Are you using LimeWire? You've posted in the Phex forum

I've never seen a message like that regarding downloads. Do you mean that you got a message saying that you will see few incoming searches because you're a leaf node shielded by an ultrapeer? If that's what you saw, it's not to do with your downloads.

Do you see a download window, below the search results? If not...try clicking on the little black arrow pointing up, above the blue world icon at the bottom of the screen.