Suddenly cannot open ANY folder in Limewire's "Library" tab!
 

Suddenly, without having changed anything in Limewire myself, over the past week or so, I am unable to open ANY of Limewire's (version 4.16.6; Java version 1.6.0_05) library's folders. All that shows in the library-tab view window is a button to configure Limewire's sharing options. That button opens the "Options" menu for all of Limewire's settings/preferences. I've had Limewire set the way I want it for a while now (months), but have NOT experienced this problem until approximately a week ago. I've tried changing the settings in the configuration and applying them, closing and re-opening Limewire, even restarting my computer, and still I can't get ANY of the folders under the "Library" tab to open and display their contents in the view window, so they can be selected and played, as they've always been able to before.
Is anyone else having this serious problem with Limewire? Please tell me how to get Limewire working right as it used to. Right now, I can't play ANYTHING I've downloaded to my "Shared" folder (Limewire's library folders) due to this inexplicable problem!!
Thank you for any and all replies/resolution of this problem.

Do you want to play the songs with LimeWires built in player or do you want to play them with another mp3 player?
Most people choose to play their songs with another application like Windows Media player - have you tried going to your folder that you selected as your library folder and doing that (right click "Play with Windows Media player")?

I can't see anything, so I can't play anything ...
 

READ THROUGH THIS POST TO UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES THAT ARE PROBLEMATIC. THEN, THERE IS MORE ADDED AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST, ESPECIALLY FOR THE GUTNELLA/LIMEWIRE SOFTWARE VERSION UPDATES/BETA RELEASES DEVELOPMENT ENGINEERING PERSONNEL/TECHNICAL SUPPORT. I REQUEST A REPLY FROM THESE PERSONNEL AT GUTNELLA/LIMEWIRE TO EITHER THIS POST, OR MY EMAIL ADDRESS: *email address removed*. THANK YOU.
--------------------

Hello Robert,

I think you may have missed the problem I'm having with Limewire. It's not a matter of playing my saved downloads on the Limewire player versus any other player.
It's that, suddenly in the last week or so, whenever I click on the "Library" tab in Limewire, it no longer allows me to open ANY of the folders to even see what I've downloaded using Limewire, much less play any of it on Limewire's, or any other, player.
All that's shown is a flat, biege-colored background with a "Configure" button in the middle by itself telling me I can change the Limewire options, and when I click on it, takes me to the same "Options" drop-down choices as when I click on "Options" in the Tools menu at the top of the Limewire interface screen.
Previously, Limewire accepted whatever choices I saved under its options, and now, changing them/returning them to their defaults/closing and reopening Limewire/restarting my PC doesn't make the folders under the "Library" tab work. I can click on any of them, and none will show the list of tracks I've downloaded. All I get is that beige blank background where my downloaded tracks used to show with just the "Configure" button in the center. :bangh:

What has Limewire done to its newest version that this should suddenly be happening? Especially since it started happening AFTER I had already downloaded and installed the most recent version, and initially, it was working as it should, and I could see and play all tracks downloaded in any of its folders (including the "Incomplete" folder) then? :confused:

Thanks again to any and all who would be willing to help resolve this problem, :Smilywais:
Brian

(ADDENDUM BELOW ADDED ON 3/31/08):
I've tried redownloading Limewire and Java to make sure they were both up-to-date and not corrupt. I downloaded them directly from Lime Wire » Official Website & Free Download, BitTorrent « and java.com: Hot Games, Cool Apps. I discovered the download for Limewire's newest Beta version 4.17.6 on the website, and so downloaded it. Doing so did nothing to restore the ability to navigate among the folders in the "Library" tab in Limewire, see all of the tracks displayed under each folder (audio, video, etc.), so you can scroll through everything you have in your shared folder by type, and open files as you come across the ones you want, as was the highly convenient and preferable way Limewire used to work. I also discovered that I already have the latest version of Java running on my PC: 1.6.0_05.
I then realized there is a "Search" bar over the top of the pane that used to display downloaded files, but now just has the "Configure" button in the middle of that blank, beige background, no natter which folder in the left-side pane you click on. I tried just entering the word "audio" into this search bar, and nothing came back. I then just pulled a name of a music artist who's tracks I had recently downloaded, just entering his name, and the tracks in my Shared folder came up for him in the window pane where ALL of the tracks used to show.
So, I discovered you can get tracks to display in this pane, and pick from among whatever you are able to remember off the top of your head that's in your Shared folder (I have hundreds of audio and video files in there!! I can't possibly remember them all so as to enter whatever I want to access by just using this new search bar from memory!!)
So, Limewire's newest change to the program has actually made it user UNFRIENDLY when the user wants to just browse everything they've downloaded, be reminded of tracks they might not recall from memory, and pick and choose from a COMPLETE listing of all tracks under each folder just by clicking on that folder in the left-hand pane!
I also cannot get anything to display when I click on the "Incomplete" folder, even though there are incomplete files in there. So, how can the user go in and resume a download they may have interuppted or stopped for whatever reason? The OPTIONS mentioned here are what previously made Limewire so great and user-friendly.
Now, if I want to scroll through what I have downloaded, I have to go to the "Limewire" folder inside the "My Documents" folder, and have to slog through EVERYTHING - audio, video, etc., etc., all together in the one "Saved" folder, in search of the specific files/tracks I want to get to. Then, I have to launch the file/track from the open Shared folder (now the "Saved" folder in the latest version of Limewire), and have the linked, default player on my PC open and play the file. This is MUCH MORE CUMBERSOME!
As far as the "Incomplete" folder is concerned, yes, when Limewire is opened, any incomplete files in that folder automatically begin trying to connect and continue downloading in the "Search" tab. They still come up saying "Need More Sources" nevertheless. However, sometimes I've been able to get a smaller number of files to successfully connect to sources and finish downoading if I can cancel the downloading of other files.
The way Limewire is set up now, if you cancel any download that's just sitting there "Awaiting Sources" (VERY frustrating!), you can't go back into the "Incomplete" folder and resume the downloads you canceled. As far as I can tell, you have to close Limewire anmd reopen it for it to just automatically resume downloading WHATEVER is in the "Incompete" folder, whether you want it to or not!
I'm HOPING that Gutnella's software development engineers will simply release an updated version of this newest version of Limewire that restores the wonderful navigation capabilities and complete lists of files, broken down by the saved folders in the left-side pane, including the "Incomplete" folder, right inside Limewire's "Library" tab.
Lastly, I had gotten the impression that Limewire had developed the program so that it wouldn't have so many problems finding, and maintaining, source connections so it could complete more successful downloads than it used to. This problem has NOT been improved on AT ALL from my experience using these newest verions of Limewire. It's VERY frustrating to have a file stop downloading when it's literally 95%+ done, due to whatever interruption in sources has occurred. The Limewire program should automatically seek out other sources so the download can finish.

