---
title: "Can I seed files I already have, downloaded earlier or with another program?"
url: "https://forum.qnap.net.pl/threads/can-i-seed-files-i-already-have-downloaded-earlier-or-with-another-program.46319/"
thread_id: 46319
date: "2026-11-11"
category: "FAQ"
section: "Knowledge base"
source: "Forum QNAP Polska"
site: "https://forum.qnap.net.pl"
language: "pl"
ai_policy: "https://forum.qnap.net.pl/ai-policy.md"
license: "https://forum.qnap.net.pl/ai-policy.md"
---

# Can I seed files I already have, downloaded earlier or with another program?

> Source: <https://forum.qnap.net.pl/threads/can-i-seed-files-i-already-have-downloaded-earlier-or-with-another-program.46319/> · FAQ · Forum QNAP Polska · 2026-11-11

**Symptoms**

- The data of a torrent are already on the NAS, downloaded earlier or with another program.
- You want Rtorrent 16 to seed them where they are, without downloading them again.

**Cause**
The **seed** category does this. A torrent added under **seed** gets no folder of its own: rtorrent looks for its files in the folder you give, checks them, downloads only what is missing and seeds. The folder can be any existing folder on a share, including one outside the download folder.

**Resolution**

1. In **Quick access**, press **Add torrents**. Paste the magnet link, or press **Choose files** and select the .torrent file.
2. Press **Queue** and pick the **seed** category for the torrent.
3. In **Directory (optional)**, type the folder that holds the data. For a torrent with several files, use the folder above the torrent's own folder: for /share/Multimedia/Movies/Example.Film.2019, type /share/Multimedia/Movies. For a torrent with one file, type the folder that contains the file.
![](https://forum.qnap.net.pl/attachments/75957/)
4. Press **Add …**. rtorrent checks the files and starts seeding.

**Notice & Advise**

- rtorrent finds the data only under the names given by the torrent. If you renamed the folder or files, rename them back first; otherwise, rtorrent downloads everything again into that folder.
- **Directory (optional)** applies to the whole queue. Add torrents whose data are in different folders one at a time.
- A **seed** torrent seeds quietly: no copy in the completed folder, no media library, no notification. The seeding rules apply to it as they do to any other torrent. If their selected action is **Delete, data to trash**, data outside the download folders stay where they are; only the torrent is removed from the list.

Ref. links:
[Rtorrent 16 guide: Seeding & Retention](https://pub.qnaputilities.com/rtorrent16/demo/guides/?g=seeding)

---

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