The Tick Data Suite (TDS) is designed to prevent interference with live trading on your MetaTrader 4 (MT4) terminal. This includes ensuring that historical data matching the tick data in your backtests is not sent to regular charts or live trading, unless specifically configured. By default, any chart you open in your MT4 terminal will show bar data from your broker, with the exception of visual backtest charts, where the data matches your backtest 100%.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Option 1: Viewing Tick Data on Charts: Visual Mode Backtest
• Option 2: Enabling Tick Data History on Regular Charts
• Important Considerations

Option 1: Viewing Tick Data on Charts: Visual Mode Backtest

The simplest way to visualize a chart based on tick data is by enabling the Visual Mode checkbox and running a backtest. This will open a chart that displays data identical to what is used in your backtest. However, this method can be slow and not suitable for quick analysis.

Option 2: Enabling Tick Data History on Regular Charts

If you want the history generated from tick data to be displayed when you click the Open Chart button at the end of the backtest or when you open a regular chart, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Close All Open Charts: Before proceeding, make sure that all open charts are closed.
  
  
  
• Step 2: Close the MT4 Terminal: This step is crucial. MT4 caches history data internally, and if you skip this step, you will still see the broker data instead of the tick data.
  
  
• Step 3: Restart the MT4 Terminal: Reopen the MT4 terminal but do not open any charts yet.
  
  
• Step 4: Enable HST File Saving:
  • Open the Tick Data Settings dialog and navigate to the Misc tab.
  • Enable the Always save the HST files when running a tick data backtest checkbox and click Ok.
     
• Step 5: Run a Tick Data Backtest: Perform your backtest with tick data.
  
• Step 6: Open the Chart:
  • When the backtest ends, click the Open Chart button, or open a chart for the same symbol manually.
    
  • You will notice that the chart data displayed is the same as the one used in your backtest.
  • You can switch between different timeframes, and the history will remain in sync with the tick data from your backtest.
  • Open a Regular Chart: You can also open a regular chart for the same symbol. It will now contain the history data that was generated during your backtest.

Important Considerations

• MT4 Data Overwrite: MT4 automatically overwrites the most recent 2048 bars with data from the broker when you open a chart. The period of overwritten data depends on the timeframe of the chart. For example:

  • For a D1 (Daily) chart, MT4 overwrites 2048 days (approximately 7.5 years).
  • For an M1 (Minute) chart, MT4 overwrites 2048 minutes (about 1.5 days).

• To avoid this, you can take your MT4 terminal offline.

• Exclusive Backtesting Terminal: Use the MT4 terminal configured as described above exclusively for backtesting. This procedure can interfere with Expert Advisors (EAs) trading on live charts.

By following these steps, you can visualize tick data in your MT4 charts effectively.