How do you validate that what you torrented is clean/no malware/spyware? Specifically, I torrented two things:

• Astute Graphics Plug-ins Elite Bundle 3.9.1.7z from teamos. *It is 678MB so I can't upload to Virustotal
• Master Collection 2025 from uztracker (which is listed on monkrus's website's list of trackers). It is 37.5GB so I can't upload to Virustotal.

I'm not sure what I should to do to be honest.

Edit: Would splitting the 37.5GB file into 650MB pieces and then scanning with virustotal help? Not sure if downloaded files need to be whole for it to work properly.

This is the results from virustotal (I could only scan 4 files in the master collection without running the iso)

Thank you.

Note: I am not requesting a link, source, but regarding the Master Collection from M0nkrus, I am curious if it is possible to only install some of the software rather than all of them. I only want about 3~8 of them and don't need the other 16. (just Dimension, Illustrator, PS, and maybe the 5 Substance 3d apps)

I don't know if I should get them together or separately. I feel like the process might be more straightforward/less likely to run into issues if they are from the same collection, but I don't know.

Thank you.

Edit: I had to enable port forwarding. I didn't realize it was required.

Note: for some reason strikethrough isn't working (otherwise, I'd apply it to the original question. Also, not sure if I should delete this post now that it is working, or leave it up in case other people have the same issue.

Does anyone know why qbittorrent would be showing 0 seeders if a tracker shows that there are several?

I am using Proton VPN and qbittorrent. The torrent file is from teamos [dot] xyz.

ProtonVPN settings:

• Split tunneling enabled > Include mode > added app: qbittorrent
• Connected to the Netherlands (Wireguard UDP)

qbitttorrent settings:

• Network Interface set to ProtonVPN

Thank you

-

Ultimately, I only want to use Proton VPN for torrenting and seeding, while not using Proton VPN for browsing the internet, using Steam and Discord (essentially everything else).

I'm currently using Proton VPN for torrenting, but sadly it doesn't support using a kill switch if I'm already using split tunneling. I read that NordVPN can use both simultaneously, but I'm not sure if this is actually true. Should I switch VPN so that I can use split tunneling and a kill switch together?

Essentially, I only want to use the VPN for torrenting, and it would be nice to be able to use a kill switch for the torrent if it loses connection.

Thank you.

Ultimately, I only want to use Proton VPN for torrenting and seeding, while not using Proton VPN for browsing the internet, using Steam and Discord (essentially everything else).

For Split tunneling in Proton VPN, should I use Exclude Mode to exclude Chrome, Steam, Discord, etc., or should I just use Include Mode to include qbittorrent?

If I use Exclude Mode, will I need to add (exclude) my IP address, so that I'm using my IP address for everything other than torrenting/seeding? Also, if I am using Include Mode, I don't know if I need to manually add the IP from whatever country's IP I connected to.

Thank you.

Does anyone know how to run qbittorrent and protonvpn in a VM? When I try to run the qbittorrent setup app I get this message (image below) and I don't see anything mentioning a VM in the qbittorrent [dot] org forum.

I am new to torrenting, so I don't really know what to do. I figured/assumed that torrenting/seeding in a VM might be safer as it is another layer deep, and that it may help keep traffic separate (inside the VM: I'd be using a vpn and torrenting, and outside the VM: I'd not be using a vpn and just regular internet surfing). Is this possible?

Thank you.

Does anyone know if these two files are considered malware? I see a lot of things in the behavior tab that seem suspicious (but then again, I have no idea, and am relatively new/dumb).

Here are the images of the virustotal results I am referring to:

Also, I did see there was an noticeable slowness to my pc after I extracted the rar files (I was in a VM).

Thank you.

Is it worth paying for a direct download website? When downloading for free it takes 6-8 hours (and for some reason it got interrupted and failed, so I have to attempt again) but if I paid for it I could download it in 3 minutes. I'm worried that the free version just doesn't support having a download take that long, so it will be impossible to obtain.

I'm not sure if it is safe, nor stupid to do so though. Specifically, I'm talking about torbobit (dot) net

Would you consider torrenting (from non-private torrents) safer than ddl? I can either pay the ddl or a vpn and use a torrent. Idk.

Thank you.

Edit: It seems that it may be 40MB and that the other 629 MB is from the Texturino plugin that generally gets bundled with it. I believe it is just two separated direct downloads. Not sure why there would be inconsistencies in the file size though (669MB vs 678MB)

Note: I am not requesting for a link nor a source, but rather I just want to know if I am direct downloading the correct file. Specifically, is the bundle supposed to be 40MB or 678MB?

I found torrented versions are 678MB, but direct downloaded versions are only 40MB. motka (dot) net (from the megathread) had one for 678MB, but the download is a 404 sadly.

Also, is the latest version 3.9.1? I see direct download ones showing up as 4.1.0, and 4.2.0 (which doesn't seem right to me)

Thank you.

Note: I am not requesting a link, source, nor a how-to, but rather I am curious if it is possible to use plugins if I have Illustrator from M0nkrus or Genp, because then I will know that continuing to search for one won’t be in vain, and that I am not just being foolishly optimistic.

Thank you.

Note: I am not requesting for a link nor a source, but rather I am just curious if this actually does exist, because then I will know that continuing to search for it won't be in vain, and that I am not just being foolishly optimistic.

Thank you.