Hello All,

I've posted about this problem several times before. I've also been in touch, via e-mail, with others who have the absolutely identical problem:

I cannot open the Options menu; I cannot connect to any server. Once, out of frustration, I clicked several times in rapid succession on the Options menu and it opened I think once or twice. However, this no longer works no matter what I try. I cannot connect to any server. The application is worthless now.

Specs:
Win 98SE, Athlon 700MHZ, 655 MB ram, etc.
mIRC version 6.03. I have a cable modem and D-Link Dl 614+ router, but this desktop is connected to it by cable, not WAN. I have a FireWall, Agnitum Outpost. It asked to permit mIRC and I chose the "all the time" option. Older versions of mIRC have always worked fine from this desktop, and using this router. I am a registered user.
Have installed, uninstalled, re-installed about 6 times now, no change whatsoever in problem; have chosed various install options, like not saving my old settings, saving my old settings, etc., etc. Have read all the pertinent FAQs, have searched through the posts, etc. etc.
Have deleted all files, have re-downloaded another copy of mIRC, etc. etc.

What I want to know are two things:

1. How many others have this problem?
2. What are ALL the files that mIRC installs, so I can hunt each one down and manually uninstall them?

1. never heard of anyone having a problem opening the options dialogue.
2. To my knowledge there's no mIRC files outside the mIRC folder.

Hello Watchdog,

First, thanks for your prompt reply.

Second, Season's Greetings.

Third, I've spoken to three others with this problem so far. I don't have their names except this one: "Barbara" <removed> I'm taking the liberty of posting her e-mail address here, assuming she wouldn't mind.

Again, after several exchanges with Barbara, I've determined that her problem is *precisely* the same as mine, including how it developed. The other users' problem sounded similar to ours, or exactly the same, as well.

If we stumble upon a solution we'll post it on the board for when others develop the problem too. There's probably some statistic as to how many persons actually share a particular computer-related problem in proportion to how many take the time to post something about it; I'm guessing it's a more than 10:1 ratio, but that would be interesting to know too.

I think that mIRC is a fine app which is also uncharacteristically fair-priced these days. FWIW, as I've said before, I admire Khaled's ethics, accomplishments and company, so (BTW) I am not "complaining" per se', only looking for a solution, as I need mIRC's unique features for certain educational purposes.

Now you've heard of two-to-four persons who have had this problem. I anticipate that we are not the only ones.

Regards,

Les


--- messageboard@mirc.com wrote:
>
> Watchdog replied to your post at the site: .
> https://forums.mirc.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=connectionissues&Number=2396
>
> 1. never heard of anyone having a problem opening
> the options dialogue.
> 2. To my knowledge there's no mIRC files outside the
> mIRC folder.

I recall a while back we saw several users with this symptom, and to my recollection it was related to one of the irc trojan infections going around at the time.

check this web site http://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/security/

or join one of the irc trojan/virus help chans like #nohack on Dalnet.

ditto Julies... and i also recall a couple ppl where the prob was their alt or control keys were sorta locked up, by
clicking both alt or both control keys at the same time a few times, prob was solved.

Thanks again for the posts.

Unfortunately, I've done those things too, and same results. I've found no reference to any trojan or virus, etc., that reportedly creates the problem I've got, unless I've overlooked it (I'm still searching).

There has been one development, however: I've reinstalled for the 7th time now. I've been able to connect to a random dalnet server, by right clicking the Options menu and clicking on it. I've tried this many times before but this is the first time it succeeded in making any kind of connection. I've done nothing new to my Firewall, or router, etc. The one thing I did do is make up a fictitious real name, new nicknames and used an old, but still working e-mail address.
This leads me more toward some kind of trojan, like I originally thought, or some new kick bot or whatever.

At any event, the Options dialogue only opened once, after left-clicking about 30 or 40 times very rapidly. The keyboard had no effect, no matter how many alt keys, etc. I simultaneously pressed.


Regards,

Les

I am BARBARA.....and my experience has been incredibly frustrating. I have had mIRC for years now, including a registered version.

The problem started sporadically. The options menu would pop up, and then disappear. Finally, the OPTIONS menu was found NO MORE. I have specific servers that I need to access that were not on the standard menu, and cannot access OPTIONS to get in.

I have uninstalled and reinstalled so many times with no luck, and now, I cannot even CONNECT at all.

