Miradi is written in the Java programming language, so it should run on any operating system that supports Java applications. With that said, we are currently focusing on the "big three": Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.

For Windows, the MiradiSetup.exe installer will offer to download and install a private copy of Java if a suitable version is not already installed.

On Mac and Linux, Java must already be installed. Current versions of Mac OS X include Java automatically, so Miradi should just work with no further action required.

Miradi is legally owned by Foundations of Success on behalf of the Conservation Measures Partnership. Miradi is governed by a committee of CMP members ​that​ is responsible for guiding the development and financial administration of Miradi. Sitka Technology Group is responsible for executing software programming decisions reached by the committee.

You first have to download the appropriate Miradi installer for your operating system from the download page of the Miradi website. Next, depending on your operating system:

• Windows - Double click on the MiradiSetup.exe installer and follow the directions (you do not need to have Java already installed on your system)
• Mac OS X - As with most standard Mac apps: Double click on Miradi.dmg and copy the .app file to your desktop, or to your Applications folder, or wherever you wish to launch it from. Please also check out the Mac specific FAQ entries on this page.
  
• GNU/Linux - Follow the detailed instructions in the README document available to registered users on the download page.

• Additionally you can check out these guided instructions for creating a Miradi Account and installing Miradi Software
  

Miradi is available in many languages. Registered users can download these "language packs" from the main download page. There are tutorials on our YouTube Channel that explain how to install the language files. Some languages may not be fully up-to-date with the most recent version of Miradi, in which case most of the interface will be in the desired language, and the new/untranslated portions will be in English. We have designed the software so that it is relatively easy to produce versions in other languages. We would like to develop partnerships to translate and distribute Miradi into other languages. Please contact us if you would like to help create a version in your native language.

Use the <File/Export> command to create a Miradi file (.miradi) of your Miradi project. This can then be imported by any person running Miradi. Exporting to the .xmpz2 format creates a Miradi Share project file. Read the details on the website. Additionally there are many more export formats (e.g., rtf, png, jpeg, tab-delimited) that allow you to export specified portions of your file to other applications such as Microsoft Word or Excel.

For a detailed Miradi tutorial, please download the Miradi self-guided tutorial showing basic features and operation of Miradi. You should watch this in presentation view mode. Additionally we run a YouTube Channel with lots of tutorials and webinar recordings.

Miradi stores active files on a special Miradi directory on your computer. You can view this location (or change it) from within Miradi by going into <Edit/Preferences> and clicking on the <Data Location> tab.

The default locations on each operating system are:

• Windows: C:\Documents and Settings\Your User Name\My Documents\Miradi

• Mac OSX: /home/Your User Name/Miradi

• Linux: /home/Your User Name/Miradi

In this Miradi data directory, each Miradi project is a folder (aka directory). You can move, copy, delete, or rename these folders, as long as you are careful doing so. Keep in mind that the folder itself is the Miradi project. You can also manage these files from the Welcome page of the Miradi program.

In some rare cases you may want to change the Miradi data directory. For example, if your Windows laptop normally stores "My Documents/Documents" on a network drive, and you want to work on Miradi while disconnected from the network, you will need to tell Miradi to store your data in a local directory. To do so, select <Edit/Preferences> from the initial Miradi welcome page and click on the <Data Location> tab. Next, click on <Select Location> and then specify where you want Miradi to store your files.

When uninstalling Miradi, the projects and data you have created are not removed in the process. It is perfectly safe to uninstall an older version of Miradi, and then install the newest version.

When you chose to create or import your project, Miradi created the empty project file(s) on disk. Every change you make is automatically and immediately saved to this project. This is different from a word processing or spreadsheet program, in which you need to explicitly save your work. There is no "save" command in Miradi, because your data is always saved.

Key hints to keep in mind include:

• All Actions are Automatically Saved - Any action (for example, moving or cutting a diagram factor) is automatically saved. If you are entering text into a field, it is also automatically saved as soon as you click on another field, switch tabs or views, or close the dialogue box.
• Use Undo to Recover Changes - As a result of this automatic saving, if you make a mistake and want to revert to an earlier version of your file, do not close the project. Instead, use the <Edit/Undo> menu command or <Ctrl-Z> to undo your actions as needed.
• Use "Save As" to Branch a File - If you want to create a new version of your project while also keeping the old one, then use the <File/Save As> menu command to create a copy of your current project. This is particularly useful if you want to attempt a "risky" change that you may not want to keep.

There are many ways to export your information from Miradi to other applications.

• Use the <File/Export/Current Page As/JPEG Image> or <File/Export/Current Page As/PNG Image> menu commands to capture a specific diagram or table on your screen in an image file. This method is particularly useful to:
  • Put a diagram or table in a document or presentation
  • Create an image that can be put in a website
• Use the <File/Export/Current Page As/RTF File> menu command to export the currently viewed table as a formatted RTF document. This method is particularly useful to:
  • Export the current configuration from your planning view to a word processor like MS Word or Open Office Writer
• Use the <File/Export/Project As/Miradi Project file> menu command to capture your entire project in a small file. This method is particularly useful to:
  • Send your project to another Miradi user
  • Create a backup copy of your project
• Use the <File/Export/Project As/Miradi Share Project Zipfile> menu command to capture your entire project in a small file (.xmpz2) that can be imported to Miradi Share. The .xmpz2 file is simply a zip file with the xml export and images from Miradi Share included. You can rename the file to .ZIP and then open it using a zip file utility. This method is particularly useful to:
  • Check your project file back into Miradi Share.
    
