How to backtest using tick data with Metatrader 4

If you’re trying to follow this guide, you must have gone through acquiring tick data and converting it for Metatrader 4 usage and as a result you should have the HST files in your history\[your broker's name] folder and the FXT in your tester\history folder. If you’re not at this stage, please revise the guides linked above.

This guide is split in several sections:

1. Enabling tick data backtesting
2. How to verify it worked
3. Running multiple Metatrader 4 instances from the same folder

Enabling tick data backtesting

Since the recent Metatrader 4 client builds no longer offer the ability to use custom FXT files, you need to run a special software that enables it to do that.

At this point, you have two options:

• You can use the Tick Data Suite, which is a commercial (aka paid) software that has more features than the free script and is fully supported. A trial version is available.
• Alternatively, you can use the completely free Birt’s patch script which has some limitations*. No support is available.

*The limitations that apply to the free script include but are not limited to:

• You cannot run optimizations (trying to do so results in a crash).
• It does not work with third party tools such as the Walk Forward Analyzer.
• You must run the script manually every time you restart Metatrader 4.
• The 2GB limitation removal is only available for builds 405+ and for select operating systems for previous builds.
• If you run the script after performing a backtest without it, a subsequent backtest will result in a crash.
• You have to manually enable real spread and you have to restart the terminal if you no longer want to use real spread.
• There is no support. You have to make do with the older comments on the tick data page and with the troubleshooting section.

For a more in-depth comparison table, please head to the Feature matrix page.

Depending on your choice above, please follow the relevant guide:

• Tick Data Suite guide
• Birt’s patch guide

How to verify it worked

If your backtest is running and the file in tester\history was not recreated, it usually means everything is ok. Naturally, it’ll skip the “Collecting M??” and “Using M??” steps. At the end of the backtest, you should see a red bar (it’s normal) in the results tab and modeling quality 99% in both the results tab as well as on the balance chart.

If you run into any problems, please head to the FAQ & Troubleshooting page.

Running multiple Metatrader 4 instances from the same folder

If you’re using the Tick Data Suite, this is done automatically and you can start as many MT4 terminal instances you wish from the same folder.

Otherwise, if you are using the Birt’s patch script and you need to run multiple instances from the same folder you can use one of the loaders available in the loader archive on the tick data downloads in the Miscellaneous section. These loaders are working with builds 225-409; the generic loader in the main folder works with builds 405-409 while the generic loader inside the old folder will work with older versions. There are also individual loaders for several older builds but the generic loaders should work for pretty much everyone as long as the build used is not above 409. Please note that no support is available for these loaders.

Keep in mind that the generic loaders will need to configure themselves for your particular build so they will display a series of messages and close your terminal once the relevant offsets are found. This only happens the first time you run them and it is perfectly normal.