search tab slows program
 

i am running a dell laptop with a 1.6ghz processor on windows xp home, radeon videocard with 128 meg dedicated(can't remember the exact card) 512 mb memory, and i can't think of other important specs to list, if you need ask me.

my problem is that whenever limewire is open and on the search tab, the whole thing bogs down, if i switch to library or if i minimize the program, everything runs fine, its just on the search tab and it only starts after i start a search. does anyone else have this problem or know how to fix it?

Hmmm I don't have that problem, but what LimeWire and Java Version are you running.

They can be found in LW help>about LimeWire

I run LimeWire with task maniger open all the time so I can monitor memory and cpu usage when testing. I have noticed that when LW is minimized to tray it uses 20% to 30% less memory. after a long period of time it Will creep back up. If you maximize it and minimize it again it will go back down. 512mb on a XP machine is a little weak in the memory department depending on how many applications you have running in the background IE windows XP 256 minimum LW depending on version 60mb to 100mb Norton 50mb etc. So the performance increase you are seeing is probably due to the increase in available memory when LW is minimized. Although I also have not seen this problem associated with just the search tab

LW version 4.9.11
Java version 1.5.0_04

i just installed the program, and it worked fine for a couple of days and then started doing this.

Try deleting your LW Preferences folder whilst LW is closed; instructions here: Fixes for Limewire It might not make any difference but it might also.