Because we recommend VLC player so often & because people sometimes have trouble with working out how to use VLC...here are a few tips to start you off

To download VLC use this link
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

You'll be sent to a page with a list of mirror sites for download.

Choose the mirror nearest to where you live. If there's no mirror site in your country, don't panic...just try one on the list (I'm in Australia & have downloaded from both France & Sweden without a problem). If, for some reason, the installer won't download...choose another mirror.

Once you've installed VLC, the next step is to make it your default player for video files...

Making VLC your default player
Go to your LW library, click on Saved Files then click Explore...your saved folder will open. Now right click on a video file > open with > choose program. Select VLC from the list & tick the box to 'always use the selected program to open this kind of file'. Click ok.
*People who've been using Windows Media Player as their default player might find that even after making VLC their default player, things still open with WMP. In this case, change the file types that WMP associates with...
Open WMP > tools > options > file types. Now untick all the file types that you want VLC to play (& don't want WMP to play). Click Apply & ok.

If you're using LimeWire version 4.12.6 or earlier
Those people using LW versions 4.12.6 & older will find that they can't preview or launch files using VLC within LW. That's no problem, it's easy to do this outside of LW. To preview a video go to LW's library, click on Incomplete Files then click Explore...the incomplete folder opens & you can preview with VLC from there by double clicking, or by dragging the file into VLC.


When wanting to preview, after pressing the Explore button, click on view > details. Now you may see a 'Date Modified' column. Double click on this column to arrange files with the most recent incompletes at the top of the list. If you don't see date modified...clicking on view > choose details gives you the optons of which details you'd like to show within the incomplete folder. Click 'ok' to save your choices. *Thanks to LOTR.

To launch a completed download go to LW's library, click on Saved Files then click Explore...the saved folder opens & you can launch the file from there by double clicking, or by dragging the file into VLC.

If you're using LimeWire 4.13.0 Beta
People using 4.13.0 will be able to preview & launch files from within LW. You can preview either from the search page by clicking the Preview button or by opening your library, clicking on Incomplete Files, highlighting a file & clicking the Launch button. If you preview in this way it will save you a little bit of space because no preview file is created (as it normally would be if you preview from the search page).
You can launch a file within LW by going to LW's library, clicking on Saved files, highlighting the file you want to play & then clicking the Launch button.

For further help with VLC, check the wiki below
http://wiki.videolan.org/index.php/Main_Page

And there's a VideoLAN forum. Please use their search first, to see whether your question's already been answered, before posting
http://forum.videolan.org/

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G'day birdy,

I have been wanting to make VLC my default player for several weeks and have not been able to do it.

I have followed your instructions to the letter and now when I open a video file from "My Received Files" direct from my D drive and not from Limewire, it plays on VLC. (Limewire is also on D drive) However when I open from the Limewire library it plays on Media Player Classic which has been my default player for some time. I had a problem with Windows Media Player(not playing avi files) and have no idea how Classic became my default player after downloading codecs.

It seems that VLC is the default for accessing the file outside of limewire and Classic is default accessing from within Limewire.

I am buggered if I know what is going on here.Any suggestions?

What version of LW are you using? You'll only be able to preview & launch files using VLC within LW if you're using the 4.13.1 beta For all other versions, you'll have to open the file outside of LW.

If you'd like to try the beta, there's a link at the bottom of the LW basic downloads page
http://www.limewire.com/english/content/download.shtml

Or, if you're a Pro user, it's available from your personal download page.

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Thanks for that birdy,I must have misunderstood other posts that I have seen.

I am using 4.12.6

I don't really wish to change to beta because at a previous update my alphabetical lists of saved files seemed to restart.When I open limewire I need to click on "name" at the top of my video or audio files each time to rearrange the complete list alphabetically.I can not do this in "my received files" and because files are all over the place, it takes too long to find anything.

It seems I just have to put up with Classic Media player as my default and access a file that it won't play directly from VCL.

Once again,thanks for your help and MERRY XMAS.

Merry Christmas!

I haven't seen the forecast for SA but here we're going for bloody hot (36). I guess you'll get that a couple of days after us.
I hear that Melbourne's going for 16 & there's a chance of snow in some parts of Vic

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Yeah, Bloody ironic isnt it? Bushfires still burning after 3 weeks and they are talking snow!!!!!!!!!!!

We often get your weather a few days after you. We have had a couple of COLD low 20's days and a bit of much needed rain after 40PLUS( C for the benefit of our American friends....well over 100F),so it great to not be sweltering as usual at xmas time.

As a new forum user I congratulate those responsible for a very well run and useful medium.


Have a happy and safe Christmas everyone.