Thanks much for the reply, I actually have read this and several other forum quest & answ.sessions... but ...

I know how to get rid of the junk, I have keyword and host filters on, I block hosts & recognize fakes....Its just now when I block the fakes & spam hardly any legit files show up to replace it.

I also know how to do diff. combos & strategies for searches ---and it worked great before, I was able to find tons of stuff for relatively popular "alternative" music, even halfway obscure bands/artists...

Now...for ex. last night I did various searches for REM with/without Murmer specified , and with spam/junk blocked 2 legit songs came up in results,neither from the album ....I switched out hosts sereval times too... I mean come on, thats ridiculous?? and even artists who do bring up a fair number have like 5 songs with more than 1 host to download from.

maybe its the whole leaf /ultrapeer thing, maybe I did the bulk of my former searches before they changed things- restricted or annexed connections or whatever. All I know is I cant find half of my old music and its making me sad.
Oh, ARCHER PREWITT I HARDLY KNEW YA.

Thanks for looking out

beaneyedcat

I feel your pain [I'm air high-fiving you]. I have a nearly identical situation and frustration, and it's not just with music files. Today I tried disabling OOB Searching, Chat, and Player, and that *seemed* to make my searches a little more similar to what they used to be. Not sure which if any of those changes might've done it, if any. Could've been a coincidence.

Like you I'm beginning to suspect it may have something to do w/ change(s) in the topology of the network and LW, such as the ultrapeer thing f'rinstance. They seem to have solved a lot of the problems LW used to have, and they say they've made the network more efficient, but I'm wondering if they've also reduced our access to the wider network somehow, in the process.

Good luck, and pls post again in this thread if you ever figure out how to get back to those old search results.