I also get "COULD NOT DOWNLOAD" and I'm totally new using limewire; but if I'm waiting for the availabilty of these files and they never seem to arrive, what can I do?Please HELP!!

I will keep this simple. Many people who use Gnutella are not actively sharing their files so you will often fail to get a download when you request one. My experience is that you will only find a successful download from about 5% of the hosts you try. You must be very active and request as many downloads as necessary to find co-operative hosts. Even then, you must watch over the download because many will stall and require you to take action to reconnect with the host. If you read through other threads on this forum, you will pick up many hints on how to run Limewire.

Good luck.

Thank U very much David91, I also tried disconnecting and reconnecting, to connect to hosts that are more active and that's working for now; but I thought the downloads would resume, and I have to insert them as new searches, only then I'm able to download, isn't there a smart resume or something?

Thank You you've been great help!!

Sadly, although there is a resume button, it was disconnected a few upgrades ago. You have to do it manually by killing the download when it stops and restarting it from the original source on the hit list. If that does not work, leave the download in the window and make another search using exactly the same words as the host you are downloading from. That will often reconnect you to the host. If that does not work, it may be because the host has turned his/her machine off so do not despair. Wait a few hours/days and try again. If the computer is switched on again, you will be able to resume the download from the point it stopped.

There is much to learn but it is fun and the rewards are considerable if you master it.

All the best

David

Jejeje,

Thanks David! This is fun, and I enjoy it very much...now, my connections window doesn't say leaf anymore...it says "ultrapeer", if I am an ultrapeer, does that give me any privilige or do I have different options or abilities, that I didn't have before.

Being an ultrapeer is a mixed blessing. The network has recognised that you have many files to share and represent a stable and reliable host from whom to upload and have the bandwidth to spare. But my experience suggests that it is better to remain a leaf. I admit that I have not repeated the ultrapeer experiment with 2.9.11 so it may now be better than it used to be.

Limewire sets you as an ultrapeer by default. Try it both ways and see how, if at all, your performance changes. Go into Preferences and deselect ultrapeer for an hour or so. To change back, replace the default in Preferences and then use the menu Disconnect/Connect sequence and that will usually kick you back into ultrapeer mode.

Glad you are enjoying life.

David

Thanks a lot David!

You have been ver educational and nice! It has been a lot better as an ultrapeer, I'm learning quickly and I can connect to more hosts being an ulktrapeer so I guess it is a lot better!
I'm having a lot of fun, and of course getting great music, which is my first priority!