i've been trying to download a file but every time i open limewire it says 'unable to download: there is a disk problem'. i was able to download the file at first but now it wont work. im using limewire 5.1.2. please help.

Are you only seeing the error with one particular file, or does it happen with every file?

'Disk Problem' has been around for ages & I don't think there's ever been one fix that works for everyone.

Defragmenting the HDD has worked for some people - give that a try first.
Changing download location worked for me - downloading to an external drive fixed my prob in an older version.
Are you using the default saving location (C:\Documents & Settings\username\My Documents\LimeWire\Saved)?
Are you using Vista? If so, do you have an administrator account?

You could try deleting LW's preferences folder when LW's properly closed. See point 3 here & also point 2 if you've used older versions of LW in the past (there could be a folder in either location).
Fixes for LimeWire
This will change all of your settings within options, you'll have to go back through afterwards & reset things. If you're not sure of your settings, go through LW's tools > options & write them all down, so that you can reset things later.
In case you're using Vista: LimeWire Pref Folder in Vista

These threads are very old but might have something to help.
The "disk problem" problem
Disk Problem??
disk problem
Low Disk Space Message

I changed my download location and It has took care of the problem thanks eveyone

i am using the latest lw free version. when downloading I get the message unable to download- file problem. Please help me. I love lw.