Official guidance for a separate, clean, offline MT5 test installation

[Sener Kaya]

Hello MetaQuotes Team,

I need to create a separate, clean MetaTrader 5 installation for controlled testing of an MQL5 Expert Advisor.

I already have other MT5 installations on the same Windows computer, including broker-branded terminals. These existing installations, trading accounts, configurations, and files must remain unchanged.

Could you please clarify the following:

1. Is there an officially supported installer option that prevents MetaTrader 5 from launching automatically after installation?

2. Can MT5 be installed into a completely separate directory without updating, repairing, or modifying any existing MT5 installation?

3. Can a new installation be created without importing existing trading accounts, server configurations, profiles, Expert Advisors, or other user data?

4. Can MT5 operate in portable mode without logging into a trading account and without making any outbound network connections? Please distinguish between being logged out and being completely offline, including update checks, server discovery, and background connections.

5. Does portable mode still share the Common\Files directory with other MT5 installations running under the same Windows user account?

6. Do these answers apply equally to the standard MetaQuotes installer and broker-branded installers such as Exness and JustMarkets?

If official command-line parameters or documented procedures exist, please provide their exact syntax and documentation links.

My goal is to create an isolated testing environment without affecting existing trading installations or accounts.

Thank you.

[Ryan L Johnson]

Sener Kaya:
Does portable mode still share the Common\Files directory with other MT5 installations running under the same Windows user account?

See Portable Mode in the following Help page:

When installed to Program Files, the platform works in the main mode described above on default. All the platform data are stored in a special Windows user directory. However you can force the platform to store its data in the installation folder.