Hi there, thanks for the help, to all those people out there who can't launch into itunes will their downloaded mp3's, I have finally managed to sort this problem out on my computer (imac OS 9.2 LW 2.4) without using an itunes associator and realising that LW overrides all the instructions about internet preferences!
Firstly, u need to find the damn files that you download using LW which for some reason as explained above do not want to go into the LW "shared folder" on the LW page.
What i did was to go to the hard drive>system>system folder> preferences folder>shared folder. (Not sure if this is the norm, but the shared folder where the mp3 gems are, are not located in the LW "shared" folder that is found under preferences> LW folder) In the "shared" folder (as explained above) you will find the fab mp3 files that u want in itunes. Simply drag these over the itunes application, mine is on the desktop.
One important thing though, once you have dragged the wee mp3's over the itunes icon, do not destroy them like I did by putting them in the trash, which I simply emptied thinking nothing of it. Because the computer can't play them because, the files are gone! Logic really! Gone are the great old days of launching into itunes straight from LW.
Also there is no need to press launch and having to faff around with Quick Time Player, because as soon as the mp3 is 100% complete they will appear in the shared folder.
Sorted!!!!