If you don't have the ability to Repair LW whilst it is closed. Then it sounds as though you installed with what was known as the international (multilingual) installer & not the english installer. The problem with the old international installer version is that it installed Java 1.3 & enforced LW to use it. As the Gnutella network has developed & possibly updates to your OS this Java version might be struggling.

OS=Operating system (eg: Windows 98 or XP, etc.)
HDD=Hard Disk Drive (where everything is stored.)
Connection type= dial up modem, or broadband or cable, etc.

Have you considered updating LW?: http://www.limewire.com/english/content/download.shtml