ICQ 2000b runs on modern macOS — including Apple Silicon Macs — without a virtual machine, using WineskinServer, a WINE wrapper for macOS.

Step 1 — Install WineskinServer

Open a terminal and run:

brew install --cask --no-quarantine gcenx/wine/wineskin

This requires Homebrew. If you don't have it, install it first from brew.sh.

Step 2 — Create an Application Wrapper

1. Open Wineskin Winery from your Applications folder.
2. Install the latest engine if prompted.
3. Click Create New Blank Wrapper. Give it a name (e.g. icq2000b). Generating the wrapper may take 1–2 minutes and the app may appear unresponsive — this is normal.
4. When complete, click View wrapper in Finder.

Step 3 — Install ICQ 2000b into the Wrapper

1. Download ICQ 2000b from archive.org.
2. Double-click the wrapper in Finder to open it. Select Install Software.
3. Select Choose Setup Executable and open the downloaded icq2000b.exe installer.
4. Complete the ICQ installation wizard.
5. Close the Registration Window. When installation finishes, ICQ opens a registration wizard. Do not complete it. Close the window and continue below.

Step 4 — Configure the Flamenet Server Hostname

1. Open a terminal and run the following command (replace icq2000b.app with your actual wrapper filename if different):

   ~/Applications/Wineskin/icq2000b.app/Contents/Wineskin.app/Contents/Resources/regedit

2. In Registry Editor, navigate to:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mirabilis\ICQ\DefaultPrefs

3. Double-click Default Server Host. Set Value data to icq.flamenet.io and click OK.
4. (Optional) Double-click Default Server Port. Tick Decimal, set Value data to 5190, and click OK.
5. Close Registry Editor.

Important: Do not set the hostname inside the ICQ registration wizard — a bug prevents settings from being saved if you do.

Step 5 — Sign In for the First Time

1. Launch the Wineskin wrapper. When the first-time wizard appears, select Existing User.
2. Enter your Flamenet ICQ UIN and password. (Get your UIN on the ICQ Sign-In page if you haven't already.)
3. Click Next through the remaining screens until the wizard finishes.

ICQ will connect to the Flamenet server and display your contact list.