I hope Gutnella/Limewire will read through this post, taking it as constructive feedback and as customer requests for a superior program, and make Limewire into the kind of client that offers the most successful downloads while also offering and maintaining the most options, choices, features and control at the user's command as possible!

Thank you for Gutnella's/Limewire's prompt resolution of these problems with Limewire 4.16 & Beta 4.17.6.

I look forward to Gutnella's response to this post, or to me at *email address removed*.

________________________________________
Edited to comply with the House Rules.
Do not divulge anyone's personal information in the forum, not even your own.

When you click on the plus sign next to "Shared Files" doesn't another folder then show up that shows all your library files?
Like when I click on the plus sign next to Shared Files a folder called "Music Shared" shows and when I click on this all my files in the library then show up.
If a file stops downloading at 95% and it only has one source as to where that file is coming from then that means that the person who's file you are downloading has switched their computer off for the night. If there is more than one source of course LimeWire will try to get the rest of that file from one of those other sources but if it was only downloading from one source theres nothing limewire can do to make that person reconnect and let you complete your download. That's just the luck of the draw. Sometimes a file is coming from multiple sources but most often it is only coming from one source (you can see this before you start downloading by the number on the far left of the file listings) If the person you are downloading from switches his computer off or even just switches Limewire off there is nothing LimeWire can do to force that other person to let you complete your download. Your saved files now; be it audio-video-programs-documents or images are now the files that you leave in your Download folder. I think they are sorted by the file extension as to whether or not they go into one folder or the other. I'm not sure because I only save audio files and I don't keep them in the folder that they are downloaded into. When I click onto any of those folders except "Shared Files" nothing shows up - no audio no video or any of the other categories. Simply because I don't keep them in the folder that I first downloaded them into. If I wanted them to show I guess I would have to keep a copy of all the files I downloaded in that download folder otherwise they won't show up in those folders. i don't know if this is different from how LimeWire used to look because I haven't had a copy of LimeWire on my computers since about 2001. You can specify different folders for each type in the first part of the options menu "saving" so you should be able to sort them by having different folders for the different type of downloads. But in order to see them you have to leave a copy of each individual file in the download folder for that type of file. It just means that the folder you download to becomes your library folder for that type of file.

Have you tried wiping the settings by deleting the Limewire preference folder? It could be that some kind of corruption happened there.

Another thing that might help is completely wiping Limewire and Java from your system. I mean deleting anything Limewire except of course your downloads, and then cleaning the registry before reinstalling.

If that doesn't work then try an older version like the 4.12 line

Need Gutnella/Limewire to respond directly/correct problems with Limewire's folders!
 

Thanks for your replies:

I did click on the "+" sign next to the saved folders so as to open all of the various folders in order to navigate between, so I could try to view only video, or audio, etc., downloaded files, rather than having to slog among all of them mixed together when opening the "Saved" folder under the "Limewire" folder in "My Documents." That was one of my main points about the way prior versions of Limewire worked that made it such a user-friendly a versatile program. Clicking on each individual folder in the left-hand folder pane opens nothing now.

As far as totally deleting everything "Limewire" off of my PC and redownloading from scratch (except of course my "Saved" and "Shared" folders), I can certainly try that as a last resort, but Limewire's newest version was working as Limewire always has in the past, AFTER downloading this lastest upgrade of it, then suddenly started with these problems in approx. the last 2 weeks or so by now.

