Merging torrents with files in common...

[NoMoreNicksLeft]

I have a torrent that has many files, one of which fails to complete. I have 99% of this file, but there are no seeders and it seems to have been a problem for a long time at this point.

I have found a second torrent of this file, same exact filename and apparently the same hash. There is a seeder with 100% of this file, but I'm getting about 0.2k on it. This would take all week, and I'm afraid the seeder will drop before completing it.

Is there a way to have the second torrent realize that I already have 99% of the file, and get just the remaining 1%?

I have paused the first torrent and backed up the part file, so that I do not lose the 99%. When I start the second torrent though, it just sees the 2% it downloaded itself.

I do not know how bt works in the innards of that protocol, or how Transmission implements it. Why can't it look at the part file and just see the 99%? Is the data stored somewhere else and only goes into the part file once complete?

[JJTagy]

It apparently has the same hash or it does have the same hash? That is important. If you are sure it is exact, you could stop torrents and T, rename your 99% file to match the other torrent, start T, verify data, and start torrent to complete.

[NoMoreNicksLeft]

It may not be after all. I think I flubbed the perl script to extract the shas from.

[blacke4dawn]

If they had the same hash then you would have gotten a "duplicate torrent" error when adding the second one.

If you think they have the same file then you try the trick that JJ spelled out about copying the data from the first to the second one. Even if they aren't the same they may have enough in common to make it worth it.