Can't save expert advisor and save as disappears

[[Deleted]]

Hi,

I'm new to meta trader 4 and have weird problems with it, or maybe it's my Win 7 which I'm also new to. I was developing an expert advisor to trade with and being careful I made several copies in different folders. I somehow deleted it using the editor so I restored it from one of my backup folders. Now it gives me a pop-up informing me I can't save my changes. How do I turn that stupid thing off?

I have saved my changes using the File, Save as, and replace the existing file and compiled my changes but the changes don't seem to be saved either and the compile seems to disappear also. I've searched my C drive and can't locate my latest changes or compile. This is frustrating, what's with these platforms?

I know I'm a newbie but this kind of stuff shouldn't happen, is it the MetaTrader or Win 7 ?

TIA

Bill H.

[bernd]

Install MT4 not inside the program files folder, MT4 does not obey to the conventions of which foders are allowed for writing its data. Windows will silently redirect the writes or throw error messages or other sources of great confusion will arise.

MT4 is behaving more like one of these portable applications where all files are kept inside one folder hierarchy, such applications typically are not meant to be installed into c:/program files, the MT4 installer is simply wrong by suggesting this as the default location. Install MT4 into a different folder (in which the user has write permissions) and all these problems and all related problems will go away.

@MetaQuotes: While I can partially understand that you can and will not fix MT4 itself without introducing major changes and possible user confusion, I absolutely do not understand why you don't simply fix the installer instead which would cure all these symptoms once and for all!