IRC FOR 32 BIT SYSTEM

[garyaburdick]

I tried to install xchat on my win 7 32 bit system and it wont run. Stating its not a 32 bit application

what is a good irc to use on a 32 bit system with win 7

[Koby]

1. xChats free version is now called HexChat. 2. There are two versions. One for 32 bit and one for 64. So make sure to download the correct one.

[JohnFlower]

Part of a tutorial I'm working on:

STEP 2: Installing an IRC client

Part i: HexChat

Because HexChat is awesome, it is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit flavours. However, this does mean that you need to know a little about your operating system.

If you don't know which flavour you have (either 32-bit or 64-bit, not both), here's how to find out:

Viewing the basic information about your system:

If you're running Windows 7/8, right click on Computer (for Windows 8, it might be easier to right click C (or whatever label you use for the OS) drive and select Properties).

For XP, right click My Computer and select Properties. If "x64 Edition" is listed under System, you're running the 64-bit version of Windows XP. If you don't see 'x64 Edition', then you're running the 32-bit version of Windows XP.

So you know which flavour your OS is? Great! Now we can download and install HexChat. Go here and download the installation file for your flavour OS.

Note: x86 is 32-bit and x64 is 64-bit.

 

Once you have downloaded the installer, run it.

If you're using Windows 7/8, you may get this (or similar) User Account Control window:

If you see this window, click 'Yes'.

If you don't, don't worry. The install will launch soon.

The HexChat installer is easy to follow, so you shouldn't have any problems with it. Just click 'Next >', and then agree to the terms.

You may wish to change the installation directory (normally only needed if you plan to install to a USB drive). It is recommended to install HexChat into your 'Program Files' directory.

Now for some finer tuning. A 'Normal Installation' should be fine for most people. However, if you wish to use any of the plugins that come with HexChat, now is the time to select what you want. Here is what I use:

The 'Winamp' and 'mpcInfo' plugins require you to have installed Winamp and MPC-HC. If you do not have these installed, do not tick the boxes! Read this page to find out what each plugin does.

A 'Portable Install' will allow you to install HexChat onto a USB drive and use it on any PC that meets the requirements (Visual C++ Redistributable 2012 if you're using Windows). For the USB install to work, you must have selected the USB drive as your installation directory. If you want a portable installation, tick this box:

You're almost done! There is one last thing to take note of. If this is the first time installing HexChat, you will probably need to install the Visual C++ Redistributable 2012. Leave the box ticked and the installer will open the webpage for you.

On the Visual C++ Redistributable 2012 page, click 'Download' and select the correct flavour (x86 or x64, not both). Hit 'Next' and install the redistributable.

For most, it should be a nice and easy install. Just accept the terms and hit 'Install'.

And you're done!

[DeathTheKid]

@JohnFlower Are you writing that for here or another site? I'm curious to know if there's anything I don't know that you might be posting. It looks very well done even though it is only one part.

[JohnFlower]

The tutorial is aimed at people with very low computer skills, mainly the ones who say 'I don't know how to use IRC so I wont bother'.

I'm doing this because BreAKDoWN's tutorial is old and clunky. It currently only covers the selection, installation and part of the initial configuration of HexChat. Eventually it will cover the selection, installation, configuration, use and extras for both mIRC and HexChat.