How to create a .torrent file using µTorrent (or BitTorrent)
First you will need to download the torrent client µTorrent from http://www.µTorrent.com/.
If you're very new to torrenting you should probably wait a little while before trying to upload anything and read some posts in the forum about how to get yourself connectable and solve NAT errors first. It is very important that µTorrent is not blocked by your firewall (either a separate software one or the windows firewall) or you will not be able to seed your torrent. Also if you have a router you will need to open the port µTorrent is using - you can get instructions on how to do that for your router at http://www.portforward.com/routers.htm - it is beyond the scope of this guide.
It is also important that you understand a little about how torrents work. When you download a torrent you are downloading direct from other people like yourself, there are no central servers. People who have a full copy of the files and are uploading them are called 'seeds'. People who have part of the files and are downloading them are called 'leechers' or 'peers'. Peers also upload as they download.
A simplistic representation of how a bittorrent works would be a jigsaw puzzle. When you start to download a torrent you get lots of little pieces of the puzzle in a random order. Your torrent client is sort of like your hands, and the tracker is like your brain directing your hands to where to find the jigsaw pieces. Then your hands (i.e. client) put them back into order. When a jigsaw is finished it makes a complete image, same as when a torrent finishes downloading you have the complete file(s). Unlike with other forms of peer to peer downloading you may have used in the past, generally bittorrent files are NOT playable until they have fully downloaded.
Finally, if you are planning to upload a torrent you must make sure that you will be able to seed it for long enough for people to download a full copy of the files from you.
How to create a .torrent file with µTorrent (or BitTorrent)
1. Open up µTorrent and click on the 'create new torrent' icon as shown below
2. A box will appear. If you are uploading a single file then click 'Add file'.
(1). If you are uploading a folder with files in it then click 'Add directory'
(2). Here we will add a directory, but the principle is just the same if you are uploading a single file.
3. Browse to the folder where the files you want to upload are located, as shown. Then click 'OK'
4. Fill in the URLs of the trackers you wish to use. If you use more than one tracker (which is a good idea) then separate each URL with a blank line as shown below. Select the check box labled 'start seeding'. Then click on the 'Create and save as...' button
5. Select where to save the .torrent file to when prompted. It doesn't really matter where you put it so long as you remember where it is. Then click on 'save'.
6. You should then see your new torrent in your active list in µTorrent, and the status should say 'seeding' as shown below. If you get any error messages such as 'Error: the system cannot find the file specified' then there is a problem and you should try again.
7. Now you are ready to upload your .torrent file to SafeTorrents. The SafeTorrents upload page is here:
http://safetorrents.com/usertorrent/new. Make sure you check that the contents of your torrent isn't against our rules or it will not be approved. Then click on the 'browse' button underneath the 'category' and 'type' box and locate your .torrent file (which you previously saved onto your desktop or elsewhere).
8. Then choose a category for your upload, change the name of your upload if you like, and add an optional description. Be sure to select the check boxes to agree on the terms and copyright. Finally, click submit, and that should be it. Don't forget to leave it to seed.
