Transfer old versions of purchased EAs between platforms

 

Hi.

I have bought EAs from the Market place and I have saved the old versions when a new release has come out.

What I wonder now is if I can transfer the old EA versions between my own platforms on my computer/server since I cant download them anymore.

The platforms are with different brokers but I have my mql5 login on them all.

I have tried this before but then I didn't have the platform connected to my mql5 account, but they were on the same computer.

That time it locked my original EA and I was forced to download a new one. That made me lose an activation and I had to delete all the old versions I had saved too.

 

If it is between MetaTrader terminals running on the same computer, same hard drive, same MQL5 community login, then yes, it should work.

But if it is on a different computer, them no, because any new environment will cause the license to fail and require reactivation, which will require a re-download, which in turn will download the updated version.

 
Fernando Carreiro #:

If it is between MetaTrader terminals running on the same computer, same hard drive, same MQL5 community login, then yes, it should work.

But if it is on a different computer, them no, because any new environment will cause the license to fail and require reactivation, which will require a re-download, which in turn will download the updated version.


When I transferred the EA before it was on the same computer, but I didn’t login with the same mql5 account on the new platform. That time it locked my EA and I had to delete them all. 

Are you sure it will work? I can’t afford to just take a chance. I can’t download the the old versions anymore and I don’t want to get the one I have locked. 
 
Thomas Gardling #: When I transferred the EA before it was on the same computer, but I didn’t login with the same mql5 account on the new platform. That time it locked my EA and I had to delete them all. Are you sure it will work? I can’t afford to just take a chance. I can’t download the the old versions anymore and I don’t want to get the one I have locked. 

Yes, provided the environment being reported to the system is exactly the same — same hardware including hard drive, same windows user, same MQL5 login, same appdata directory.

It will not work if you are using virtual windows hosting or different windows user logins.

Since I don't know your computer environment, I cannot state it for certain, however, when it works, it will work automatically without need to go to the Market tab to install or re-activate. This is assuming you copied the files over yourself to the proper folders.

So, if it does not work automatically from the start, then chances are that it will need reactivation, and in that case, you should see what is different in the environment and try to correct it.

 
Fernando Carreiro #:

Yes, provided the environment being reported to the system is exactly the same — same hardware including hard drive, same windows user, same MQL5 login, same appdata directory.

It will not work if you are using virtual windows hosting or different windows user logins.

Since I don't know your computer environment, I cannot state it for certain, however, when it works, it will work automatically without need to go to the Market tab to install or re-activate. This is assuming you copied the files over yourself to the proper folders.

So, if it does not work automatically from the start, then chances are that it will need reactivation, and in that case, you should see what is different in the environment and try to correct it.

I have a server with win server 2022 OS of which I’m the only user. so I guess according to your explanation it should work. 
I can’t reactivate or redownload any ea since it’s only old versions im trying to transfer, or am I wrong?

If it should lock my EA, is there any chance I can get it unlocked again? Can anyone from service desk help me then?
 
Thomas Gardling #: I have a server with win server 2022 OS of which I’m the only user. so I guess according to your explanation it should work. I can’t reactivate or redownload any ea since it’s only old versions im trying to transfer, or am I wrong? If it should lock my EA, is there any chance I can get it unlocked again? Can anyone from service desk help me then?

Please explain in more details, step-by-step, of what you are trying to do.

  • Where is the original file located?
  • Where are you going to copy it to?
  • etc.
 
Fernando Carreiro #:

Please explain in more details, step-by-step, of what you are trying to do.

  • Where is the original file located?
  • Where are you going to copy it to?
  • etc.
Ok.

I have a server with a mt5 platform on it. This platform is connected to mql5.

I have bought an EA from the market place here on mql5, this EA is downloaded to the platform and is located in the regular expert/market folder. This EA has been updated several times. Every time I have downloaded the new version to the same folder but have saved the older versions as .old1, .old2 etc. These old versions are saved in the same location as the new in the expert/market folder. 

Now I have a new platform on the same server but with another broker which I would like to have the old versions on.
This new platform is connected to mql5, same as my other platform. 

My plan is to copy the old versions from one platform to the other since they can’t be downloaded any more (I can only download the latest version of my bought EA in the marketplace). The EAs will be copied to the expert/market folder on the new platform. 


 
Fernando Carreiro #:

Please explain in more details, step-by-step, of what you are trying to do.

  • Where is the original file located?
  • Where are you going to copy it to?
  • etc.

Fernando, se answer on last post.

 
Thomas Gardling #: Fernando, se answer on last post.

Unfortunately your answer was not sufficiently "technical". When I say "where", I mean the full directory name for the "from" and the "to" directories.

If however, you can not share them fully due to security concerns, because they contain private information, then just replace that part with a place holder and identify it clearly.

 
Fernando Carreiro #:

Unfortunately your answer was not sufficiently "technical". When I say "where", I mean the full directory name for the "from" and the "to" directories.

If however, you can not share them fully due to security concerns, because they contain private information, then just replace that part with a place holder and identify it clearly.

from:

C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Roaming\MetaQuotes\Terminal\First_Platform_ID\MQL5\Experts\Market

to:

C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Roaming\MetaQuotes\Terminal\Second_Platform_ID\MQL5\Experts\Market

 
Thomas Gardling #:

from:

C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Roaming\MetaQuotes\Terminal\First_Platform_ID\MQL5\Experts\Market

to:

C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Roaming\MetaQuotes\Terminal\Second_Platform_ID\MQL5\Experts\Market

Ok, then in that case I believe it will not even request for you to reinstall nor activate.

Try it and see what it reports in the log when you attach the EA to the chart.

Reason: