When LW starts gathering my files to share it stops at about 1/3 of my files. doesn't matter if i'm sharring 300 files or 7000+ files. the text in the lower left corner of the window always looks something like this...

Sharring 1400/3668

Sharring 122/389

etc etc
at that point it takes 30minutes for the number to increase by just 1.
memory adjustments seem to have no effect.
'library' reports the same... only about 1/3 of my files change color to show they are available for sharring.

help?

It's a little weird that it's 1/3.

Let me explain how it works. It sounds like you have an older system, so this greatly affects you.

Before a file can go into the library it needs to be scanned by Limewire. The scan will take longer if the files are big, or if the computer is an older, slower system and if the app doesn't have as much RAM as it could.

Solution: Wait. Just leave limewire on for a couple hours or a day or so (if possible) and all those files will eventually load into the library.

update:
LW's files halted on 91/3000+ last night so i've been watching the 'library' screen as it loads...
i realize now that the list bogs down whenever it hits a file that was just recently added to my collection within a few days.

why does LW dislike additions to my sharing folder?

When LimeWire encounters a new file it must hash the file to generate a unique fingerprint. This is done to ensure that no corruptions are encountered when others try to download the file. Hashing is a lengthy process, but is very necessary.

Un, no offense sberlin.

English translation:

New files have to be scanned particularly well at the first time they're added and that takes longer. After that, they can be loaded very quickly into the library.

Blackbird,
Is this LW "scanning" now called "verifying file" in the download window?
And, when you say "Just leave limewire on for a couple hours or a day or so" do I have to be on-line and connected to have the process completed? A recent 48Mg download which took several days on my dial-up seemed to be takiing even longer to do the verification.
Rhohl

No. Verifying files is a different process from the initial scan to add it into your library. The verifying files process insures that there are no file corruptions in the file you have downloaded. The scanning process scans the file so that the program knows what the file is so it can be searched for. This scanning process is called hashing.

Blackbird,
I've learned that the hashing process does not require you to be on-line but what about this (new) "verifying file" step...does it require that I remain connected to LW for the process to be completed?
I never let the before mentioned 45Mg file to finish this verification and later found it in my shared folder...and when I finally installed the program I did not have any problems with it ...yet.
Rhohl

The file verification process begins immediately after the download of the file is complete, so obviously, one is online when it happens. Does one need to remain online for it to finish? I do not know. One may be able to stay online and it will finish, or, quiting or disconnecting may disrupt the process as it is still a "download".

However, hashing is the longer process than file verification.

The hashing can be done offline, correct.

but why is hashing and file verification taking literally 100 times longer than it did before?