Here is why Torchat portable for Windows is not connecting now and how to fix it

[achtung999]

This site has not been maintained for a long time now. Consequently, as of this date there are now very many thousands of dead Torchat for Windows installs. Here is why and how to fix that problem.

1. Torchat runs over the Tor network, without a working Tor network connection, Torchat is dead
2. The Tor binary in the Windows version of Torchat now dowloaded from this site is fatally outdated, so Torchat cannot connect to the Tor network.
3. The solution is to go to https://www.torproject.org/download/download.html.en and download the latest Torbrowser for your version of Windows and then:-

(a) Install it where convenient

(b) Find the file tor.exe in the Torbrowser installation, eg, C:\Tor Browser\Browser\TorBrowser\Tor\tor.exe --your location may vary depending on where you installed it and which install folder name you used.

(c) Copy that tor.exe file to the correct location of your torchat's existing tor.exe file, eg: \ C:\torchat\bin\Tor\ Windows should then ask you if you want to overwrite your old tor.exe; say YES. **If your torchat install folder is located somewhere other than C:\torchat, say on a USB stick, adjust the drive letter and folder location accordingly to wherever your torchat is installed, eg, F:\Doris\torchat\tor\

Users of the Mac fork of Torchat have a similar problem as that install also contains a tor executable in its installation. It is remedied using the same general principles described above.

Linux installs of torchat should not have this problem as they use their Linux system's Tor which users should cause to be upgraded automatically using the Torproject's own repositories. See the Torproject's site for detail: Tor repositories. https://www.torproject.org/download/download-unix.html.en

[zedxxx]

https://github.com/prof7bit/TorChat/issues/62

[frankydoodle]

Hi, torchat was working perfectly until it wouldn't even start the program. Re-downloaded it but I can't connect, even after following your directions. Never seen anything this unstable. Any help please?

[justthisguyuknow]

I believe that the instructions no longer work with the latest release of torbrowser bundle (I think because of additional dependencies of the core tor.exe - just copying the files mentioned is not enough.). I have tried just copying the entire tor folder over from the new browser bundle, and that seems to work, but I could not tell you if it really is (I have not seen a lot of contacts show up as available since, but that could be just because they have not been online, or it could because I borked it). I also could not tell you if doing that has in someway busted the security model for torchat. At this point I hesitate to use it until there is an official new release fixing this issue. The mac client seems to work just fine though. Similar problems seem to be occuring with the libpurple pidgin plug-in - completely broken, near as I can tell. The only wiindows download from the tor site is for the browser bundle, which does not install tor.exe at the location stated in the readme for torchat plug-in, and just copying stuff around to where the readme says things should be doesn't work either.

[OPKYEI]

I have tried both suggestions and none of them works. I really need torchat to work on windows as it's urgent matter for me. Any addition help from anyone please?

[mathemaphysics]

I'm trying to use torchat on Ubuntu 16. Same problem here. Tried forever.