Quick Start
From Miranda IM - Wiki
Help me! I'm new to Miranda! Well, good. You have come to the right place. This little tutorial is intended for new users who have used an instant messaging client before. If you have never used an IM client before or if you want a detailed explanation on different parts of Miranda, you might want to check out the Comprehensive Guide. Otherwise, this short tutorial will get you chatting with your friends in no time!
Contents |
Installing Miranda
If you have not downloaded Miranda, do it now before you continue on with this tutorial. The latest release of Miranda IM can be downloaded here. If you choose the installer, you will be asked which protocols you wish to install. Select those that are necessary. If you choose the zip, just extract Miranda to the directory you wish to use it from. If you are wondering what versions you should download, check out the Comprehensive Guide's installation section for a detailed explanation.
Running Miranda
This part should be a piece of cake. If you did not autorun Miranda after the install, you can do so by: double-clicking the icon on the Desktop, using the Start menu, or by clicking on the executable. Miranda should load up pretty quickly.
Setup your account details
On your first run, Miranda will ask you to fill in a profile. Just add your name or a description such as Workplace and click Create. Then, Miranda will ask you for the details of your instant messaging accounts. If you have none, you can follow the links to places to register for an account. If you do not have an account, and do not want one with that particular network, you may just click Cancel. If you do not want a particular protocol, it is best if you uninstall the dll associated with it. To remove dlls, see removing plugins. If you need to change protocol details later, use the main menu to select Options, and then click on Network->protocol, where protocol is the name of the protocol you want to connect to.
Signing on
Click the status menu at the top of the contact list window. Select Online from the menu. All your protocols will begin connecting. If you get errors when trying to sign in, check your login details are correct (see previous section). You can also right click on the status bar at the bottom of the client to bring up the status menu.
Adding buddies
The first thing you will see after connectining is the Miranda contact list. It will most likely be empty unless you have used a previous IM service before. You can, add contacts by using the Find/Add Contacts item on the main menu.
Changing your status
You can change your status in protocols by clicking on their icons at the bottom of your contact list. Or you can set them all at once by using the status menu. Each time you change status, you will be asked for a status message. This is a message your friends will see when you are in that status. If you leave the dialog alone it will close automatically in few seconds. To turn this dialog off, see the Status Message Dialog.
Reading a contact's status message
Right-click on a contact, and choose Read 'status' Message where 'status' is the contact's current status (Online, Away, NA, etc.). This may vary by protocols.
Hiding Miranda's window
Click on the 'X' in the top-right corner. This will hide Miranda, but keep it running. To get the window back, double-click the icon in the system tray, next to your clock on the taskbar (the bottom right of your screen).
Messaging
Sending a message
Double-click on a contact's name or right click on their name and choose Message to open a chat window. To send a message, type in your message in the text box at the bottom and press enter.
Reading a message
Messages should appear in the message window when you receive them. You may see a Typing Notification when a buddy is typing a message to you. If you do not have a current chat session open when you receive a message, the system tray icons will blink, and you may hear a sound. Double-click the flashing icon to read the message and open a chat window to reply.
I don't like it!
If there is something you don't like about Miranda, or the way it works, it can be changed. There are plugins for new contact list designs, new chat-windows, and you can find many more on the file listing. For more help with Miranda, you are always welcome at the forums. Don't forget to search them before you post. Also read the 'Sticky' threads at the top of the help forum. Good luck!
- See also Customize:Main Page, Installing themes, and About Plugins
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