I've just upgraded from Windows 2000 to Windows XP Professional. Now I can't connect with mIRC - keep getting an "unable to connect ot IRC server" message. Nothing else has changed. The port is still set to default. I can't figure out what's wrong - any ideas?

It may be that the server you are trying to use is temporarily down, what's the server? Also try connecting to another network and see if you get the same error.

I've had the same problem since last weekend, and changing the server didn't help, so I don't think that's it. (I'm using the default selection, I believe: "Random US DALnet server.")

What do u mean by connect to another network - via a different ISP? (As u can tell, I'm an IRC newbie.) I'm still suspicious that this has something to do with the upgrade to XP, or at least my reinstallation of mIRC, since that's when mIRC seemed to break on me.

In IRC a "Network" is a group of servers linked together. In your case the network is called DALnet, and the problem is nothing to do with XP, it is simply that DALnet is under attack and the servers keep crashing. In the dropdown box choose another server (click here for a list of the most popular networks).

If you haven't read them already you can find useful information about IRC here and here

Very interesting. Random US IRCnet and random US EFnet didn't work, either, but random EU Undernet server did. Thanks a million for the help (and the lesson!) -Phil