  • Create a backup copy of your project
• Use the <File/Export/Current Page As/Tab-delimited Table> menu command to export the currently viewed table as a tab-delimited file. This method is particularly useful to:
  • Export the current configuration from your planning view to a spreadsheet like Excel
  • Export financial information
• Use the <Reports> view to create an RTF document file that contains various sections of your project data. This method is particularly useful to:
  • Create a document that can be edited in a word processor like MS Word or Open Office Writer
  • Create a standard report for a donor or other key audience for your project

We are building Miradi using an agile programming method -- basically the software world's version of adaptive management. This involves gathering "user stories" describing what we want Miradi to do, and then rapidly and iteratively building software modules to meet these needs.

The current version of Miradi supports many, but not all, of the functions in the CMP Open Standards and it already provides significant value in helping conservation practitioners to adaptively manage their projects. But as outlined in the <Help/Coming Attractions> menu command in the application, we have many ideas for additional functions that will be forthcoming in future releases. This has two important implications for Miradi users:

1. You should always run the latest version so that you do not miss out on new features and improvements. Watch the "News" feature within Miradi, or check www.Miradi.org regularly to check for new versions.
2. As a user, your feedback will help determine how Miradi evolves. If you find something (even minor) that bothers you, or if you have a grand idea of how to improve the software, we want to hear about it. We can't guarantee that we will satisfy all requests, but we will certainly consider your ideas - and at least get back to you to discuss it with you.

If you are using Miradi 4.0 or later, you should send your file as an attachment to support@miradi.org. If you are using an earlier version, Miradi will sometimes displays useful debugging information on the console. Information and exceptions related to errors that you encounter are found in the file named exceptions.log. This file is stored in the Miradi Data Directory.

• Under Windows, the default location is; Documents\Miradi\exceptions.log
• Under Windows XP, the default location is; My Documents\Miradi\exceptions.log
• For Linux and Mac OS X, the default location is; /home/User Name/Miradi/exceptions.log

This file is cleared each time Miradi is opened, so if you see an error dialog, or experience unexpected behavior, please check this file before restarting Miradi. If you can repeat the error or unexpected behavior, and decide to report what you found, send us an email at support@miradi.org and either attach the exceptions.log file, or copy the contents of the file into the email. The information in the exceptions.log file will assist our developers in troubleshooting the problem.

If you think you've found a bug in Miradi, you can send an email to support@miradi.org. Please be as descriptive, and provide as much information as possible. Please include as many of the following as you can:

• A brief summary of the problem. If there were any error messages, please let us know exactly what they said.
• The steps you took that caused the unexpected behavior, if you know them. This includes any Factors/Links you created and any actions you performed such as moving or linking two Factors together etc.
• If the problem only happens with one project, it will help if you can send us a copy of that project (an MPZ for pre-4.0 projects or a .miradi file for post-4.0 projects).
• Screenshots can help illustrate the problem.
• Errors are often recorded in an exceptions.log file, so this is very helpful to us. The exceptions.log file can be found in the Miradi Data Directory. You can see where your Miradi data directory is by going to <Edit/Preferences> and clicking on the <Data Location> tab. Please send us the whole exceptions.log file.

If you have any questions about this process, or would like further assistance, please email support@miradi.org, and we will be happy to assist you.

Generally you access the right-click on a track pad with a two-finger click. If your Mac has a mouse with only one button, you can either hold the down the button for a couple of seconds, or you can hold the <Ctrl> key and use the mouse button. You could also set the track pad so that the bottom right corner operates like a right-click.

You can run multiple instances of any application in Mac OS X by launching it via the command line in the Terminal.  The easiest way to do so is by using the ‘open’ command to launch a new instance of Miradi even if it is already running. Type the following command in the Terminal:  
open -n /Applications/Miradi-4.X.X.app/ 
(substitute the .X with the appropriate Miradi Version numbers - e.g., Miradi-4.2.0.app)
This will launch a new Miradi instance and lets you open various projects at the same time. Please be aware that just like on a PC, you can't run the same project twice. 

- From the Mac file system, select a file of the format type you wish to change the default application (Miradi) for
(note: you need to do this for all Miradi file types individually, i.e. Miradi, xmpz2, cpmz, mpz, xmpz)
- Select a file of the appropriate format type in the Finder window
- Pull down the “File” menu and choose “Get Info” (or hit Command+i) to access the Get Info window
- Click the “Open with:” sub menu, then click on the contextual menu and select the Miradi application to associate all files of this format type with it
- Click the “Change All” button and confirm the change when requested
- Close out of Get Info window, repeat for other Miradi file format types if desired