AgCo and AgCoCu inhomogeneous alloy nanowires have been prepared by the technique of electrodeposition in the pores of aluminium oxide membranes with quoted pore diameter 20 nm and length 60 mu m. Both kinds of nanowire exhibit a negative magnetoresistance at room temperature, and annealing experiments on the AgCuCo nanowires showed that this could be increased. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.