Download task not being created

[eyeclick]

Hello. First post here, so I hope I included all info.

BitCometBeta [20110325] 64-bit

UVerse DSL

2Wire model 3800HGV-B

Windows Vista Home Premium Service Pack 2 on a Gateway P-6860FX

Windows, PC Tools Firewall Plus and Malwarebytes firewalls turned off. The port on the router has been opened, though it doesn't block it on other computers and hasn't been changed ever.

In Firefox, when I right click and select Download all links with BitComet, the dialog box to choose downloads doesn't come up, so no tasks get added. I don't know what I'm missing. Right clicking to download in IE causes IE to stop working.

The Statistics page is trying to listen on port 27228, says the listen port of TCP is being blocked by the firewall. Listen Port of UDP works. All firewalls are turned off. If I ping with :27228 at the end, I get nothing, but if I just ping with the ip, it's successful. Changing to a random port doesn't change anything.

The scheduler is turned off. I don't see any options that are set incorrectly. Any suggestions on getting the downloads to work that I could try in the morning.

Thank you.

[kluelos]

First consideration is that turning off a firewall is like taking a door off the hinges because the lock gave you trouble -- not the ideal solution. Let's hope that you are being saved from yourself by having a firewall still remaining.

A firewall's job is to block incoming connection requests that you did not ask for. Turning it off is therefore not a really good idea. Those unasked-for requests can now get through and do what they came to do, which is almost never for your benefit. Like the big, ugly guys coming through your missing front door and picking up your television, they aren't here to help you.

Likely your router is keeping you from being infested, but first go turn your Windows firewall back on and leave it that way. Then get a surgeon to inscribe, on the inside of your eyeballs, "I will not connect to the internet without a known working firewall", 500 times.

BitComet will automatically configure your windows firewall for you, provided you have set it that way. Do that.

In the meantime, you've conflated two different problems. One problem is to get your listen port open. To do that, you configure firewalls. You do not disable them. Ditch the PCTools firewall, you don't know enough about it to benefit from it. Malwarebytes does not make a firewall. They make a malware detector. That you don't know the difference is a big factor in why you should ditch PCTools, and use the Windows built-in firewall. Malwarebytes isn't a factor in this problem.

The other issue is downloading .torrent files. Generally, you don't need to be right-clicking. Left=click the link. Let Firefox offer you its choices about what to do with the file. One of them should be to open it with a bittorrent client such as BitComet. This isn't a good choice. Another choice should be to save the .torrent to disk. This is a better choice. You can save the file to a definite, known location, then separately open it with BitComet. This way, if you should need the file again, you will still have it and not have to try to remember where you downloaded it from, which version it was that you downloaded, and hope that they still have it.

Don't delete that .torrent until you are positive that you will never need it again.

[The UnUsual Suspect]

@ kluelos, one thing that I don't think the member made clear is (I believe) he is talking about downloading http tasks. The firefox extension will allow you to grab anything on a website by "right click" and "download all links with bitcomet", then you can tick/untick any items on that page that you want/don't want.

I can tell you that if the menu doesn't appear, then it's either a firefox or website problem. Also, since you didn't mention what version of firefox your using, I can't even say if it will work. Firefox 4.x isn't compatible, so if your using that, then I can only suggest you downgrade to 3.x version, or get Cometbird. It is a modified version of firefox and it will co-exist with firefox very well. Even if only a temporary fix, it will allow you to download web content until a firefox 4.x extension is released.

Note: if your not using a 4.x version of firefox, then I just wasted my time, which is why providing info is important.

Also, I have the same x64 beta version installed and I'm able to open the "download all links" dialog box with both firefox and cometbird, so I don't think it's a problem with that version, but you can download any previous version (.zip version) from the link in my signature. Make sure your installed version is fully closed, then unzip and run the .exe (no installation required), and see if it works with that version. If you can confirm it works in previous stable versions, we will alert development that you have a problem specific to the beta, even though I was not able to reproduce it.

[eyeclick]

@ kluelos, I'll skip the surgery for now. The important part I was trying to impart was that when I tell the firewalls to pass a certain port and the statistics are still saying the firewall is blocking it, I'll turn the firewalls completely off, restart BitComet, try it, then restart the firewalls.

I have the full Version of Malwarebytes that does block sites. It pops up notices all the time saying it blocked BitComets access to a potentially malicious website and the IP address. Not everyone is a complete idiot. I'm not saying I'm not, just that not everyone is.

