To post, reply and subscribe to topics, and to personalise user settings through the Control Panel, you have to create a user profile. The possible exception to this rule is if the forum administrator allows anonymous posting in certain forums, in which case you do not need to register to post topics or reply to them. However, in most cases at least the majority of forums require creating a user profile to perform these actions.

To create a profile, follow these steps:

1. Click on the 'Create A New Profile' button at the top right of the forum page.

2. Fill out the form on the following page. Double check the email address you enter - it is important this is correct for validating your account and other functions. Also, make sure your password is strong by using an alphanumeric combination of characters at least 8 characters long.

3. Once you have clicked the submit button, you will be informed as to whether you need to take any further action to active your account. On some forums you may need to click on a verification link which will be sent to the email address you provided, a moderator may need to approve your account, or both.