Did you configure your Firewall to allow LW access?:
http://www.limewire.com/english/content/firewalls.shtml You can follow the similar principle.
Allow LW to settle before attempting to search. Depending on how many incomplete & shared files you have it may take a while. Give it some time.
You could try these one by one until one works:
1. Repair LimeWire using the Add/Remove Programs utility. Go to Control Panel then Add/Remove Programs & click on Limewire on the Change/Remove button & it comes up with options and one of them is Repair. Try this.
2. Update your Java
version 1.5 (take the JRE)
3. Delete the LW Preferences folder called
.limewire (whilst LW is closed!) & found here: Windows 98 / ME: Your .limewire folder is in "C:\My Documents" (BUT make a note of all your LW settings 1st, b/c after you delete the LW prefs folder you'll need to reset them.)
Can you give us a total desciption of your set up: 1. ram, 2. HDD space available,
3. Connection type,
4. Modem & router brand name & model numbers,
5. Where are you trying to connect from (home, school, work, etc.)?
Apparently there are issues with Win 98 that with M$ did not include in their original docs:
New Windows 98 errors discovered