Shared files don't all show in the Library window
 

I'm new to all this so please be patient. I posted this question a few days ago and nobody responded. Then I posted the question again in the general forum - and I can't even find that one! It's all betting a bit annoying!

Anyway, I'm using LimeWire with OS 8.6 on an old PowerMac. I've downloaded about 24 music tracks so far, but v ery few of them show in LimeWire's Library window, even though the files are all in the right folder (I checked in the Finder).

I realise that LimeWire chops the ends off long names because the Mac only allows filenames 32 characters long; so I adjusted some of the names to make sure the .mp3 suffix is included, figuring that maybe LimeWire doesn't recognise files without the suffix. This helped a lot, but still some of the files aren't getting listed.

Can anyone suggest what else is causing this problem? Appreciate any suggestions.

Hi,

This may be a dumb question, but are all of your mp3's are in the same folder that you have chosen to share?

Also, from what I hear, since version 2.5.x, LimeWire needs to hash the files which can take a long time. When I first installed 2.5.5, all of my files weren't showing, then I noticed that some were adding to my Library, but slow. I thought it was a problem so I uninstalled and went back to 2.4.4.

I hope one of these thoughts can help.

Thanks Julie. Yes all the files are in my shared folder, the one that shows as a folder icon next to the Library window.

I don't know what 'hash' means but I am aware that LimeWire takes for ever to do just about _anything_!! (It must have been written by a Microsoft developer!). So I wait for the filenames to show up, but there's never any more than about 17 listed out of the 20-odd files in the folder.

I don't know what "hash" means either...I've just read it alot.

I upgraded to 2.6.3 last night. It took a long time for all of my files (633) to show. That was the "hashing".

But, they all show. I am sharing two folders. One is music, the other is video. I'm not sure what the problem is for all of yours not to show.

sorry.:(

Oh well, thanks for your reply anyway.:)

You'd think there'd be some way to ask the developers of LimeWire about such things.

'hashing' a file means that LimeWire is analyzing it to produce some kind of 'fingerprint'. this lets other people easily say 'find me more sources of this specific file'. unfortunately, it takes a bit of time to analyze every single file.

do you think some kind of visual indicator that limewire is hashing the file would be useful? i've been pondering a way to display all potentially shared files, but display the non-shared ones in italics. or, if that isn't possible, having an extra 'Pending Shared' folder that lists all files that are awaiting hashing.

Maybe just a message that comes up when you first run the versions that do this. Something that says:

"LimeWire will now complete the process of hashing (maybe a description of what it means) your shared files. This will take some time, but will have no adverse affect on it's performance"

I don't know. Something like that in plain english. It was why I didn't stick with 2.5.5 and went back to 2.4.4. I didn't know what was taking so long and it also froze alot. So far 2.6.3 is working ok (except for the lack of downloads! but that's not new ;) ). I knew about the hashing this time, so I just waited it out. Sure enough, the next time I ran LW, it listed all the files much faster.

Even a spinning beach ball or an eggtimer icon would indicate that _something_ is happening.

But this still doesn't explain why some of my files aren't getting hashed at all - even ones I've just downloaded!:confused: