eMule FAQ

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Installation & Updates

What influence does the operating system have?
eMule works with all Windows versions after Windows 95. A P2P application uses many network connections and thus needs a stable network implementation. Windows 98 and ME have a very poor network implementation impairing eMule’s performance. More recent operating systems like Windows 2000 or XP are better suited.
Do not use the registry patches for Windows 98 which promise to raise the possible connections. They do not work properly and may make your system instable.

Error message oleacc.dll not found
This error message may appear when starting eMule on a Windows 98 machine. The missing dll is in Microsoft’s Windows 98 System Update.
Installer or Binary?
The installer version is well suited for a first time eMule install as it contains all necessary files and the documentation. Just start the .exe and the installer will lead you through the process.
The binary distribution is an archive. The content of the archive has to be extracted to the desired directory. This distribution is mostly useful for a version update.

How can I keep my settings / downloads when updating to a new eMule version?
Extract or install a new eMule version to the same directory you use for the old version. Only the eMule.exe and non user files will be replaced. All settings and downloads are kept.
eMule has to be closed before updating to a new version! To keep already existing settings simply hit Cancel when the wizard pops up.
Upgrading from eDonkey / Overnet to eMule and keeping downloads
eDonkey versions prior to .47 use an eMule compatible part system whereas versions post .47 split the temporary downloads into many individual files.
For the old version of eDonkey simply point eMule’s folder for temporary files to the same one that has been used in eDonkey, or move the partfiles to your eMule temp-folder when eMule is not running.
Newer versions of eDonkey and Overnet use the split part-system. An "old style" option is available in those clients, which just makes the temporary download to be a single file – the part.met file is still in a new and incompatible format.
eMule v0.30c introduced a convert function to import external partfiles to your eMule downloads. It imports the old fashioned format (eMule, eDonkey =.47) as well as the split format and the "old style"-format of >.47 eDonkey/Overnet clients. The non-eMule formats will be converted to the eMule format.
You can access the import function from the Hotmenu (press Alt+X) or from the Tools icon. All you need to do there is to specify a folder containing the partfiles. eMule will try to convert the partfiles automatically and add them to your downloads on runtime.
 

Using eMule

General Tips
Many functions in eMule are accessible by the context menu. This is a menu that opens on a right mouse button click on many different objects. Also many areas and objects react on double clicks or even middle mouse button clicks. A quick menu opens by pressing ALT + x. Just try out the different combinations. It is useful.

How can I add a friend?
Friends are managed in the Messages main window. To add a friend, right click in the Friends list and choose -> Add Friend. You need to have following information:
• IP Address – mandatory. You got to have it. Just ask your future friend.
• Port – mostly 4662; also mandatory
• Name – Choose any name. Not needed.
Another way to add friends is by directly right-clicking on any source in the Transfer main window and choosing -> Add to Friends. eMule will then fill in all required information.

How to allocate a friend’s upload slot
A right click on any friend lets you give him a friend upload slot. This upload slot will get active as soon as the next one is free allowing your friend to download. Friend-slots do not increase the upload to them it just grants a normal upload slot.

How can I clear the search auto-completion history?
Click into the search field then press CTRL or ALT then DEL.

What is the meaning of the icons in front of sources etc?
Find a detailed description in the Icons chapter.

May I kick or ban other users?
No. This function will never be implemented in eMule as it contradicts its philosophy.

Why do I get only 201 results in a search?
Searching causes a heavy load on the servers. To limit the impact of many searching clients eMule returns a maximum of 201 results on a search. If you want more, use the web based search Filedonkey

Should I set all my files to high priority or release?
No. Priorities are used to favour certain files over the other. The priorities are relative to each other, i.e. all files to low priority is the same as all files to high or all files to normal.
Priority for downloads influences how eMule treats the file when searching for sources or when processing connections. Upload priority determines which files eMule favours when someone requests this file. Other clients who request high priority uploads will advance faster in your queue.