I was able to open and navigate between the folders in the latest version then, all of a sudden, even though the Limewire version hadn't changed, the ability to do that suddenly just stopped working, and I had to type the names of downloaded files in my "Saved" folder into the search bar in Limewire's "Library" tab to have ANYTHING come up in the center window pane. And don't forget, clicking on the "Incomplete" folder won't open that either, so incomplete downloads that have been stopped for any reason need Limewire to be closed and reopened again just to get them to resume downloading!

Before I go the the extent of completely eradicating Limewire from my PC, including the registry, has Gutnella/Limewire made any changes to this newest version of their program? And, if no one on this Technical Support communiy forum knows the answer to that, is there any way to get these problems in front of the program design/technical engineers at Gutnella/Limewire, and get a reply from them and/or get an uprade that corrects these problems?

Thanks again for any and all replies, especially directly from Gutnella/Limewire, who I certainly hope monitor these forums!

Brian

It's very doubtful that the devs see this.

Try here: LimeWire Forums (bugs and betatesting) you will have to register there to post. And last but not least, good luck. You will need it.

Hi I'm also having a problem finding all of my files that were in my library!!! I did click on the shared tab and "music shared" is not one of the options. I have clicked just about everything!! I also tried the saved files, with no avail!! I think maybe I deleated all of my files?? I too was looking at the configure page when I clicked on library. If someone could please help I would be most greatful!!!!!!!!!! P.S. If I did accidently delete all of my library, how do I get it back without downloading it all over again? I have 1000's of files!!!!!!!

You haven't deleted your files (I hope).
 

The newest Limewire is VERY messed up, and trying to see your downloaded files inside it in the "Library" tab is not working for some unknown reason. I am quite upset about it, but redownloading, etc. - nothing fixes it. So, I assume Gutnella changed something that messed it up.
RE: your "Saved" and "Shared" files. The newest version of Limewire has done away with the seperate "Shared" folder under your user name in Documents & settings. Your must open "My Documents" under your user name, and you will now see a 'Limewire" folder. Inside that is where the new "Saved," "Shared", "Incomplete" and one other folder are now all located. Limewire has also changed the path in its "configure" or "Options" setting under "Tools" in the upper-left drop-down menu.
All your old dowloaded files should still be in the previous, separate "Shared" and "Incomplete" (if applicable) folders created by the previous versions of Limewire. I opened those old folders, and found all my downloads, and simply highlighted all of them, and moved them to the new "Saved" folder inside the new "Limewire" folder in "My Documents." I then did the same thing with the old "Incomplete" folder - highlighted and moved those files to the new "Incompolete" folder inside the new "Limewire" folder in "My Documents." After I saw that I had successfully moved all my files over - by opening "My Documents" and the going into the "Limewire" folder and seeing them in the new "Saved" folder in there, I just deleted the old, seperate "Shared" and "Incomplete" folders, now empty.
But no matter what folder you click on in the left-hand side foldersd inder the Library tab in Limewire (Audio, Video, etc.), you can't see your saved downloaded files inside the newest Limewire window pane as you always used to.
For me, there's just a blank beige box instead of that window with a "Configure" button in the middle of it.
I did discover that, I you happen to have a super-human memory and can remember all of the names of each and every files in your "Saved" folder, you can type a particular file name into the "Search" bar above the large, beige center window under the "Library" tab, and you will see your file, or files, for whatever you happened to remember from your list of saved files that you entered into the search bar.
Otherwise, until Gutnella gets the hint and corrects this problem with its newest version, you just have to open "My Documents" and go into the "Limewire" folder, then into the "Saved" folder, and you'll see all of your old tracks/files you moved from the old, seperate "Shared" folder, and you'll just have to double-click on what you want to play (they'll all be mish-mashed together - audio, video, programs, software, etc.) to open it from directly inside the new "Saved" folder and hope it opens in whatever default media player you have installed on your PC.

Try and say all of that three times fast!

kkkhurt
 

Brian, I am having the same problem with limewire. My whole library has disappeared and I can't find it anywhere. I sure hope someone can help us fix this problem because I am not happy with this at all. I've never had this problem before, so they need to fix this. My daughter is having the same problem on her computer.:(

library problems
 

I tried clicking on saved and shared folders and then I clicked on explore and I still can't find my music. What's up with that? I have tried everything I can think of but I can't find my music anywhere.

I got it
 

brianko722 ,

I had the problem of not being able to access files in my library. I could not launch them from limewire and all. So what I did was go to tools tab, click options. Once it redirects you, about half way down you'll see player click that. And where it says use limewire media player, unclick that and you should be able to launch them. However, they still don't completely show up as shared files on my library but at least you can access them. If that doesn't help an AK-47 may do the trick.:D

The files need to be shared to show up in the Shared folder, also need to be shared to play. :) Click on the Saved Files list, right-click those that are Red in color & choose Share file. ;) At least for those files you wish to share & wish to play. :)
If you updated LimeWire & cannot find your Downloads