I'm not sure what "it" is that is giving you an out of date version reply, but i can only guess that it is some script you added to mIRC that wont work on older versions. ALL authentic versions of mIRC are shareware, which after 30 days you are expected to register if you want to continue to use them. (a one time fee that covers any new releases)
As for why you cant connect, have you looked at the thread above yours that says "unable to connect"? Best guess with the info you gave, is you are trying to connect to a server that doesnt exist or is down.