Follow this step-by-step guide to set up Forge and OptiFine to enhance your Minecraft experience.
Visit the official Forge website and download the latest version for Minecraft 1.8.9.
Once downloaded, open the installer and follow the prompts. Make sure to click the install client option.
Launch Minecraft and select the Forge profile from the launcher. Important: If you have never launched Vanilla Minecraft 1.8.9 before, do so first to ensure everything initializes correctly. Then, switch to the Forge profile to avoid any potential file corruption. Once the game loads, you should see a "Mods" button in the main menu, confirming the installation was successful.
Visit the OptiFine website and download the latest version for Minecraft 1.8.9. As of writing this OptiFine HD U M5 is the latest version.
After downloading the OptiFine ".jar" file, press Windows + R, type %appdata%, and hit Enter. Navigate to the ".minecraft" folder, then open the "mods" folder. Drag and drop the OptiFine ".jar" file into the "mods" folder.
Open the Minecraft launcher, select the Forge profile, and click Play. Verify that OptiFine is installed by checking for its name in the bottom left corner of the main menu or pressing F3 in-game.