Forums mIRC Help Running 2 (or more) clients in Windows 7 64-bit

Hi there,

I just upgraded my PC and I'm now running Windows 7 64-bit.

On my old (Vista) machine I was generally running 3 mIRC clients concurrently - my main one and 2 bots.

Each was just a duplicate install in a seperate folder within Program Files.
Having copied all the folders across onto my new machine, it seems that whichever mIRC file I run (from whichever folder), they all open with the settings from my main client (which I set up first and is currently running)...

I suspect this might be something to do with the Roaming Appdata folder, since that annoyed me when I was setting up my main client...

Ideally I would like each version of mIRC to just use the scripts/ini files etc from it's local directory so they all stay separate.

Is there any way to achieve this?

Thanks

Here are some recent instructions on running multiple copies of mIRC.

Thanks very much.
That thread didn't describe exactly what I needed to do, but it was close enough for me to figure out the rest!

New plan :|

There's no reason mIRC actually has to be installed in Program Files, since it's a copy+paste job not a proper install...
And there's a pretty damn good reason to install it anywhere else :|
Microsoft's ridiculous security settings mean you can't modify any files in Program Files...
Which, I guess, is the reason mIRC (and other programs) actually run in that stupid Roaming Appdata folder somewhere else...
This is totally crippling for mIRC, especially if you're trying to do any scripting...
Without being able to edit the mirc.ini file, it can't remember any of the config settings... Without being able to edit any of your script files, when you restart mIRC they revert back to whatever they were when originally put into the Program Files folder...
The whole 'actually run in roaming appdata' thing is beyond ridiculous, because it means going and looking at all the files where you installed your program actually tells you nothing at all, because it's not using them :|

Solution:
Run mIRC from somewhere else... I now have all my mIRCs in My Documents, and suddenly everything is perfect...
I kept the -r parameter in the shortcuts just in case but I suspect I don't need it any more because they should just run in their install directories automatically...

My advice to anyone who's still reading at the end of this rant:
INSTALL MIRC ANYWHERE APART FROM PROGRAM FILES :p

Using Application Data has nothing to do with Program Files security settings. Microsoft decided that it makes sense to store settings in a central location under each user. The main reason being that settings for one Windows login do not affect another user's login. This lets different users have different settings in programs without the programs having to implement their own multi-user setup. It's not a bad idea, really. Of course, I don't use that folder with mIRC. I prefer to keep everything in the mIRC install folder.

As for avoiding Program Files, it depends on the OS and your settings. Vista was a royal pain, but 7 is better. For the most part, you should be able to use mIRC in Program Files without any issues in Windows 7 regardless of your UAC settings. The only thing you may have trouble with are scripts that store settings in the mIRC folder instead of the Application Data folder. In any case, I've always recommended to people to install mIRC somewhere other than Program Files. Not just because of the security settings, but because of the space in the path. Not all scripts are set up to handle spaces, so rather than either fixing any script you use or having bugs, if you install somewhere without spaces in the path, you won't ever have to worry about that no matter how your scripts are written. It saves people a lot of hassle that way.

So basically... instead of writing your scripts properly you just use "workaround".

What a wonderful idea...

I just want to say that many people only script for themselves. I don't usually use $qt() around stuff since I have mirc in a space less path and that works for me.

I actually released a wb script and it was quite a while before reported a problem with spaces in the path. So yes using $qt is a good idea but for personal stuff it doesn't matter if you know what you're doing.

It DOES matter when people get such advice from the offical support board.

People get advice here to use dirty workarounds instead of advice to write proper code... or advice to install the whole program to documents folder instead of making use of %appdata%... so on and on...
People who get the advice from here will start passing on the same advice and then at one point all you have left is sloppy coding that breaks every time someone sneezes

Not sure what's with the weird posts on here lately, but I'll reply anyhow. If you read what I said, the recommendation is so that when you use scripts that you have not written, they will work. You don't have to fix scripts others have written. And for the large number of users out there who have no idea HOW to fix the scripts, it's good advice. Avoid the problem to begin with. Nowhere did I suggest that script writers shouldn't take into account spaces. So before you start ranting, make sure you know what you're ranting about.

Now, in case that isn't clear enough for some people... If you write a script, make it work regardless of the path. If you don't write scripts and don't know how to script and you plan to use other people's scripts, you can avoid potential problems with spaces in the path by not installing to a path with spaces.

As far as not using %appdata%, there's nothing wrong with that when you're on a single user system. The main benefit of the %appdata% option is for multi-user systems. For a single user, there is no real benefit. In addition, it's far easier if you want to have multiple installs of different versions of mIRC with different scripts for testing or other purposes. You don't have to try and maintain multiple shortcuts and keep them pointing to the right settings. You can keep everything in individual places (*not* documents and no one suggested that) and it makes it easier to edit and change things without hopping all over the place. In addition, you can quite easily ZIP the folder and get all files and settings for backup without having to deal with multiple locations. So, yes, I do use that method and I give people the option to make their own choice. Both methods are valid options depending on how you use mIRC. By only telling people one option, you aren't giving them potentially useful information. Not only that, but in a multi-user system where you might want the same settings/scripts for everyone, you either have to duplicate everything or you can simply avoid %appdata%.

