Most "my EA doesn't work" messages have nothing to do with the EA. The file is in the wrong folder, Algo Trading is switched off, the chart is the wrong symbol, or the broker's minimum lot is bigger than the input. This is the full install path for MetaTrader 5, followed by the errors that cause nine out of ten support tickets and how to clear each one in under a minute.
Route A: you bought it on the MQL5 Market
- In MetaTrader 5 open the Toolbox (Ctrl+T) and click the Market tab, then Purchased. Log in with the same MQL5 account you bought with (Tools → Options → Community).
- Click Install next to the product. It downloads straight into the terminal — no files to move — and appears in the Navigator (Ctrl+N) under Expert Advisors → Market.
- Each purchase comes with a limited number of activations (the listing states how many, typically 5–10). One activation is used per computer or VPS. Reinstalling Windows or moving to a new VPS uses another, so don't burn them on test machines.
Route B: you have an .ex5 file
- In MT5: File → Open Data Folder. This opens the terminal's data directory in Explorer.
- Go to MQL5 → Experts and paste the .ex5 there. Set files (.set) go in MQL5 → Presets. Indicators go in MQL5 → Indicators, not Experts.
- Back in MT5, right-click Expert Advisors in the Navigator and choose Refresh. The EA appears under Expert Advisors. If it doesn't, the file is in the wrong folder or it's an .ex4 (MT4 only — see below).
Attach it to the right chart
Open a chart of the exact symbol and timeframe the EA is built for — for a Gold EA that means XAUUSD (or your broker's spelling: GOLD, XAUUSDm, XAUUSD.r) on the timeframe named in the setup guide. Drag the EA from the Navigator onto the chart, or double-click it with the chart selected.
In the dialog that opens, the Common tab must have Allow Algo Trading ticked. The Inputs tab is where you type settings or click Load to apply a .set file. Click OK. A smiley face (MT5 builds before 2024) or the EA name with a green cap icon in the top-right corner of the chart means it is attached and allowed to trade.
Switch on Algo Trading — twice
There are two switches and both must be on. The Algo Trading button on the main toolbar (green = on, red = off) is the global switch for every chart. The Allow Algo Trading checkbox in the EA's own dialog is the per-chart switch. Off at either level and the EA loads, draws its dashboard, logs "initialized" — and never sends an order. This single setting is the most common reason a freshly installed EA sits idle for a day.
Error 1: the EA is attached but nothing happens
Open the Toolbox → Experts tab (not Journal) and read the EA's own log. If it says algo trading is disabled, see above. If it says nothing at all, the market may be closed — forex and Gold don't trade from Friday 22:00 to Sunday 22:00 UTC, and many EAs also wait for a new bar before doing anything. If the log shows the EA checking conditions and not entering, that is normal: a filter-based EA can wait hours for a valid setup.
Error 2: "not enough money" (error 10019)
The lot size in the inputs needs more margin than the account has free. Gold is expensive: one standard lot is 100 troy ounces, so at $4,000 per ounce a 1.0 lot position controls $400,000 of Gold. At 1:500 leverage that is $800 of margin — fine — but at 1:30 it is over $13,000. Reduce the lot size, check the leverage on your account, or fund the deposit the setup guide calls for. A grid EA needs margin for every level it might open, not just the first.
Error 3: "invalid volume" or "invalid stops"
Every broker sets a minimum lot (usually 0.01), a lot step (0.01) and a minimum stop distance ("stops level"). An input of 0.001 lots, or a take-profit closer than the broker allows, is rejected. Right-click the symbol in Market Watch → Specification to read the limits. Cent accounts often have different minimums from standard accounts.
Error 4: the EA is not in the Navigator at all
Three causes, in order of likelihood: the file went into the wrong folder (it must be MQL5\Experts, not the terminal root or MQL5\Indicators); you didn't Refresh the Navigator; or it is an .ex4 file, which is compiled for MT4 and will never run on MT5. MT4 and MT5 EAs are different products — Quantora EA, for example, ships as separate MT4 and MT5 builds.
Error 5: "activation limit reached"
MQL5 Market products count activations per hardware. If you have used them all, MQL5 support can sometimes reset them for a legitimate reason (a dead VPS), and sellers can see the count on their side. Plan the machines you will run on before installing anywhere.
Error 6: wrong symbol name or suffix
Brokers append suffixes — XAUUSDm, XAUUSD.pro, GOLD, GOLDmicro. An EA attached to the correct chart works regardless of the name, but any input that names a symbol explicitly (multi-symbol EAs, or a "symbol" input) must match the broker's spelling exactly, including the suffix. Copy it from Market Watch rather than typing it.
Error 7: it worked yesterday and stopped today
Usually one of: the terminal updated and needs a restart; the VPS rebooted and MT5 didn't auto-start; the account password changed and the terminal is disconnected (bottom-right shows "No connection"); or the broker changed the symbol's trading hours or contract size. Check the connection status first, then the Experts log, then the Journal tab for server-side messages.
Before you leave it running
- Run it on a demo or a small cent account for at least a week with the exact inputs you plan to use live.
- Load the seller's default .set file rather than guessing inputs — for Quantora robots the defaults are the settings on the public Myfxbook accounts.
- Put it on a VPS. A laptop that sleeps at night is the second most common reason a grid EA gets caught mid-basket with nobody managing it.
