Unable to restart downloads
 

This has happened quite often, that after exiting Limewire to reboot the computer that Limewire was unable to restart my downloads. I started off with version 4.4.4.1 and now have 4.6.0.1. It is quite heartbreaking especially waiting for 4 days for a film that was only halfway. Is there any way one can manually restart the downloads. It wasn't just one download, its the entire lot everytime. Could somebody please shed some light on what is happening. I would greatly appreciate any help.

What do you mean unable to restart downloads? Do you mean they don't begin by themselves or you get an error message saying unable to load old incomplete downloads? If the latter then try:

Try these: Fixes for Limewire & before next time you turn you computer off, make a copy of the download.dat & bak files which can be found in the incomplete folder. Then after rebooting & opening LW, if the same problem, close LW & replace those download.dat & bak files with the copies.

Otherwise tell us more details.

Thanks for replying, Lord of the Rings, when I say I am unable to restart my downloads, there in the LW program it is blank where my downloads used to be, but the incomplete downloads are still show in the incomplete folder, it just doesn't want to load up in the program.
I am using windows xp sp2, and as I mentioned previously the lastest version of LM which I installed about 2 weeks ago. Anyway, I will go through the points discussed in the fixes for Limewire. Hopefully it will work.

Normally if LW refuses to load old incompletes it will give a warning it can't load them. I'm wondering if your download window is hidden. Two options: 1. Click on the small arrows on the LW main window. If that doesn't work click it the other arrow. 2. Drag the partition up or sideways; see examples here: Example A (click on link) & also Example B (click on link)

I pressed the arrows, there is nothing. The old downloads are all gone. When I had gone into LW the other time there had been a window that popped up to say sorry Lime Wire was unable to load and restart all my downloads, and the box where the downloads normally were, was empty. Like I mentioned before its not the first time its happened but I thought that when I upgraded to the latest version my problems would be solved.

After you finish for the session, close LW & go to your incomplete folder (reiterating the above.) Duplicate the two files called download.dat & download.bak & move them somewhere else on the computer outside of the incomplete folder. After you've rebooted & opened LW, when the same problem occurs, close LW. Then go to your incomplete folder & delete the two files download.dat & download.bak & replace them with the copies you made (making sure the names are the same.) Now open LW again, is it the same problem? Does this happen everytime or just sometimes?

By the way did you try deleting your LW Preferences? (instructions above in the link 'Fixes for LW')


Can you give us a total desciption of your set up:
1. OS version? (eg: Windows 98, or XP SP1 or SP2, etc.)
2. What firewalls you have?
3. ram?
4. HDD space available?
5. Connection type? (eg: dialup, broadband, cable, etc.)
6. Modem & router brand name & model numbers?
7. Where are you trying to connect from (home, school, work, etc.)?
8. What version of Limewire (LW) & Java do you have? (Go to LW's menu Help>About LW...)

The problem happens sometimes. No I haven't deleted my LW Preferences. I uninstalled the previous version and installed 4.6.0 pro. I did delete everything in the incomplete download folder everytime I lost my downloads in LW,although this last time I left all the incompleted downloads.

I am new to LW, I have always used DC Plus and before that Kazaa. Never had the problem then.

Here is a total description of my set up

1. Windows XP home edition SP2
2. Not activated, but do have Nortons antivirus 2005.
3. Ram 511 MB
4. HDD space available 43.2 GB
5. Connection type - Broadband
6. Modem - Bewan ADSL ethernet, Router Linksys Wrt54G
7. Connecting from Home
8. LW version 4.6.0 Pro and Java 1.5.0_01

I wonder about Norton AV settings.

Even though your XP Firewall is disabled, may I suggest you configure LW's access thru it just to be on the safe side: http://www.limewire.com/english/content/firewalls.shtm

Might I suggest you delete your LW Preferences folder b/c it may be corrupt which is causing these issues. Instructions here: Fixes for Limewire

Also, go to LW's menu Tools>Options>Advanced>Firewalls & tell me what it's set to. Is it UPnP?

After LW's been open for at least 30 mins, do this test: Bug Report instructions & sample image Is it True/False?

