Subject: EA attaches to multiple charts instead of one (default Moving Average EA issue)

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Hello,

I noticed a strange behavior when using the default "Moving Average" EA on the MetaQuotes demo account.
(It is not my own EA, just the built-in default one.)

Steps to reproduce (see attached screenshots):

  1. Open two charts: EURUSD H1 (left) and USDCHF H1 (right).

  2. Drag and drop the "Moving Average" EA onto the EURUSD H1 chart. The smiley face icon appears in the top-right corner.

  3. The EA also appears on the USDCHF H1 chart automatically, but without the smiley icon.

  4. If I remove the EA from the USDCHF H1 chart, it is also removed from the EURUSD H1 chart.

Problem:

  • I want to run one EA on one chart independently, not mirrored across multiple charts.

Question:

  • Is this normal behavior of the MetaQuotes demo server?

  • Or is there a setting I need to change so the EA attaches only to the chart I select?

Thank you for your help!

Screenshots attached for clarity.

Files:
H1EA1.png  198 kb
H1EA2.png  156 kb
 
Tokyo dude:


what is version of your mt5? if it is later than 5260 then it is beta version. downgrade to 5260 instead.

 

I appreciate your quick response.

My current MT5 version is 5.00 build 5274 (15 Sep 2025).  

So yes, it is newer than 5260.  
If the issue is related to the beta version, I will try to downgrade to build 5260 and check again.  
Thanks for your advice!

 
Tokyo dude #:

I appreciate your quick response.

My current MT5 version is 5.00 build 5274 (15 Sep 2025).  

So yes, it is newer than 5260.  
If the issue is related to the beta version, I will try to downgrade to build 5260 and check again.  
Thanks for your advice!

Don't use beta versions, download the latest stable 5260 MT5 build from your broker's website.

 
Tokyo dude:

I noticed a strange behavior when using the default "Moving Average" EA on the MetaQuotes demo account.

(It is not my own EA, just the built-in default one.)

Steps to reproduce (see attached screenshots):

  1. Open two charts: EURUSD H1 (left) and USDCHF H1 (right).

  2. Drag and drop the "Moving Average" EA onto the EURUSD H1 chart. The smiley face icon appears in the top-right corner.

  3. The EA also appears on the USDCHF H1 chart automatically, but without the smiley icon.

  4. If I remove the EA from the USDCHF H1 chart, it is also removed from the EURUSD H1 chart.


Screenshots attached for clarity.

You screenshots do not show 2 copies of EA, but only one. Also you did not provide a log which could confirm your words. 

 
I tested again with build 5260 on IC Markets MT5.  
The issue still persists.

Steps to reproduce:
1. Open two charts: EURUSD H1 (left) and USDCHF H1 (right).
2. Attach the default "Moving Average" EA to the EURUSD H1 chart.
   - On EURUSD, the EA icon appears in the top-right corner (smiley enabled).
3. Even though I did not attach the EA to USDCHF, the same "Moving Average" label also appears on the USDCHF chart automatically.
4. The Experts log shows the EA was loaded only on EURUSD (see attached log screenshot).
   - Example: `expert Moving Average (EURUSD,H1) loaded successfully`
   - There is no record of the EA being attached to USDCHF.

Screenshots attached:
- Screenshot ①: EURUSD chart has the EA (icon visible). USDCHF chart has no EA attached, but still displays the "Moving Average" label.
- Screenshot ②: Experts log shows the EA was only attached/removed on EURUSD.

So it looks like the EA is internally working only on EURUSD,  
but visually it also appears on USDCHF chart, which is confusing.  

Is this a bug in the MT5 UI, or is this the intended behaviour?

---

Thank you everyone for your replies so far.  
I did further testing and attached screenshots + logs for clarity.  
Any additional input or confirmation from others would be greatly appreciated!

Files:
H1Chart.png  160 kb
log.png  117 kb
 

From your screenshot.

-----------------

EURUSD chart. EA was attached to the chart:

-----------------

USDCAF chart. EA is not attached to the chart:

 

Besides, I made an experiment for trying to reproduce your issue (MT5, build 5260).

I attached default Moving Average EA to EUR/USd chart, and this EA attached to this chart only.



-----------------

My opinion: this issue does not exist sorry.

 
Tokyo dude #:
I tested again with build 5260 on IC Markets MT5.  
The issue still persists.

Thank you everyone for your replies so far.  
I did further testing and attached screenshots + logs for clarity.  
Any additional input or confirmation from others would be greatly appreciated!

According to your log and the dialog picture with the single EA in the list, EA is loaded only once on the chosen chart. It's unclear why do you think you have 2 instances of EA running?

 
I had a misunderstanding about how EAs are displayed in MT5.
With indicators, they stay neatly on a single chart and don’t show up anywhere else.
But EAs appear in the Expert List (E), which is shared across all charts.

I didn’t realize this difference and assumed EAs would behave just like indicators.
So I spent three days investigating a “mystery bug”... only to discover it was my own misunderstanding.
Lesson learned — sometimes the hardest bugs to fix are the ones that don’t exist! 

Thank you everyone for your patience and kind help — and sorry for all the confusion I caused. 
 
Tokyo dude #:
I had a misunderstanding about how EAs are displayed in MT5.
With indicators, they stay neatly on a single chart and don’t show up anywhere else.
But EAs appear in the Expert List (E), which is shared across all charts.

I didn’t realize this difference and assumed EAs would behave just like indicators.
So I spent three days investigating a “mystery bug”... only to discover it was my own misunderstanding.
Lesson learned — sometimes the hardest bugs to fix are the ones that don’t exist! 

Thank you everyone for your patience and kind help — and sorry for all the confusion I caused. 

this response is confusing.

EAs only work on the chart that it is attached to; just like indicators.

The only exception to this rule is if the ea is coded to work differently. But the default eas are not coded to work on multiple charts/symbols.
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