DOWNLOADING AND INSTALLING mIRC
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1) Downloading

You download mIRC in a self-extracting file (meaning you just click on the file and it installs itself on your computer). You dont need any other software to install and setup mIRC on your PC, just follow the instructions below.

This software is a completely seperate program to your web browser or other programs you access the internet on such as email.

There are two different versions of mIRC and the first thing you need to do is decide which one you will need! Look at the table below and select which one refers to your Windows program.

You now need to go to the Official mIRC Download Page and continue to follow these instructions (your browser will open a new window for you when you select the link). There will be several download sites you can download from just choose one nearest to you with the correct filename below.

mirc541t.exe (Windows 3.1)
mirc541s.exe (Windows 95/NT)

Download the file and save it to your hard disk by right-clicking on the link and selecting 'Save this link as...' from the popup menu that will appear. When your web-browser asks where to place the file, select a directory on your harddisk where you will be able to find it later. (WRITE THIS DOWN SO YOU FON'T FORGET!)

Sometimes your web-browser will confront you with a warning message like: "Unknown File-type. No external viewer configured for this file.  Do you want to configure a viewer now OR save file to disk ?"
In these cases select "Save file to disk".

Once you have finished downloading the file hit the back button of your browser to return to this page if you haven't printed the instructions out.

2) Installing mIRC

Once you have downloaded mIRC, you are ready to install it in windows. During the installation process mIRC's files will be automatically extracted from the file and all necessary steps for starting mIRC will be taken automatically.

Open File Manager/Windows Explorer . You can find its icon in the Main group in Windows 3.1 or in the Start Menu in Win95.

Find the mirc 5.11 file that you just downloaded and saved to a directory on your computer. It is either named mirc511s.exe (16 Bit) or mirc511t.exe (32 Bit)

To start the installing double click on the filename. It will automatically start unpacking itself.

• When prompted for a place to store mIRC (destination directory) the default should say c:\mirc, click OK if this is acceptable.
  

• If you want the installer to add a mIRC program group to windows and set up the mIRC icons, keep the "Add icons" option selected.

Select 'OK' and you're done! The installer will take care of all the work.

3) Setting up mIRC

Now that the program is installed on your PC this is what is required to set it up:

First make sure you have dialled up and are connected to your provider. Always first start your dialer and then mIRC.

• Compuserve, Netcom, AOL and Internet Chameleon Users please see the Official mIRC Homepage for additional help if needed for connection.

Double click the mIRC icon (shortcut) to start up mIRC.

The Setup Dialog will then appear and you will need to fill in some information:

Select the IRC Servers tab (in Setup Dialog) and enter the following information in the fields

Real Name: Your real name or anything rather comical you can think of! E-Mail: Your email address (ie, gbfans@yahoo.com) Nick Name: A one to nine character alias to use on the chat system (ie, Babe1) Alternate: Choose another nickname. If someone else is already using the Nick Name you have chosen on IRC, you will be known by this alternate name instead. (ie, Babe13)

Click picture for closer look at set up box.

You also have to select a local or nearby IRC server. A long list of servers is available by default. If you want to chat on #gary or #gbfans you will need to select an UNDERNET server

Next, select the Local Info tab.
Normally you don't have to fill in anything here. Just make sure the boxes under 'On Connect, Always get :' IP Address and Local Host are Checked (selected)

Now select the Identd tab and Enable the Identd Server. Your User ID should already be filled-in there. Eventually fill in your Account Name in this field. (Your account name is the part before the @ in your email address, like julia1 or gbarlow in my case) The system should always be set to UNIX and Listening on port 113.

Once this is all set, click on the OK button to close the mIRC Setup Dialog.

mIRC is now set up and totally ready to use.

Click on the File menu and select Connect. (Or select the lightning button in the Toolbar)

After a short wait (but depending on how many users it may be a while!) you will see some meaningless gobbedly gook appear in the status window.

The last line will say something like "End of MOTD command".

To join a channel, type the /join {channel_name} command in the single line box at the bottom of the Status window, like this;

/join #gbfans

When you join a channel, a new window will appear on your screen.
The names on the right side column are those people who are currently joined in the channel.

The left hand window is where everyone's conversation takes place.
To say things to the people joined to the channel, just type your comments in the single row box at the bottom of the channel's window. If you need help preferablly ask a channel operator (they are the ones with the @ sign by their nickames - don't ask X though, he's our resident robot!) or anyone else on the channel. They were all new once and will understand.

To leave the channel, just double click on the close box, which is located at the top-left hand corner of the channel name's window.

There are many more commands available on IRC, which I have listed on the IRC FAQ main page to help you out, that's not all of them but it's a start, if you become a regular user, it will be like second nature after a while.

If you have difficulties connecting to an IRC server, because of errors like "No Authorisation" or "Cannot Resolve IRC Server name" try using a different IRC server or read the mIRC FAQ for more info.

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