Summary: Your MT5 EA won‘t trade and shows “disabled” or “no connection”? This guide covers 6 common causes and fixes: auto-trading off, wrong login credentials, missing symbol data, and VPS sync issues.
Step 1: Turn On the AutoTrading Button
Look at the MT5 toolbar. Find the “AutoTrading” button (green triangle). If it is red or gray, click it to turn it green. Then go to “Tools” → “Options” → “Expert Advisors” and check “Allow automated trading”. Screenshot: AutoTrading button turned green on toolbar.
Step 2: Check Your Login Credentials
If you logged in with an investor password (read-only), your EA cannot place orders. Click “File” → “Login to Trade Account”. Enter your master password (trading password), not the investor password. Screenshot: Login window showing master password field.
Step 3: Verify the Symbol is Visible and Receiving Price
Open the Market Watch window (Ctrl+M). Right-click and select “Show All”. Ensure your trading symbol (e.g., EURUSD) appears and shows live price updates. No price movement means no OnTick events – EA stays asleep. Screenshot: Market Watch window with live price updates.
Step 4: Check Symbol Name Including Broker Suffix
Brokers often add suffixes like “EURUSD.m” or “XAUUSD.a”. If your EA references “EURUSD” but the broker uses “EURUSD.m”, the EA will fail. In the EA input parameters, match the exact symbol name from Market Watch. Screenshot: EA input parameters showing symbol field.
Step 5: Attach EA to Chart and Enable Live Trading
Drag your EA from Navigator to a chart. In the popup window, click the “Common” tab. Check “Allow live trading” and (if needed) “Allow DLL imports”. Do NOT use offline or renko-generated charts – they don‘t trigger OnTick. Screenshot: EA settings window with “Allow live trading” checked.
Step 6: For VPS Users – Resync or Reinstall
If running on VPS, settings changes may not apply automatically. After modifying EA parameters, go to the MQL5 VPS control panel and click “Synchronize”. If the EA still doesn’t load, check the “Community” tab login – EA activation requires active login. Screenshot: MQL5 VPS panel showing Synchronize button.
Reference: MetaQuotes MQL5 Documentation; Hercules.Finance MT4/MT5 Troubleshooting Guide.