Well I gave VLC a try and it didn't work on the suspect files.

But you could see it was thinking hard about it. When VLC tried to open the file the entire computer went into a drag. Normal operations that should have taken mere seconds took minutes to come around. And I kept getting the spinning rainbow ball of death.

So bad it was that each time I had to tried to open it with VLC I ended up rebooting.

I also downloaded the file again (499 MB). And again....it didn't work. Then I saw he file again but offered by someone else (it didn't have a "complete" check mark indicating I had previously downloaded it). But that didn't work either. I downloaded it, verified it, but again.....can't open it.

At this point I'm sure it is the file. However, I just wish there was a way Limewire could identify the problem - instead of me spending hours working on a file that (according to Limewire) is just fine.

In short, I can't tell the good files from bad files anymore. It is now rolling the dice each time download. Ah well. It's all free.

Thanks for your help. And if you, or anyone else, has other keen ideas I'm all ears. I'l hold on to the files - maybe there will be a cure in the future.

I have about 10 or more files like this that do not work in my shared folder.

Hmmm......now that I think about it. Perhaps I should take them out of that folder and not spread them around. BUT, if that were the case why isn't it happening to others?

Am I the only one to struggle with this?