uTorrent is one of the most used torrent clients to download or share torrent files. It has over 150 million users. It is so popular because of its simple user interface and long list of features. Not all are included in the free version, but it’s more than enough for most users.
Despite being best of the best software in the industry, there’s no guarantee that an app or its services will never fail or run into problems. One of the common errors people are facing is that uTorrent is not responding. Some users are getting the error message “It seems like uTorrent is already running but not responding. Please close all uTorrent processes and try again“.
This problem with uTorrent is not just limited to a specific version of Windows as multiple Windows 7, Windows 10, and Windows 11 users face the problem. Other than the Not Responding error, some uTorrent users face errors like uTorrent keeps crashing, uTorrent not opening, etc. Before we directly jump to the solutions, it’s important to understand why the uTorrent is not working on your computer. Keep reading this article, and I’m sure you’ll get all your answers related to uTorrent.
Why Is uTorrent Not Responding?
There could be many reasons why uTorrent doesn’t respond after adding a torrent file to download. The most common one is Antivirus which disables the P2P shield feature. Other reasons are as follows:
1. Windows Firewall
You might already know that if the Windows firewall has blocked an app or feature, it can misbehave or not respond. The same case might be playing out with uTorrent. Don’t worry; you can easily fix it. Steps are given below in this article.
2. Corrupt uTorrent Configuration Files
If uTorrent configuration files are corrupted for any reason, the app won’t work. It can also lead to data loss.
3. Unstable Internet Connection
A very slow or unstable internet connection can trigger many problems. In context to uTorrent, it can be the reason why the app is not working on your Windows pc.=
4. Corrupted Torrent Files
Torrent has a lot of benefits, but the risk is also too high. Not every torrent file is safe, some may include viruses or malware. Hence, your priority should be downloading files from trusted torrent sites, rather than randomly getting files from any site. Sometimes the files that we download are corrupted. In such cases, the problem lies in the files you are downloading, not in the app.
Now that we understand the problem well, let’s move on to the solutions.
uTorrent Is Not Working on Windows 7, 10, and 11, How to Fix?
Solution 1: Close and Restart uTorrent
If your computer is running low on memory or facing some temporary glitches, any app can run into problems. Probably, this is the reason why uTorrent is not responding on your computer. An easy method to fix it is to quit and restart the app.
- In the search box, type Task Manager and hit Enter.
- You’ll see a list of running apps and processes. Find uTorrent and tap on it.
- Click on the End task button at the bottom right of the screen.
- Close the Task Manager window.
- Open the uTorrent app and check if the problem is fixed.
Solution 2: Run uTorrent as an Administrator
The reason why uTorrent might not be responding is due to the limited access. In some cases like downloading large files, uTorrent might need admin privileges to keep running smoothly.
Here’s how you can run uTorrent as an administrator:
- Close the uTorrent app using Task Manager. Steps are given in the first solution.
- Right-click on the uTorrent icon.
- From the available options, select Run as administrator.
- Click Yes to give admin rights.
If uTorrent is running smoothly on your PC, you can always run the app with admin rights. But, repeating the same steps each time is nothing but a headache. So, here’s how you can permanently run uTorrent as an administrator:
- Right-click on the uTorrent app and select Properties.
- Go to the Compatibility tap.
- Check the box for the Run this program as an administrator option.
- Click Apply.
- Restart your computer and keep downloading your favorite torrents.
Solution 3: Allow the App Through Firewall
As mentioned earlier, the Windows firewall might be blocking the connection required to uTorrent. Allowing the app through the firewall can do the trick for you.
- Close the uTorrent app.
- In the search box, type Windows Security and press Enter.
- Click on Firewall & network protection.
- Tap on Allow an app through the firewall.
- Click Change settings.
- Find uTorrent and check both Public and Private boxes.
- Click OK.
Launch the uTorrent app and check whether the app running smoothly and downloading files without any interruptions.
Solution 4: Delete App Data
Corrupted app data can break the app’s functionality. Sometimes it can often cause the app to not respond. If something similar is playing out with uTorrent, you need to delete the app data. Unfortunately, there’s no way to check for this without deleting uTorrent’s app data.
- Close the uTorrent app via Task Manager.
- In the search box, type Run and press Enter. Alternatively, press the Windows key + R to open Run.
- In the dialogue box, type %appdata% and press the Enter button.
- Locate the uTorrent folder. Right-click on it and select Delete.
- Launch uTorrent and check whether you can download torrent files.
Solution 5: Delete In-Progress Files
The torrent file(s) you are downloading via uTorrent might be corrupt. To rule out this possibility, you need to download all downloading files and the files you recently downloaded. Once done, close uTorrent, restart your computer and launch the app again to check if the issue persists.
Solution 6: Temporarily Disable Antivirus
All torrent software including uTorrent uses the P2P shield feature to download and upload files. This feature has been blocked by many antivirus software including Avast. To check if your antivirus app is causing the problem in the uTorrent app, disable the antivirus app and run the uTorrent app.
Solution 7: Reinstall uTorrent
If none of the above workarounds have done the trick for you, reinstalling the app can do the job. It helps in removing any temporary bugs (if any) or failures within the app.
Here’s how to reinstall uTorrent on your PC:
- In the search bar, type Control panel and press Enter.
- Click on Uninstall a program.
- Right-click on uTorrent and select Uninstall.
- After you’ve successfully removed uTorrent from your computer, go to uTorrent’s official website and download the latest version of the app.
- Install the app.