Better advice would be NOT to use scripts that wont work properly.

You get a car with with broken brake pedal...
Suggestion 1: Use handbrake as a workaround.
Suggestion 2: Its broken so don't drive the damn car!

Somehow I think you would not drive it and look for another car...

If it doesn't work then stay the hell away from it.

If the script you got can't deal with spaces on paths who knows what else it can't deal with.

Suggesting the workarounds encourages sloppy coding... there is no reason to fix it cause it obviously works with workarounds.

----
As far as the "weird posts" go... well... everyone snaps once in a while... There is a limit how much of the ill advice a person can take...

Not trying to pick a fight with you or anyone else... just like you are free to suggest workarounds I have the freedom to suggest NOT using the workarounds.

Even-though it says: (Re: Riamus2) it's still meant to be more of a general reply... seriously

I'm confused... when did anybody suggest a "workaround"? It seems to me that pretty much the only way to have 2 clients running on your machine is to install at least one of them outside program files.. this has nothing to do with the scripts, but the limitations of a centralized data storage in windows. If you're going to install one outside of program files, you might as well install them both outside program files. I don't see it as a workaround, since there's no rule that programs have to be installed there in the first place. It's simply a suggested default location.

I think you're exaggerating his response about script issues. I'm pretty sure he said that in passing, and didn't mean for it to be the centerpiece of his argument against Program Files. If the script can't handle paths with spaces, or puts data in the $mircdir, it probably has other problems that you'd want to avoid as well. I don't know many scripts like that-- and scripting sites (the good ones) usually reject scripts that store data in $mircdir for this reason. The issue against Program Files\ is much simpler than obscure scripting failures, though, as he said, it makes life easier *if* you happen to have any of those scripts. It's the same reason that Windows ports of many linux programs tell you to install their programs into a path with no spaces, like the infamous C:\cygwin, for example. cygwin should (by now) work fine anywhere else on your machine, but just in case, you'll be better safe than sorry. Installing cygwin in your root is not a workaround for known bugs, it's simply mitigation for potential bugs. The argument works the same for mIRC, and pretty much any program that may eventually run into those pesky path issues.

To have two clients running you install mIRC (To "Program Files" or "Program Files (x86)" if you run 64 bit windows)

Then use -r switch to start mIRC (Make shortcuts for easier access)
"C:\Program Files\mIRC\mirc.exe" -r"%APPDATA%\mIRC 1"
"C:\Program Files\mIRC\mirc.exe" -r"%APPDATA%\mIRC 2"
and so on... as many instances as you want to run.
(Of course I suppose you can use "My Documents" or whatever other location you have access to for storing the scripts and ini files)

So there isn't really a need to have more then one mIRC.exe

And yes I probably was exaggerating... still it felt kinda good to say it out loud again :P

As for the path issue I stand on my ground... IF application is programmed properly and is following windows programming guidelines it MUST work whether it encounters paths with spaces or not. If it doesn't then it's poor programming and should be fixed. Otherwise we could simply tear off the damn space key from the keyboard. Ifthespacescausesomuchtroublethenwhyusethematall?

Sorry had to say it once more. That's all from me about this topic.

I did all this. Followed all the guides.
mIRC keeps making a new mIRc folder in the appdata/roaming folder and refuses to use the dedicated mIRC 1 & mIRC 2 folders I have set up.
Using mIRC 7 on a win7 32bit system.
Can anyone please advice????

Also sorry for the necro. d;
I should've checked the date more closely or start a new thread. (:

When installing mIRC, check the "portable" option and you're set.

lol. Thank you so much! trying that now! <3

Hmmm. ):
So I reinstalled and selected the portable option. Now it asks for my reg key every time I launch, doesn't remember twitch as a server and forgets my 0auth and user name.
Haven't tried custom scripts yet.
:sadface:

As an aside: mIRC is a single threaded software, so if you are going to run two instances with any significant scripts or large number of channels, you can manually assign the "Processor Affinity" of one of the instances, so it utilizes a secondary core/CPU. Otherwise both instances will utilize the same 1st core.

(This is why Process Manager says mIRC maxes out at 50% CPU on a dual core, 25% on a quad core, or 12% on an 8 core)

So a buddy of mine explained that's the whole point of installing it as portable. I feel silly now. d;
Well, I can make this work. The PC it's running on is on 24/7 and I'll just save the scripts in a .txt file.
Thanks everyone for the help!

The .mrc file extension is plain .txt and you can associate notepad to open .mrc

Reply to the whole thread, not to Raccoon...

I'm running four clients on three networks with three of the clients connecting to multiple networks, with only a single installed copy of mIRC on a Windows 7 x64 box. All four clients have separate alias and remote lists. The only thing I needed to do was create separate shortcuts with different -r parameters. mIRC is installed in Program Files (x86), and the folders/files for each -r are in a separate directory subordinate to My Documents. No messing with the registry, no installing as portable, no digging around in %appdata%, just straight up.