I want to try Second Life! Where do I begin?

If you are interested in exploring Second Life®, but don't know where to begin, check out some of the points in this article:

• Take a look at the System Requirements and make sure your computer can run Second Life. We want you to have the best experience possible, and it starts with your own hardware.
• If you haven't already done so, sign up for a Second Life account. "Basic" level accounts are free! Be sure to choose a name you can be proud of; the name you choose during registration is the name by which other Residents in Second Life will identify you.
• Once you've checked the system requirements, download and install the Second Life viewer. Run the viewer to start exploring Second Life!
• When you log in for the first time, you start on one of our many Help Islands. A simple tutorial appears in a corner of the Second Life viewer, and helps guide you through Second Life's many controls and features. Spending some time on Help Island learning how to use Second Life can prepare you for a much more rewarding Second Life experience.
• If you've already left Help Island and you would like to go back, you may visit Help Island Public.
• If you get lost or confused while inworld, try asking someone for help. Many experienced Residents are happy to help new arrivals; everybody needs help at some time or another! The Second Life Mentor group in particular is dedicated to providing helpful advice to those in need.
• Information about Second Life is right here in the Knowledge Base. Take a look around! You can come back any time by pressing F1 while inworld or typing secondlife.com/kb into your browser window. If you don't find what you are looking for, let us know! Submit a Knowledge Base suggestion ticket or visit the Documentation Team inworld during our weekly office hours. We'd love to have your feedback.