I have no idea what is going on. Help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks-

Barbara

Something certainly doesn't make sense. Fresh download from mirc.com/get.html .. you install, and you say you cannot conenct to any servers. You tried every server, to every network ? With the exact same errors about connecting ? Try /server irc.prison.net (they have no restrictions and should allow 'anyone' on)

2nd, you have a few people who you talked to who are having this same problem with no options menu. Hmmm After clean install, you run mIRC.exe. You still cannot click file/options ? No menu appears ?? Even before connecting to a server you have no options menu??

This group of a few people, who have this same problem... are you all 'friendly' with each other ? Share emails, files, sounds ? Or where did you find/meet these people with the this same problem ?

Nope, uh-uh.

And the problem persists, just like I stated. I can't receive via DCC either. And since I can't get into my Options dialogue I can't make any adjustments. At this point I'm about out of patience and time with the whole thing.

And no contact previously with others with this problem; no sharing of files, etc.
This is almost certainly some type of trojan, but I've not found it yet even with Swat It, Norton, PCCillian AV's, and a couple of others.
BTW, I'm a little afraid of going to online sites that scan your computer for you because I don't fully trust them. I mean, it's giving up a lot to allow some 3rd party to ferret through all your files over the Web. Who's to say this isn't part of some scam, or that some scam artist has found a way to detour data, or use those sites to plant something.

Or, for that matter, now that I'm talking conspiracy theories, who's sure that the government isn't using those sites to covertly scan everyone's files? (Don't think the feds aren't above doing such a thing, considering recent degradation of the constitution by the present administration and the use of such apps as Carnivore. The days of taking trust for granted in the government are gone--at least for awhile).

Thanks again for everyone's consideration so far.

Les

I (unfortunately) experienced EXACTLY the same problem several of you have described...and here is what WORKED for me to get it fixed...My configuration is Win-98SE on a 950 Mhz CPU with 512 RAM and a dial-up connection using Norton Internet Security and Anti-Virus up to date.

1. Create a *.ZIP file containing your ENTIRE mIRC installation folder (and sub-folders) and name it anything that does NOT have the text string "mirc" in it...Put that Zip file somewhere like the desktop to keep it out of the way.

2. Uninstall mIRC through the "Start" - "Settings" - "Control Panel" - "Add/Remove Programs" dialog. The uninstall will NOT remove all of the components (it will leave your *.ini and similar files)

3. After the uninstall, remove/delete the mIRC Folder completely....Yes, INCLUDING the old *.ini files and the like...that's why we had Step #1 above!

4. Run "RegEdit" to edit your Registry. Please remember that RegEdit is a powerful tool and can cause problems if you're not careful...follow these instructions exactly! In RegEdit, search by "File" - "Find" command for the text string "mIRC" (and do NOT make the search case sensitive). At EACH occurrence of that string being found, Delete it from the Registry. Hit the <F3> key for "find next" and repeat the deletions until all occurrences are eliminated. RegEdit will inform you when the entire registry has been searched, which, depending on your own configuration, could be a lot of them. This step results in a "Deep Clean" uninstall of the prior corrupted mIRC.

5. Close "RegEdit" and re-boot your machine

6. Re-Install mIRC (recommended that you get the latest version before proceeding) 'clean'...do NOT ask it to save your prior settings or back up your prior install (which SHOULD already be gone)

7. Unzip the prior install from Step #1 and copy all of the files and folders from your prior install EXCEPT for mIRC.exe (and the Help file if you are installing a newer version than previously). Leave that one (or two) as it is from the new install.

8. Start mIRC.....and you SHOULD have your "Options" back in working order...It worked the first time for me!

Good luck...this solution came from an ircHelp channel OP and was a saviour for me!

Hello Again,

Well, thanks anyway; I realize it took you, and several others valuable time and effort to reply to this thread, but nothing is working. I've tried the above to the letter, but no help. I've also tried a few variations of this with the same negative outcome.

FWIW, Barbara, another user with whom I've been in contact with over this same problem, tried the "fix" too with no help. She also ran a trojan finder (can't recall the name) and found a trojan, but it wouldn't let her delete it she said. She's now given up.

For myself, I like puzzles but I have a limit to how much time I can waste on this kind of thing. If I stumble upon a solution I'll post it here for the potential benefit of others who may acquire this hassle.

Regards, and Thanks,

Les