The first thing I need to make clear is that I do not have any affiliation with mIRC. There are several IRC software applications available for free that you can download and install. I chose mIRC because it's one of the (if not the) most popular Internet Relay Chat software programs available at no charge.

1. To begin the first thing you need to do is go to their site and download the software. Be sure to remember the name of the folder that you downloaded it into so that you can locate the executable to install it.
   
   mIRC Download Site
   
   You will download a file named mirc571t.exe (or something similar depending on the version of the software). I usually create a folder named "downloads" on my drive C: to save the download into but you can save it into any folder you chose.
   
   
2. After you've downloaded the executable, locate it and double-click on it to start the installation. Click through the screens by clicking the Next or the Install button. When you get to the last panel (The one that says "Installation of mIRC was successful!", select the option to Launch mIRC (click on it to select it). Then click the Finish button.
   
   
3. mIRC will start up and display the "About Box". We don't need the "About" panel to appear everytime we start up mIRC so deselect the box at the bottom left hand corner of the About panel and click anywhere on the Panel. The "About" panel will go away.
   
   
4. The next panel that appears is the mIRC Options. We need to tell it which server network that the HDAC chat can be found at. In the text box labeled IRC Servers, click the down arrow to drop down a list of all IRC Server Networks. Scroll down and select "DALnet".
   
   
5. In the box right below IRC Servers we want to select the specific server that is hosting the #Huntington's_Disease chat room. Select "DALnet:US, IN, Hebron". This is where I've had the best luck in putting it. Chat rooms are created dynamically by the first person that logs into the room. If you are the first person in the room then you automatically become the room moderator. The room is killed when the last person leaves the room.
   
   
6. Next type in your name, e-mail address, your preferred nickname, and an alternate in case your preferred one is taken. When finished click Connect. mIRC will establish a connection to the selected server (or actually the first server available on the server network).
   
   
7. The next panel you see will be a list of the channels defined in your channels folder. You will need to create a new one. In the text box at the top of the panel type in "#Huntington's_Disease". Don't forget the apostrophe and the underscore character that separates the word Huntington's from the word Disease. Click on the Add button and then click on the Join button. If you mistype it you will be creating a new room. (Rooms are also called channels in IRC terminology).
   
   

Voila - YOU ARE IN! Just type a sentence into the box at the bottom and press Enter. Your message will be received by everyone who is in the room. (Those in the room are listed in the box on the right.)

The following commands are available to use.

/action	Display the message in action format.
/away 'away message'	Marks your profile so that if someone sends you a message or checks your profile they are shown the "away message". Example /away for coffee.
/away	Flags your profile so that everyone knows you've returned. Example /away
/clear	Clear the chat message screen
/me 'message'	Sends the message to the group about yourself. Example /me is feeling lonely.
/msg 'nick' 'your message'	Send a private message to 'nick'. Example /nick cure4hd Can you believe she REALLY said that?
/nick 'nick_name'	Change your nick name to a new 'nick name'. Example /nick stevei
/quit 'optional message'	Disconnect and display the optional message. Example /quit I've had enough!
/whois 'nick_name'	Display the profile information for 'nick_name'