Download Ares Gold

Please read the following recommendations on how to safely use Ares Gold.

Before you can start searching for media files you need to establish a connection to the Ares network.

Ares Gold automatically connects to the Ares network a few seconds after you start the program. The time needed to establish a connection to the Ares network can vary but it usually takes less than a minute.

First time users may experience a number of connection problems due to hardware or software configurations. Please visit the Ares Gold troubleshooting guide for more information.

To disconnect from the Ares network, choose Disconnect from the File menu. Disconnecting from the Ares network does not affect active file transfers.

If you do not want Ares Gold to connect automatically to the Ares network, uncheck the Connect on startup option in the Options view.

The PRO version of Ares Gold offers an advanced connection mode that dramatically improves performance. The status changes to Turbo Connected when Ares Gold PRO reaches maximum connectivity.

Enter your search keys in the search field or select one of your previous searches from the drop down list and click the Search button.

With Ares Gold you can search for all media types or a general media type.

To search for files of a specific type, select the Custom media type and then select a file type from the drop down list. If the file type you are looking for is not listed you can enter it at the top of the drop down list.

If you want Ares Gold to filter out files that are smaller than a given file size you can select a minimum file size from the drop down list.

If you are looking for MP3 files, choose MP3 from the Custom drop down list and specify a minimum file size of 2 MB.

If you are looking for movie files, choose AVI from the Custom drop down list and specify a minimum file size of 500 MB.

The search results are shown next to the search field and can be be sorted in different ways.

The PRO version of Ares Gold offers virtually unlimited search results by deep querying the Ares network. This results in more sources and faster downloads.

To download files, select one or more search results and click the Download button.

Search Tips

1. Choose your search keys carefully.

2. Sort the search results by the number of available sources in descending order and download the first file that matches your search criteria.

3. Use the Find in results function to locate the exact file you are looking for.

Important Note

To avoid exposure to offensive material, check the Filter adult content option in the Options view.

In the Transfers view you can monitor your downloads and uploads.

You can cancel selected downloads and uploads and pause/resume selected downloads.

Ares Gold supports previewing of audio files as well as certain video files while downloading. This feature can help you save a lot of bandwidth by giving you the opportunity to cancel lengthy downloads that do not match your criteria.

When the download status of a file says Pending... this means that Ares Gold is trying to establish a P2P connection with the users sharing that file.

The download status changes to Receiving... when one or more sources start uploading the file to your computer.

The progress of your downloads is indicated by the estimated time of arrival (ETA), the total download speed, the active and total number of sources, and a graphic progress bar.

When the download status changes to Complete, the file appears in the Library view.

The PRO version of Ares Gold offers more simultaneous downloads, faster download speeds, and priority when downloading.

In the Library view you can browse and manage your media files.

To get an overview of all your files, select the All Media Files folder. You can also view files of a specific media type.

Ares Gold displays all available details of your files such as title, artist, album, genre, and duration.

If some information about a file is missing you can update the media details by selecting a file and clicking the Edit details button.

Audio and video files are played with the built-in media player in the Theater view. All other files are launched to be viewed with your favorite application for each specific file type.

Important Notes

All files in the Media Folder are shared. If you do not want to share certain files, remove them from the Media Folder.

Software files, Word documents, and other potentially dangerous files that can harbor viruses cannot be launched from within Ares Gold. Suspicious files should always be scanned with a virus scanner.

In the Theater view you can play your audio and video files.

To watch your movies in full-screen mode, click the Fullscreen button. Double-click anywhere on the movie to return to the normal viewing mode.

To toggle between the original and maximum video size, click the Fit to screen button.

The media player includes controls for playing/pausing your audio and video files, changing the playback position, and muting and changing the sound volume.

In the Options view you can customize the way Ares Gold works.

Media Folder

All your media files are located by default in the Ares Gold Downloads folder (e.g. C:\Program Files\Ares Gold\Downloads).

To change the location of the Downloads folder, click the ... button and browse to the new location.

Search Options

Ares Gold remembers your last searches to make it easy for you to search for the same files later.

If you do not want Ares Gold to remember your previous searches, uncheck the Use search history option in the Options view. Click the Clear last searches button to erase your recent search history.

To avoid exposure to offensive material, check the Filter adult content option.

To avoid downloading files that could put your computer at risk, check the Filter potential virus threats option. When you check this option you will not be able to search for software files.

Download Options

Depending on the speed of your Internet connection you can increase the maximum number of simultaneous downloads and the available bandwidth for downloading files.

Upload Options

If you do not want to share your files with other Ares Gold users, uncheck the Allow sharing with other users option.

You can also limit the maximum number of simultaneous uploads and the available bandwidth for uploading files.

Important Note

Changed options only take effect after you click the Apply button.