Downloads & Shared Files
My downloads have vanished from the list
This may happen after a bad crash or updating to a new version.
• A downloads.txt file is created in the eMule directory. It contains each file in the dowloads list as eD2k with its associated .part file. You can either redownload the file by using the link or try to reestablish the broken link between .part and .part.met with tools like MetMedic or DonkeyDoctor. • Check if the correct path to the temporary folder is entered in Preferences -> Directories • Replace the .part.met files in the temporary folder with their .part.met.BAK backups. • Check out the chapter Troubleshooting in the Help.
What does this colored bar in Transfer mean?
The colors show the availability of file parts. Red means that no source for this part is currently available.

What are the xx / yy +aa (zz) values in the Sources column?
The values denote the numbers of sources found for a download.
• xx – Number of useful sources
• yy – Total number of sources
• + aa – Number of Asked for another file sources (only shown when Advanced Controls enabled)
• zz – Currently transferring sources

What does QR mean?
QR is short for queue rank and is your position in the other client’s queue. Sources with a QR below 20 can be expected to start transferring soon. Credits help to advance in this queue more quickly.
The queue rank is not lost should your IP change or eMule is closed for a short time.

Why do my Sources show Asked for another file?
eMule occupies only one slot in another client’s queue. If another user has more than one file you want to download eMule will only queue for one file and when this is finished it switches to the other one. The same source will have the Asked for another file note in the file which cannot be queued. See Source Management for more details.

How to download in alphabetical order
It makes sense to download files belonging together in alphabetical order to use the found sources as efficient as possible. Check that the files are named alphabetical in the way you want them to download (sort after Filename, hit F2 to rename), create a category for them and move the files to this category. In the context menu of the category tick Download in alphabetical order. Advanced Controls have to be turned on for this to work. See Source Management for more details.

What does Too many connections mean?
This source status means that more sources are to be processed than connections can be opened. It usually appears when too many files are added to the transfer list or the Hard Limit is set too high.

Can I change a download’s name?
You may change the filename of a download to anything you wish as a download is not recognized by its name but by a unique hash value. Either right-click a download, then chose Details from the menu and use the File Name tab in the dialog that appears, or press the middle mouse button or F2. Make sure you keep the file extension when changing the file name.

What do the red and green exclamation marks mean?
The exclamation marks are an indicator for a comment or rating for this download.
• Green = positive rating
• Red = negative rating

How can I add a comment / rating to a file?
You can add comments and ratings in the Shared Files main tab. Just click the middle mouse button or right click -> Edit File Comments on any shared file.
Please use helpful comments!

How do I know that a file is a fake ?
You can easily recognize fakes by looking at the found filenames. Right click on any download -> Show File Details -> File Name or middle mouse button opens a list of all found file names for a download. If the file names differ a lot or are contradicting it is probably a fake. Search results showing an explorer style + also have different file names found.

My downloads will not complete
Does a download not complete for a very long time, two things may be responsible:
No complete sources:
If the progress bar shows red parts that never turn blue and all found sources have the same part missing then the file is probably dead and will never finish. The Last seen complete column in the Transfer List shows the date all parts of the file were available.
Corrupted download:
The Log window in the Server main tab displays an entry if a corrupted part has been received. If you always get a corruption for a specific file part all the time it is possible that this download is totally corrupted (rare occurrence).

My downloads are finished but show Erroneous
This error usually appears when the folders for temporary files and incoming files are on different hard disks or partitions. eMule cannot finish the download because there is not enough space free on the incoming disk.

My downloads are finished but don’t appear in incoming files
When eMule displays a download as finished but the file does not get moved to the incoming directory you can do this manually. First look at the -> File Details and make sure that the file is really finished by comparing sizes. Also note down the .part file’s number and copy the filename to the clipboard. In the Window’s Explorer navigate to you temporary folder and move the appropriate file to your incoming folder and rename it to its final filename using the name you copied to the clipboard. Mind the file’s extensions. Most of time such files do no longer have a .part.met file associated.

The folder for temporary files is too big. May I delete it?
This folder stores all your not completed downloads. Deleting it means deleting all current downloads! Because of the transfer system used in eMule it may happen that the entire space for the finished download is occupied although only a few kilobytes have been downloaded.
How can I delete / unshare files
eMule shares files as soon as:
• a download’s part (chunk) has been completed and checked for errors
• they are in the folder for Incoming Files or are marked as shared in Preferences -> Directories -> Shared Directories
To remove a share you must move the files out of your incoming or folders marked as shared. In the main windows Shared files you can also delete files by using right mouse button -> Delete .
Sharing current downloads cannot be disabled.

