Contents:

1. Torrenting briefly
2. Vocabulary
3. How torrents work
4. Risks of torrenting
＊　Malware
＊　Copyright lawsuits
＊　Illegal content
5. How to torrent - prerequisites
6. Actual torrenting

1. Torrenting briefly

Torrenting is a way of sharing data.

It differs from regular downloads from browsers.

Regular browsers have one server where you download your file. It poses a risk because if the server goes down - file goes down with it. If you are late to download it and the content becomes unavailable (like it gets taken down, or the server is gone) - you need to find another source.

Torrents work differently. Torrenting is a way of having multiple sources at the same time in one place, as opposed to regular servers which have only one. If you have many sources in one place it means you would have to take them all down in order for content to be unavailable.

So that as long as there is one source online - you will be able to get the file. This makes torrenting superior to regular downloads in browsers.

2. Vocabulary

Torrenting client - (or client for short) is the program that you use in order to torrent, you can't torrent without it, I will tell more about it in the tutorial.

Seed (or seeder) - is someone who uploads the file

Leech (or leecher) - is someone who downloads the file

VPN (virtual private network) - in short: it hides your IP (you don't need to know more if you just want to torrent)

Magnet - its basically a link, but for torrents! You paste it into your torrenting client OR your web browser (whichever you like better) to start torrenting.

Torrent file - its basically a magnet that I had mentioned - but as a file. You can double click it for it to open the torrenting client and automatically paste the magnet for you (its like shortcuts in Windows on your desktop, easy!)

3. How torrents work

So the idea behind torrenting is that the magnet (link) you use draws everyone interested in the file in one place like a magnet.

Seeders are drawn (people that upload the file) and there are leechers drawn too (people who download the file). Everyone is in the same place! Since everyone is together - leechers and seeders can and do share files of interest.

Once you open the magnet link - the torrenting client will ask you basic questions (like where you want it downloaded or which files exactly you want). After you confirm you get connected to the magnet and the downloading is done automatically and you become a leech (so you begin downloading). Simple.

When you leech (download) - at the same time you become a seed (uploader) and you will share the parts you already have downloaded. Its all done automatically, don't worry about it. It is how torrenting works. It is that way so that everyone helps each other until everyone has the files downloaded as fast and as efficiently as possible.

After you are done downloading and you got what you can enjoy it.

I recommend that you stop seeding once you are done.

NOTE:
Torrents with 0 seeds means there is nobody online who is able to upload! You need to wait and hope anyone who has it downloaded goes online, or find another source if the torrent really is fogotten and nobody has it anymore because it happens with niche and old torrents!

NOTE:
Remember the place you saved your files to when you torrented? Be aware that if you move your finished files the torrenting client will be confused where they went and will notify you they went gone or redownload it.

MALWARE - mean people can create a torrent and put malware in there posing as the .exe (or other types of EXECUTABLE files) you wanted so that they get you to open it and harm you.

How to tell malware?
I made a short list of what to do, and a long list where I explain and teach extensively.

SHORT VERSION:
a) Check if uploader is reputable
b) The more seeds there is - the more legit it is
c) Malware can't do harm to you unless you run it, don't panic
d) Scan the files with Windows Defender, antivirus software, and drop it to https://www.virustotal.com/gui/home/upload

LONG VERSION:
a) Check if uploader is reputable - when you get the magnet look if the person who first uploaded it (usually called uploader or OP) is reputable by having many popular torrents in their name over the years.

b) The more seeds there is - the more legit it is - malware most often has very few seeds! Nobody likes to spread malware after they have been harmed! So they usually have few people spreading them. (Keep in mind that low amount of seeds doesn't mean its malware, it only means you should be a little more cautious when running their .exe or other executable files). From my experience its super rare if you use reputable websites for torrenting (like piratebay, nyaa.si, rutracker and such), but be aware it may happen. Also a personal note: if you download a movie or music you should be getting a .mp4 file or a music file and not .exe! If you see an .exe inside movie or music or image torrent - it feels sketchy to me!

c) REMEMBER! Malware can only do you harm if you run it! Don't panic if you downloaded a sketchy program! It can't do any harm unless you explicitly run it!

d) Scan your files with antimalware software - you can check your .exe first by scanning it with Windows Defender (left click on the .exe and select Scan or something like it). You additionally can upload it to sites like https://www.virustotal.com/gui/home/upload because they scan your file with many antivirus programs for you. If there is no flags I would run it. If there are a few flags from some little known antivirus programs then I would usually ignore it as they are often false flags, but still be cautious.

Additional info: if you want to run programs even more safely consider using a virtual machine (abbreviated as VM). Its outside of scope of torrenting, research it on your own.