@ The Usual Suspect, You are correct on both the http task part, and about it being firefox 4. I knew I'd leave one number out and get dinged on it. :)

I downloaded Cometbird and it works. PC Tools firewall says it's trying to act as a server. Do you know why? I haven't seen that issue with the other browsers.

Thank you both very much for your help!!

[The UnUsual Suspect]

My best guess is that PCtools doesn't know what cometbird is, and is seeing normal browser behavior from something it doesn't realize is a browser. I'd suggest simply ignoring it, but if it concerns you, then your going to have to contact them for an explanation of exactly what it means.

Don't feel bad about leaving the firefox version out, most users come here and make no attempt at all to provide basic info, so our volunteer support staff can get very frustrated.

Also, I just realized that you said the listening port isn't blocked on other computers in your router. Each computer needs a unique listening port for bitcomet. You can only open a port in your router towards a single computer, a different computer needs a different port, and a different rule in your router.

[kluelos]

That turns out to depend entirely on the router. When you understand that a port has no physical existence, that it's just a routing number and nothing more, then the combination of unique IP plus non-unique port number will still produce a unique address.

This is borne out in fact. Some routers are perfectly happy with opening the same port number to two different addresses, and this works very well. Others do not allow it. During my recent router adventure, I ran into this both ways. My current 2Wire gateway is quite content with this.

I'm painfully aware of Malwarebytes' IP address filtering, but this is very different from a firewall. Malwarebytes blocks outgoing traffic from being sent. The firewall is what handles unrequested incoming traffic. Normal firewalls (Windows, the router's firewall) don't monitor outbound traffic at all.

Many third-party firewalls DO, but punt the question of what's good and what's bad, to the least-qualified person to answer them. (You, or the user generally.) They also train you to approve everything automatically, by constant nagging until you get into the habit of just saying "yes" after the 10th or 20th time something turns out to be harmless. Then when you do let badware through, why, it's your own fault.

Address filtering isn't Malwarebytes' business, and shouldn't be. I wrote a screed on their forum about why they needed to get out of this business, and those reasons still apply. When I do use malwarebytes, I disable its address filtering (originally, this took a registry hack. At least now there's a switch.) and recommend that for everyone. You must *actively* and *constantly* maintain a blocklist, on a semi-daily basis, rechecking constantly, if you have any hope of avoiding great harm by numerous false positives. This is what Google has to do. Malwarebytes hasn't got the resources.

It takes more time to take a shower than it does to fall victim to an infection on an unprotected system, and the best infections do their utmost to avoid drawing themselves to your attention. When you've been unfirewalled for a while, it's not enough to just turn it back on. You need to thoroughly scan and disinfect.

[eyeclick]

Thanks guys. Since the downloading is working on Cometbird even with the port being blocked, I decided to boot up the desktop and try it there.

Win Vista Home Premium 32-bit, Firefox 3.6.16, BitComet 1.25, Malwarebytes website blocking turned off, Online Armour (showing BitComet and it's specific ports being passed).

I did set the permanent IP and the specific port in both TCP and UDP. The TCP port is now open, :D but haven't had luck with the UDP.

I'll keep fighting with it and I do appreciate the networking lessons.

[zerojinn]

Hi eyeclick, we just released a new beta version which supports Firefox 4, you can find it HERE.

and the changelog for your reference.

GUI Improved: new button in toolbar: add Magnet URI

GUI Improved: BitComet video download extension for Firefox supports Firefox 4

GUI Improved: BitComet plugin for Firefox supports Firefox 4

GUI Improved: un-installation program will notify running BitComet to exit

GUI Improved: merge main programs of 64-bit and 32-bit into one install package

GUI Bugfix: 64-bit BitComet failed to register plugin for IE

GUI Bugfix: after increase text size of Windows (DPI setting), the layouts of certain windows went wrong

GUI Bugfix: the function of shutdown computer after all task download finished ignores tasks in queue

Core Bugfix: if only select part of files in a BitTorrent download, the task progress may fall back after hash-checking

Core Bugfix: when the setting of allocate space before downloading enabled, only the space of the first 50 files is allocated

Core Bugfix: if the save folder is a junction of directory, the download will fail

[eyeclick]

Sweet! I'll give it a go. I can't live without this program.

Thanks. :)