MT4 works with demo but not real account

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I have a demo account and a real account with a broker. They both work fine.

Now, new broker.

I also have two demo accounts with this new broker. They work fine.

I opened a real account with the new broker. I click "Login to Trade Account," fill it in, press Enter and nothing happens. When I click the File menu and select Exit, MetaTrader freezes. Not only that, I have to kill it and launch it again. And then no account ever works again. If I try, MetaTrader freezes again. The only fix is to delete the entire MetaTrader directory and restore it from a backup (which I always have).

Launching again from the restored folder, everything works again including the demo and real accounts with the older broker and the two demo accounts with the new broker. Only the real account with the new broker breaks MetaTrader4.

I have contacted their support and they suggested the usual magical rituals: reset password, double check it, etc. None of it is working.

Is there any kind of "debug" or "output" mechanism in MT4 that will help me troubleshoot this?

 

Is there any applications (EA, indicator...) running on your MT4 when you are trying to connect to the real account ?

If yes, try to create a new profile, with no chart or an empty chart, before connecting to the real account.

 
Alain Verleyen #:

Is there any applications (EA, indicator...) running on your MT4 when you are trying to connect to the real account ?

If yes, try to create a new profile, with no chart or an empty chart, before connecting to the real account.


I've tried that. Still the same result.

 
whoowl #: I've tried that. Still the same result.

The accounts file may be corrupted.

Make a backup of your entire MetaTrader installation and respective user data.

Then rename or delete the account data file and recreate all the accounts again from within MetaTrader.

 
Fernando Carreiro #:

The accounts file may be corrupted.

Make a backup of your entire MetaTrader installation and respective user data.

Then rename or delete the account data file and recreate all the accounts again from within MetaTrader.

I opened the config folder and deleted accounts.ini, servers.ini and server.ini. I reload and there are no servers. The "scan" button doesn't work. Nothing happens. I add my broker, nothing happens. I select File -> Exit and MetaTrader freezes again. I kill it, restore the servers.ini file, relaunch and MetaTrader immediately begins to test all the servers again. All the old brokers are there except this one that is giving me trouble. I press the "Add new broker" space and type the name and wait, MetaTrader never finds it. I was told to insert a full address (e.g. server4.brokerdomain.com) which I do, and MT shows it after a while with a red "block" symbol. I click "Scan" again. It scans, but nothing changes.
 
whoowl #: I opened the config folder and deleted accounts.ini, servers.ini and server.ini. I reload and there are no servers. The "scan" button doesn't work. Nothing happens. I add my broker, nothing happens. I select File -> Exit and MetaTrader freezes again. I kill it, restore the servers.ini file, relaunch and MetaTrader immediately begins to test all the servers again. All the old brokers are there except this one that is giving me trouble. I press the "Add new broker" space and type the name and wait, MetaTrader never finds it. I was told to insert a full address (e.g. server4.brokerdomain.com) which I do, and MT shows it after a while with a red "block" symbol. I click "Scan" again. It scans, but nothing changes.

Several months back, there was an issue with MetaTrader 4 not being able to scan for brokers when using Windows 7 or older.

What operating system are you using?

 
Fernando Carreiro #:

Several months back, there was an issue with MetaTrader 4 not being able to scan for brokers when using Windows 7 or older.

What operating system are you using?

I am using Linux, but:

1. it has worked for years, the exact same MT4 installation, the demo accounts still work, even if I delete and re-add them;

2. I tried it in Windows 8 - same problem;

3. MT4 won't run on XP so... MT4 just won't run on any Windows anymore? I'm sure that is not true.

Another thing I tried: delete a few old servers (maybe MT4 will "clean" the file that way?), close and relaunch. Add the new server, freeze again.

 
whoowl #: I am using Linux, but:


1. it has worked for years, the exact same MT4 installation, the demo accounts still work, even if I delete and re-add them;

2. I tried it in Windows 8 - same problem;

3. MT4 won't run on XP so... MT4 just won't run on any Windows anymore? I'm sure that is not true.

Another thing I tried: delete a few old servers (maybe MT4 will "clean" the file that way?), close and relaunch. Add the new server, freeze again.

At the time, the issue was that the older operating system did not support the higher security for TLS and SSL when scanning for brokers. It only affected doing scans and adding new brokers. It did not affect brokers for existing accounts, because their IP information was already present in the cache and did not require scanning for them.

MetaQuotes at the time, downgraded their servers to fix the issue, but recently MetaQuotes has been moving to new servers and applying higher security levels.

So, it may just be that the TLS/SSL protocol being used on your Linux or Windows 8 is older than what is required.

Are you able to try on Windows 10 maybe?

 

Fernando Carreiro #:

So, it may just be that the TLS/SSL protocol being used on your Linux or Windows 8 is older than what is required.

Are you able to try on Windows 10 maybe?

I cannot believe that Linux is the problem because, like I said, demo accounts of the same broker and real accounts with other brokers also work.

Anyway, I fixed it and I'm not sure how. This time I messed with deleting and redoing a profile. Not a template, a profile. And now it works.

Super weird. MT has many bizarre issues, such as the infamous "Common Error."

Thanks to all involved for the help again.

 
whoowl #:I cannot believe that Linux is the problem because, like I said, demo accounts of the same broker and real accounts with other brokers also work. Anyway, I fixed it and I'm not sure how. This time I messed with deleting and redoing a profile. Not a template, a profile. And now it works. Super weird. MT has many bizarre issues, such as the infamous "Common Error." Thanks to all involved for the help again.
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