 then type the following:

    "c:\Program Files\Windows Resource Kits\Tools\instsrv.exe" uTorrent "c:\Program Files\Windows Resource Kits\Tools\srvany.exe"

    Close the Command Prompt.

15. Click "Start," then "Run," type "regedit," press "enter." Click the "+" icons next to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Services > uTorrent."

16. Click "Edit," then "New," then "Key." Type "parameters" and press "enter." Click "Edit," then "new," then "String Value." Type "Application" and press "enter." Right-click "Application," then "Modify." Insert "c:\Program Files\uTorrent\utorrent.exe" as the "Value Data." Click "OK."

17. Close the Registry Editor.

18. Click "Start," "All Programs," "Administrative Tools," "Services." Right-click "uTorrent," then "Properties."

19. Click "Log On," then "This Account." Enter the user name and password you created earlier.

20. Click "OK." Close "Services." Click "Start," then "Shut Down." Click "Restart," then "OK."

21. Navigate to "http://yourservername:uTorrentport/gui" and you will be able to access uTorrent as a service.

References

• Deciphered.NET: HOWTO: Install uTorrent as a service on Windows Home Server (WHS) CTP

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• uTorrent Forums: WebUI
• Microsoft: Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools