This is the 2nd time I have installed a newer version of Limewire basic (now 5.5.7) and now ALL file downloads stall. After selecting a file for DL the "Connecting to x P2P Users" count rises to maximum then holds there for a bit and systematically declines to 0 and I get the stalled confirmation.

The last time this happened with a version upgrade I found a fix that resolved the issue which if I recall correctly was under Tools>Options>Advanced>Performance and checking "Disable TLS Capabilities". This time no such luck.

I'm on Vista 64-bit, standard firewall. Limewire is listed as an exception so that's not the issue. I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling and no change.

I've seen a few other threads similar to this but none had a resolution.

Any ideas?

Try this http://www.gnutellaforums.com/353628-post2.html including deleting your LW preferences.