I don't know about whether I have the latest java. I do have a firewall.

But this is not about connecting.

The .exe will not open. None of the limewire files will open.

I had Lime wire running successfully - and then within a few minutes (after the changes to the sytem I described above) I could not get - the shortcut, the .exe file, even the .jar file to respond. --

Nothing, - not even a 'open with' dialoge box. I might as well be clicking on empty space.

And to answer your second question - I've had, and have been using, Limewire, in all it's incarnations since the 3 series.

It works swell on my desktop -- where I have not done any kind of upgrades lately.