There are lots of bad files shared on the network (some infected, some just useless). Sometimes people share bad files because they don't realise that what they've downloaded & are sharing is bad. Sometimes bad files are shared deliberately, by companies who're trying to sabotage file sharing.

Did you preview the files while you were downloading them (to check how they sound)?
Have you tried using another player (not LW's player - something like Windows Media Player, or iTunes, or any other player that you might have installed) to play the files? If not, turn off LW's player... in LW click on Tools > Options > Player > untick 'Use LW player' > apply > ok. Once you turn that off, then another music player should take over & play the files. The LW player is pretty awful, so it's worth trying another player

If none of the files play with another player, go & search for the files again. Maybe you've just downloaded junk in the first place, it happens When you search again, look for files with 10 or less hosts (number in the # column).

Since you're really new to LW, have a read of the FAQ & User Guide here (click on underlined links):

• LimeWire User Guide
• Frequently Asked Questions

One thing you need to make sure of is that you have a good antivirus (AV) program installed. Keep it updated & use that program to scan all files that you downoad, before you open them!
Once you've downloaded a file, click on the Library tab in LW. Now click on Saved Files & click Explore (bottom left corner)... your saved folder will open. When your saved folder is open, find the file that you've just downloaded & right click on that - you should see the option to scan the file with your AV. You need to do this for every file that you download, just to make sure that you don't end up with a virus & to make sure that you don't end up sharing infected files on to other people

The links below have some info about what to watch out for.
Virus thread: Typical virus spam file sizes - Make a note of them (click on blue link to see)

* WARNING: Viruses on network you should be aware of ! *

Let us know if you need more help with things