How to install mods for minecraft?

all im trying to do is to install the improved chat mod.
Ive been doing tutorials on how to instal mods and they only led into crashing my minecraft and i have to reinstal everything entirely to be able to play again.
Ive also been asking people ingame for help and they actualy showed me two entirely different methods to install mods and yet both failed.

One was to drag and drop the zip file content of the mod into the minecraft.jar and delete the META-INF folder.
The other was to put the zip folder in the mods folder and then try to activate it ingame.

The minecraft.jar editing way ALWAYS lead to destroying my minecraft data.
The zip file in mods folder method actualy made a zip file appear ingame in my mods and textures button but i cannot active it.

1. Open the .zip.

2. Drag all of the .class files into minecraft.jar.

3. Delete META-INF folder in minecraft.jar.

4. Start Minecraft.

You move the stuff on the mod to the minecraft.jar, if it doesn't work it's because the mod is not working.

Orcworm wrote:1. Open the .zip.

2. Drag all of the .class files into minecraft.jar.

3. Delete META-INF folder in minecraft.jar.

4. Start Minecraft.

PetePorty wrote:You move the stuff on the mod to the minecraft.jar, if it doesn't work it's because the mod is not working.

I tried this method for like ten times so far and ive been trying varous versions and it just wont work

You're doing something wrong then...

Post a link to the actual mod you're trying to install.

Use this one:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

i actualy cant believe that worked now finally... is that a more up to date version than even on the official page or what?

The one you linked to was last updated on 1st February, that's why.