MetaTrader 5: Files and Folders

MetaTrader 5 Help → Getting Started → For Advanced Users → Files and Folders

Files and Folders

This section contains the description of how the platform's files and folders are stored. In the main mode of platform start, modifiable and read-only files of the platform are stored separately.

Read-only Files of the Platform

These files are located in /Program Files/platform folder/. They are:

Terminal.exe — the executable file of the trading platform;
MetaEditor.exe — the executable file of the built-in MQL5 language editor;
Sounds/*.wav — a set of standard audio files of the trading platform;

Modifiable Files

The main platform directory contains several folders: Bases, Config, Logs, MQL5, Profiles, Templates, Tester. For quick access to the desired storage location, use command " Open data folder" in the File menu.

All text files are of Unicode format. Use appropriate software to edit them.

The Bases directory contains the platform's data bases grouped by servers, as well as some settings:

Folders and Files	Description	Sub-folders	Description
Default	Default folder of the platform database	History	The folder stores history data of financial instruments. Each security is stored in a separate directory that contains files yyyy.hcc, ticks.dat and the cache folder. Files yyyy.hcc contain one-minute data of a symbol, the file name reflects the year to which the data belong. The file ticks.dat contains tick data of a symbol. Files *.hc stored in the "Cache" folder contain bars of different timeframes calculated for a symbol from one-minute data. They are automatically created when you select the appropriate chart period.
Default	Default folder of the platform database	Mail	The folder stores all emails received or sent from the platform. Mail databases are stored in *.dat files; a separate file is created for each account opened in the platform. For example, mail-xxxxx.dat, where xxxxx is the account number.
Server 1 — N	Platform database folders for different trade servers	News	The folder only stores one file news.dat containing the database of all newsletters ever received in the platform from a selected trade server.
		Symbols	File selected-xxxxx.dat contains the database of symbol currently selected in the Market Watch window. File symbols-xxxxx.dat contains the common database of symbols available on this trade server.
		Trades	Contains subfolders named by account numbers ever opened in the platform. Each account folder contains files deals_yyyy.mm.dat and history_yyyy.mm.dat with the information about trade and order history respectively. Separate files are created for each month. Here yyyy means the year, and mm — month.
alerts.dat	Contains the database of created alerts.
books.dat	Contains a list of currently open windows of request queues.
favourites.dat	Contains a database of elements added to Favorites of the Navigator window.
gvariables.dat	Contains information about global variables used in the platform.
hotkeys.ini	Contains a database of keyboard shortcuts.
indicators.dat	Contains usage statistics of indicators to display in the Insert menu.
objects.dat	Contains usage statistics of objects to display in the Insert menu.

Directory Config contains platform configuration files:

Folders and Files	Description
certificates	Folder containing certificate files *.pfx
accounts.dat	Contains a database of accounts and their settings.
common.ini	Contains common platform settings available in the Options window opened through the Tools menu.
metaeditor.ini	Contains common settings of MetaEditor.
terminal.ini	Contains platform interface settings and last used values (for window positioning, attached indicators, etc.)
servers.dat	Trade server settings for connection.

The Logs directory contains log files of the platform and MetaEditor, as well as crash logs:

Folders and Files	Description
/Crash/crash.log.*	Directory /crash contains files of the platform crashes. These files are automatically sent to the developer company to determine and eliminate their causes.
yyyymmdd.log	Log files containing information about events occurring in the platform. Platform logs are stored in separate files for each day it runs. Here yyyy stands for the year, mm — month, dd — day.
metaeditor.log	MetaEditor log files.

The MQL5 directory contains all the information related to programs written in this language:

Folders and Files	Description
/Experts	Contains Expert Advisor, compiled files (.ex5) and source code files (.mq5).
/Files	Contains files used by Expert Advisors and scripts.
/Images	Contains image files in *.bmp format.
/Include	Contains common *.mqh include files.
/Indicators	Contains files custom indicators.
/Libraries	Contains MQL5 libraries.
/Logs	Contains Expert Advisor log files (yyyymmdd.log). These files are created separately for each day of the EA operation, their names correspond to their creation date: yyyy stands for the year, mm — month, dd — date.
/Presets	Parameters of Expert Advisors start are stored in this folder ("Input Parameters").
/Profiles	Contains various profiles and templates: /Charts — chart profiles. Templates of default chart settings are stored in the Default subdirectory. Custom and built-in profiles are stored in separate subdirectories with their names corresponding to the names of the profiles. Each profile contains .chr files with chart descriptions and order.wnd file with the windows placement order. /Deleted — templates of deleted charts for subsequent re-opening. /SymbolSets — sets of symbols (including displayed information columns) for the "Market Watch" window. /Templates — chart templates as .tpl files and ReportHistory.htm — trading history report template. /Tester — *.set files with the last used sets of input parameters for each Expert Advisor that has ever been tested.
/Scripts	Contains files of scripts.
experts.dat	Contains usage statistics of MQL5 programs to display in the Insert menu.

The Tester directory contains files and folders used by the Strategy Tester:

Folders and Files	Description	Sub-folders	Description
Agent-IP-address-port	These folders are created for each agent of the tester. The folder name contains the IP address and port number the agent runs on.	MQL5	The file of the Expert Advisor that was tested last is stored in this folder. Expert Advisors are not saved in the folders of remote agents.
		logs	The entries of the agent operation journal are stored in this folder.
		bases	History data used by the agent are stored in this folder.
logs	This folder contains Strategy Tester log files (yyyymmdd.log). These files are created separately for each day of the EA operation, their names correspond to their creation date: yyyy — year, mm — month, dd — day.
/Manager	This directory contains log entries of the MetaTester component.
/Cache	This folder contains the XML-file of cache of last Expert Advisor optimization.

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