Before you connect
- Confirm the delivered Windows environment, remote access instructions and administration responsibilities.
- Obtain the installer from your broker or the official platform source. Identify the account server and prepare a demo account for validation.
- Back up the original terminal’s required programs, settings and workspace. Record program versions and dependencies.
- Decide how applications are restarted after maintenance and who checks their health. Never put credentials into an initial public support message.
This guide covers a full Windows VPS and client trading terminals. Broker-side deployments and the built-in MetaQuotes virtual-hosting migration process have different requirements.
1. Establish controlled remote access
Connect using the supplied Remote Desktop instructions. Change an initial password when appropriate and verify who can sign in. Restrict administrative access through the controls available in your environment, keeping a tested recovery path before changing firewall rules.
Review pending operating-system updates and plan a maintenance window. Windows restart behavior should be understood before the terminal is expected to run unattended. Microsoft documents active hours and update restart controls, but the exact options depend on the Windows version and management policy.
2. Install and connect the terminal
- Install the appropriate broker terminal in a clearly named location.
- Select the intended broker account server and establish a demo connection.
- Check the terminal’s connection status and Journal messages. Resolve login or connectivity errors before installing the strategy.
- Open the terminal data folder and note its actual path. Use it to place the relevant MQL4 or MQL5 programs and settings.
3. Rebuild and validate the workspace
Copy the required EA, indicator and configuration files from a known backup. Recreate the relevant charts and input settings; do not assume every setting moved with the installer. Check any program activation or dependencies with its developer.
Review platform-level and program-level automated-trading controls. Grant DLL or external access only when the program genuinely requires it and its source is trusted. Inspect Experts and Journal output for initialization, missing dependencies and connection errors.
Use a demo environment to compare the migrated setup with the original. A connected terminal alone is not proof that an EA is operating as intended.
4. Test the unattended operating procedure
| Event | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Disconnect Remote Desktop | Reconnect and confirm that the intended terminal process and workspace remain active. |
| Sign out of Windows | Recognize that signing out ends the user session and can close its applications. Do not use it as the unattended procedure. |
| Restart the server | Confirm how a session and terminal are started again; do not assume a running desktop survives a reboot. |
Arrange a planned restart while using a test setup. Verify account connection, EA state and logs after recovery. If a startup task is used, test its permissions and dependencies; placing a shortcut in a folder is not a complete recovery plan.
5. Cut over without duplicate live activity
- Retain a backup and a defined rollback procedure.
- Agree the change window and stop the old live program instance before starting its replacement.
- Verify the account, symbols, inputs and automated-trading permissions on the new environment.
- Observe a representative trading session and record CPU, memory, disk and connection behavior.
- Confirm backup contents and perform a restoration test before treating the migration as complete.
Troubleshooting order
| Symptom | First checks |
|---|---|
| No broker connection | Selected server, account details, network availability and Journal messages. |
| EA does not initialize | Correct platform, program location, dependencies, activation and Experts output. |
| EA initialized but inactive | Chart, inputs, automated-trading permissions and strategy conditions. |
| Terminal closed after maintenance | Windows session state and the tested startup procedure. |
| Environment becomes slow | Busy-core CPU, memory, disk use and competing jobs during the affected period. |
Keep a record of timestamps and relevant error messages. Share diagnostic details without account passwords. Consult the security guide before broadening access as a troubleshooting shortcut.