COPYRIGHT LAWSUITS

Downloading torrent a movie, music, game, or books usually means there is a company that loses on sales. They aren't happy.

People who don't hide their IP they may receive a letter threatening with a lawsuit. Hiding IP requires a VPN that would hide your IP while you are downloading.

Using a VPN during torrenting deters comapnies from catching people because the cost and difficulty isn't feasable in relation to possible fines.

I will teach about getting and using a VPN too!

ILLEGAL CONTENT

It usually means CP or terror group content. Do not download them. There are people monitoring and noting IPs that participate in torrents. Unlike copyrights - CP and most terror groups are banned worldwide. They can easily hand warrants to find you. A VPN won't help you. If you do anything besides these two you probably will never face any consequences given that you stay behind a VPN.

Content of that sort is super rare in common torrenting sites, I never saw CP on clearnet torrents, and I torrent a lot.

5. How to torrent - prerequisites

FIRST, in order to torrent you will need a torrenting client.

As of now the best one for most uses is qBitTorrent. You can get it here.
https://www.qbittorrent.org/download
You download it and run it.
Dont use uTorrent because its really bad.
Trust me to just stick to qBitTorrent.

NOTE:
Whenever you want do quit a torrenting client - they usually close the window but stay working in the background. So use Process Manager if you use Windows, kill the process when you are done torrenting!

SECOND , if you want to be safer - use a VPN to change location to somewhere else. Preferably to another country. I guess the best are countries known for not caring about computer stuff, although I personally torrented huge amounts with USA, EU, Switzerland, and Japan as my address and never got anything. Not using a VPN while torrenting leads to hundreds and thousands of dollars of fines.

VPNs are usually paid at about 4$ per month, billed annually or bianually. Many offer a month of trial per card, so you can get free trials and cancel them with money back whenever you will be downloading stuff.

A free VPN that supports torrenting is Windscribe at https://windscribe.com/ and when you confirm your e-mail you get 10 GBs per month. If you make many accounts they will flag and ban them, ban evasion with them isn't easy. If you torrent very little you will manage. There may be other VPNs but seek them yourself, I used Windscribe and I can confirm Windscribe is okay for the task.

NOTE:
If you enable a VPN in your web browser - the VPN only works for the browser and not your torrenting client meaning your browser has a hidden IP and not torrenting client! Don't mix it up. Same for TOR browser. You should use VPN app or directly use proxy through your system! Not browser VPN, not browser addons! A real one!

NOTE:
When you subscribe to a VPN read if the price you pay is for the first year and then it charges you insane amounts, many do this dirty trick!

6. Actual torrenting

Step 0. Turn on your VPN if you have it! You don't want troubles, troubles are associated most heavily with companies that are huge and known for hunting down people.

Always make double sure it is working before you open the torrenting client, before you open torrent files, before you open magnets! You can check if your IP changed by looking up sites that show you your own IP like https://www.iplocation.net/ so if your IP changed - it means you are ready, don't turn off the VPN as long as the torrenting client is running!

Step 1. Find the torrent file or magnet for the thing you want

You can open magnets from websites like piratebay, nyaa.si, rutracker or similar.
You usually can download them as torrent files too.
Or you can paste magnets directly into the client, and you can paste them into most browsers (web browser will ask you what program you want to open the link with and you select your torrenting client).

Step 2. Open the magnet link, open the torrent file, paste the magnet link into your web browser

It will probably either automatically open your client, or ask you whether or not you want to open your client.
You will tell it where to save it and such, then you click "OK" and start downloading.

Step 3. Wait until your files are downloaded

Some people have better connection, some worse, some torrents have nobody seeding (0 seeds) meaning there is nobody online now with what you are looking for. You need to hope anyone goes online, or find another source. It happens sometimes.

Step 4. Once you are finished and satisfied - stop seeding

In order to stop seeding usually left click on the thing you downloaded within the client, and select stop seeding option. So that you don't accidentally flash your real IP when you accidentally open the client without a VPN. It happened to me a few times. So just in case stop seeding.

Step 5. Now you can quit your torrenting client.

Make sure the process is dead by using Process Manager in Windows, or something like it to be sure it is dead. Kill the process.

Step 6. Once your torrenting client is off for good - you can now disconnect from the VPN.

Step 7. Profit. Done!!!

Annoucnement!
I never torrented with TOR as my proxy, I will try tinkering tomorrow with it I guess and report back

If you don't do this and your VPN happens to disconnect or crash, your raw IP could be exposed

qBittorrent:
Tools -> Options -> Advanced -> Network interface -> select your VPN network interface

>>187635
This this this!

1) iknowwhatyoudownload
2) ip block lists
3) btdigg

it's not an answer for >>187637