The firewall settings cannot be displayed because the associated service is not running - this is the message I get when I check my XP Firewall settings.

If I delete my LW Preferences folder now, will it affect my current downloading? If you tell me it won't I will do it now.

LW's menu Tools>Options>Advanced>Firewalls is set to UPnP

The bug report is True

That's good about your test result. That means your router uses UPnP tecnology.

The download preferences are those called download.dat & bak in the incomplete folder (ie:different files in different location.) So deleting the main LW preferences folder will not affect them at all. But LW must be closed when you delete the Prefs folder. Follow the instructions in the link (there's an easy image to follow at bottom of that page) & you'll find it quick & easy to do.

Well thanks, Lord of the Rings, so far. Lets see after all this if it will happen again. I do appreciate all your help. I will let you know if it happens again.

Disappeared files?
 

maddenman2006: Do you close LW before shutting down your computer? It is very important to close it before shutting the comp. down. Also, set LW to close immediately; Tools>Options>Shutdown & select Immediately & press the Apply button. That way there's no LW activities happening when you shut your comp down.


Can you give us a total desciption of your set up:
1. OS version? (eg: Windows 98)
2. What firewalls you have?
3. ram?
4. HDD space available?
5. Connection type? (eg: dialup, broadband, cable, etc.)
6. Modem & router brand name & model numbers?
7. Where are you trying to connect from (home, school, work, etc.)?
8. What version of Limewire (LW) & Java do you have? (Go to LW's menu Help>About LW...)

Did you try the above suggestion about making a backup of your downld.dat file & re-adding it before opening LW?

[COLOR=darkblue]I had it set so that it goes into system tray when I hit the "X". That shouldn't have anything to do with it though, should it? I could even exit limewire completely and open it back up and the downloads would still be there.

Windows XP Home Edition
Not sure on the Firewalls but I think I have a Windows firewall and McAfee Firewall, both are set to allow limewire.
384 MB of RAM
8.99 GB available
Cable Connection
Linksys/Motorolla I believe?
Home connection
Limewire: 4.6.0 Java: 1.5.0_01

I never had this problem before. I have been using limewire for a long time now. I just recently noticed it happening in the past 3 days or so...

I think it might have something to do with LW not being properly closed down when you shut your computer down. That's why I suggested to set it to close immediately (even though it may affect uploaders) so there's no instances of LW still running at comp. shut down time. LW being in the tray may keep some of the LW activities open. If you want it to sit in the tray when you use it that's fine. But for closing it down close it down completely. And open it from the Start menu. I only suggest this due to your particular problem.

Also it might be worth deleting your LW preferences folder whilst LW is closed (& must be fully closed.) Instructions are here: Fixes for Limewire

What exactly IS a preference list? And what will I lose/gain from deleting it?

It has nothing to do with your incomplete files (their preference list is in the incomplete folder called download.dat)
The preferences hold all the information about your LW settings (& more) stored in a file(s) within the preferences folder. When you delete it then the next time you open LW it will ask you to set some of the options again such as download location, shared folders, etc. That's why I'd suggest you make a note of the option settings before you delete it. Sometimes the LW preferences can become corrupted. It might have various side-fx. A simple deletion of them whilst LW is closed can breathe fresh life back into LW & eradicate some abnormal behaviours.

I can't seem to resume certain files in my Incomplete folder. They appear in red and nothing that I do seems to add them properly to my download window.

Any ideas?

Argy ABrgy: Do a search for each one using LW. Once the search results are up, select the same one you were downlding earlier & press the download button. If it's not the right one then stop it & select another from the list. If all this doesn't work, then with the search results still up, select a few of the files (one by one to be on the safe side) & press the Resume button to the far right. It's best to do this with the sources already available thru a search. Otherwise the side effect is them resuming at 0%.

hi,

I have the same problem says "Unable to download old downloads" and red colored incomplete file names
at library window. In fact they point to same problem. Just
cause and effect.

May I ask for a kind of script or a prg to be able to reconstruct
download.dat & bak files for the lost downloads. I tried to write
it but I dont know the binary hirarchy of that file. This could
be written only by the developers of limewire as a fix.

I think this might be the only solution for this case. Cuz
there are many limewire users, searching for a solution.