These instructions will help AOL users download mIRC and access our genealogy chat group #GenealogyForum on Afternet. Similar steps will take you to other channels on other networks.

Using File Manager or Explorer, create a directory from which to run your new chat program. I suggest c:\mirc or similar.

Start AOL, and click on the Globe icon to join the World Wide Web.

Go to the MIRC Website at http://www.mirc.co.uk. If you're unsure how, type over the default address http://www.aol.com/, then press enter.

Select a location near you with the appropriate version of mirc. Use the 16 bit version for Win3.1, and the 32 bit version for Win95. Click on your choice to begin downloading. While at this site, you may also want to download the available help files and instructions, however, there are complete step by step instructions for setting up and using mIRC on this website: How to Use MIRC.

AOL will prompt you for the location to download files to. Select the directory you previously created (c:\mirc or similar).

After download is complete:

Go to your WINDOWS Explorer (win95) or your File Manager (win3.1) and double click on the file you downloaded. An INSTALLATION window will appear. If the path to the directory you created is not in the 'destination directory' section near the top of that screen, click the browze button and select your directory for there.

If you are upgrading over an older version of mIRC, you will need to check the box to backup existing files. If you are downloading for the first time you will want to select the second 'check box' to add icons to your program manger. CLICK INSTALL. It will install itself. It will tell you when it is successful and ready to use.

Open the program, you will see and window with and picture of the creator on it. This is where you can register your program if you wish to. If you don't want this window to popup each time you open mIRC, UNCHECK the checked box in the lower left corner of the window and close the window by clicking the X in the upper right corner.

Click on OPTIONS icon, (second from the left) CLICK on CONNECT on the 'Category' menu at the side of the window and complete the information on right (we recommend that Ladies use a generic nick that does not reflect gender and not using your real name). You must enter your email address, a nickname and an alternate nickname.

Open OPTIONS.

1) Select: "Connect on startup."

2) Select "Reconnect on disconnection"

3) UNcheck the 'Popup connect dialog' option.

4) In the Connection Failure box, check: "RETRY"

a) Retry: enter 10 times

b) Delay enter 10 seconds

c) Default Port is 6667

d) Check 'Try next server in the group.

On the LOCAL INFO menu, leave the two windows empty for the time being. mIRC attempts to fill these automatically upon connection.

1) Check the item 'Local Host' in the section "On Connect, Alway Get".

2) In the Lookup Method section, choose NORMAL

On the IDENTD menu, be sure your user ID it there, if not, enter it (the same one as for connecting your computer to your service provider) and select "ENABLE IDENTD SERVER" , "SHOW IDENTD REQUESTS" and "ENABLE ONLY WHEN CONNECTING" Click OK.

In the OPTION window click on CONNECT screen, click the down arrow, and select a server from the list for AfterNET.

As of this writing, AOL access to the nets is restricted to a few servers. Try the Afternet: US, W.VA, Charleston server, then click Edit, and change the port to 7000, then click OK. If Afternet is not listed, click Add. Type in 'Afternet: Charlestown, W.VA for the description, newwave.afternet.org in the server box, type in 7000 in the Port window and the group number is 1. Click OK and then choose 'SORT' to move Afternet to the top of the list of servers. Click Connect To IRC Server.

If it doesn't connect soon, try another of the servers listed on our NEWS FLASH page. Your may add any or all of the servers listed there. Usually, port 7000 is required for AOL connections.

After it connects, a channel list from the CHANNEL FOLDER (the icon for this is the fourth from the left) will appear. Type in genealogyforum (one word) choose ADD, then choose JOIN.

You will find yourself in a genealogy chat channel. Someone there will help you further. We will also tell you how to find the other genealogy channels on all the other nets. Don't be afraid to ask questions, we were all newbies not very long ago, and learned the same way. We think you will find that IRC users are always eager to help you learn the ropes.