Network Guide
From release v.42.1 on eMule features two different networks – the classic server based eD2k network and a completely new server less topology based on Kademlia.
In essence both networks have the same functions. They both provide a separate means of finding other users or files you are wanting to download.
Basics
 

File identification
All files are given a hash value. This hash is a combination of numbers and letters to uniquely identify the file. Numerous filenames may be associated with a file, but this does not change anything about file’s hash value. This allows each user to find all sources to a particular file no matter what file name each user has given the file.
In addition, the files are broken into 9.28 MB of parts of data. Each part is also given a hash value. For example a 600 MB file would contain 65 parts. Each part is then given a hash value. Then the file hash is created from these part hashes to be used in the networks.
Identifying other clients
Like the file hash, each user in the network gets a unique and permanent user hash. This user identification is highly secured by a public / private key handshake to prevent misuse.

Downloading Data
It is important to understand that the actual downloading in eMule is not affected by the choice of the network. The network topology is only related to searching for files and finding clients that are sources to a file.
Once a source has been found, your client contacts it. The source then reserves a queue place for that specific download. When you reach the first queue place after a certain waiting time you are entitled for receiving data.
Classic server based eD2k
Connecting to the network
The key to this network is the eD2k server. Each client must be connected to a server to enter the network.
When connecting your client to a server, the server checks to see if other clients can freely connect to your client. If yes, the server assigns your client a so-called high ID. If communication is blocked, the server assigns your client a low ID.
After the ID is assigned, eMule will send a list of all shared files to the server. The server adds the filenames and hash values you sent to its database.
Searching for files
Once connected to the network, the client can search for keywords in filenames. A search can either be local or global. If it’s a local search (searches only the server you are connected to), searches are quicker but will have fewer results. If the search is a global search (searches all the servers within the network), it will take longer but have more results. Each server looks up the keyword in its local database and returns any file names (with the hash value) that matches the keyword.
Finding sources for files
Downloads can be added by eMule’s search function or a special eD2k link format offered on many websites.
Once they are in the Download list, eMule first queries the local (connected) server then all other servers in the network for sources to that particular download. The server looks up the file’s hash value in its database and returns the clients it knows for having it.
Sources are other clients who have at least downloaded one entire part (9.28 MB) of the file matching the hash.
Kademlia serverless network
Connecting to the network
The only thing needed to connect to this network is the IP and port of any eMule client already connected. This is called a Boot Strap.
Once a client is in the network, the client then requests for other clients to determine if it can be contacted freely. This process is very similar to the HighID/LowID check on the servers. If you can be freely contacted, you are assigned an ID (similar to a HighID) and given an open status. If you are not freely contacted, you are given a firewalled status. From version v.44a on, the Kademlia network supports a Buddy for firewalled users. Buddies are other Kademlia clients who have status open and work as a relay for connections, that the firewalled user cannot manage.
 

Searching in Kademlia
In this network it does not matter what you search for. Be it a search for filenames, for sources of a download or for other users, all work pretty much the same.
There are no servers to keep track of clients and the files they share so it has to be done by each participating client in the network – in essence, every client is also a small server.
Since every client is identified by a unique hash value, the idea of Kademlia is to associate a certain “responsibility” based on this hash. Each client in the Kademlia network works as a server for certain keywords or sources. The client’s hash determines the specific keywords or sources.
So the goal of any kind of search is to find those clients that have the responsibility for the current search topic. This is accomplished by a complex calculation of the possible distance to the target client by asking other clients for the shortest route to it.
Summary
Both networks have totally different concepts for achieving the same: Searching for files and finding sources to a file. The main goal of the Kademlia network is to be independent of servers and improve scalability. Servers can only handle a certain amount of users and should a large server go down the network is severely handicapped.
Kademlia is self-organising and tunes itself for best possible performance depending on the number of users and their connection qualities. Therefore, it is more resistant to a large-scale network loss.

http://www.emule-project.net (see for more details)