Why is MetaTrader 5 not working? The most common causes and how to check them one by one

First, pin down exactly where the problem is

"Not working" means different things, and each has a different fix. Look at the bottom right of the platform window and at the Journal tab:

• It never connects ("No connection", or the price bar does not move).
• It connects but login is refused (Invalid account or Authorization failed).
• It connects but cannot open a trade (a message such as Market closed or Trade disabled).
• The robot does not run, although the platform does.
• The platform does not open or freezes while running.

1) Login is refused: Invalid account

This is the most common cause, and usually the simplest:

• The server name does not match. The broker gives you a specific name in the account-opening email, and one wrong character fails the login. Copy it exactly.
• Demo and real accounts mixed up. Each normally has a different server.
• The Investor password used instead of the main password. The first is view-only and does not allow trading.
• The account is set up for another platform. Many brokers open an account for either MT4 or MT5, and it does not work in the other one. Check the platform type stated in the broker's email.

2) It never connects

• The internet itself: open another site to confirm.
• A firewall or antivirus is blocking the platform. Add the program folder to the allowed list, or test with it paused briefly.
• A VPN or proxy is interfering. Turn it off and try again.
• Broker maintenance, or the weekend close, so it looks like a fault when it is the market being closed.
• The server is not in the list: from File choose "Open an Account" and search by the broker's name. If it does not appear, ask the broker for the correct server name.

3) It connects but will not open a trade

• The market is closed: every instrument has trading hours, gold and currencies close at the weekend, and shares only trade during exchange hours.
• Trading is disabled on the account: for example with the Investor password, or on a frozen account.
• The volume is outside the limits: each instrument has a minimum, a maximum and a step set by the broker.
• Not enough margin to open the requested volume.
• The stop or target is too close: each instrument has a minimum distance (Stops Level).

The error message in the Journal or Experts tab usually says which of these it is. Read it before guessing.

4) The robot (Expert Advisor) does not run

• The Algo Trading button at the top of the platform must be green. If it is red, all automated trading is off.
• On the chart itself, open the robot's properties (F7) and confirm "Allow Algo Trading" is ticked.
• The face icon in the corner of the chart: a smiling face means the robot is running, a sad one means it is not allowed to.
• A robot built for MT4 does not run on MT5. The files differ (EX4 and EX5), and the robot must be written for the platform you use.
• Check the Experts tab: errors are written there when it loads.

5) The platform itself will not open or freezes

• Update it from the File menu, or reinstall it from the broker's website (keeping the data folder).
• Run it as administrator on Windows if permissions stop it writing files.
• Disk space or memory is full.
• An unsupported system: the platform is designed for Windows. On Mac or Linux it runs through a compatibility layer, which can bring problems that do not appear on Windows.

Why does MT4 work for someone and MT5 not?

The two platforms are not versions of the same program; they are different products. Some brokers support only one of them, and some give you one depending on the account type and your country of residence. Some older indicators and robots were written for MT4 and do not run on MT5 without being rewritten.

If your problem is that something works on MT4 and not on MT5, it is usually because the files differ, not because anything is broken.

Summary

• Identify the type of problem first: connection, login, execution, robot, or the platform itself.
• Open the Journal and Experts tabs; the error message often tells you the cause.
• The most common causes: the server name, the Investor password, the account type, or the Algo Trading button.
• If it is still unsolved, send your broker the error message exactly as shown, with the server name and account number.

This site does not provide technical support for trading platforms and is not tied to any particular broker in this explanation.