It's best to wait for LW to settle down after opening before searching or anything else. Depending on how many incomplete files & shared files you have this can take a few mins or up to 20 mins or so.

Can you give us a total desciption of your set up: 1. OS version, 2. What firewalls you have, 3. ram, 4. HDD space available, 5. Connection type, 6. Modem & router brand name & model numbers, 7. Where are you trying to connect from (home, school, work, etc.)?
These details are vital if you want us to find out what your connection problem is.