How can I make the new MT4 (Build 600) Portable?

 

Is there any way to make the latest build/release of MT4 portable?

In previous builds, I had all my terminal installations, installed on my D: Drive under a directory tree structure organised by Broker, Live/Real and Account with hard-link junctions points for common areas such as experts, indicators, libraries, etc.

This made it easy to maintain the data and quickly backup everything in one go as well as allow portability by just copying the structure to a USB Pen Drive and I was ready to use it on another PC.

Also, since it was on a separate drive, my Strategy Tests did not weigh on the C: drive and affect the OS or other Applications running, making back-testing much faster.

Now, with is this new build, even though I installed it under the above mentioned structure, it placed all my MT4 data under the Roaming User Profile (C: Drive), making it no longer portable, messing up my structure, backups & maintenance as well as affect the back-testing, since it is now slower because it is competing for hard-drive resources with the OS and other applications.

I looked at the “config/terminal.ini” file as well as search the Registry (regedit) to see if I could circumvent the behaviour but could not find anything that could help me “fix” this.

Anyone have any idea how I could push into play the old behaviour and have everything where I want it to be (i.e. portable)?

 

What about "/portable" ?

The terminal can also be launched in the so-called Portable mode (as in previous MetaTrader 4 builds). In that mode, the data is stored and recorded in the installation folder. To do this, use "/portable" key. For more convenience, you can create an additional terminal launch shortcut with the appropriate name on your desktop and add the key directly to the shortcut:

 
angevoyageur:

What about "/portable" ?

Thanks for info!

So, if I understand this correctly, if I uninstall everything (deleting all these odd file placements) and do a fresh installation, I then use the "/portable" command line option on the first and every use of the "terminal.exe" and "metaeditor.exe", it will always reference its home folder for all data!

Is this correct?

It also means that I can never run these two applications directly and will have to use a short cut (link file) to make sure to always use the "/portable" option!



 
FMIC:

Thanks for info!

So, if I understand this correctly, if I uninstall everything (deleting all these odd file placements) and do a fresh installation, I then use the "/portable" command line option on the first and every use of the "terminal.exe" and "metaeditor.exe", it will always reference its home folder for all data!

Is this correct?

It also means that I can never run these two applications directly and will have to use a short cut (link file) to make sure to always use the "/portable" option!

Yes, it's how it's intended.
 

Thanks for the confirmation!

Best regards!

 

I then use the "/portable" command line option on the first and every use of the "terminal.exe" and "metaeditor.exe", it will always reference its home folder for all data!

How to do it ????

 
aviBar:

I then use the "/portable" command line option on the first and every use of the "terminal.exe" and "metaeditor.exe", it will always reference its home folder for all data!

How to do it ????

Hi,

Did you read the first post of this topic MetaTrader 4 Build 600 with Updated MQL4 Language and Market of Applications Released ? See point 3. All is explain about "/portable".

 

Windows 8.1: "\portable" does not work, UAC does not matter, Data Folder is always somewhere in AppData\Roaming

Windows 7: "\portable" does not work when UAC is enabled (on it's default position), Data Folder is somewhere in AppData\Roaming. When UAC is disabled "\portable" does not work as well, now Data Folder is where MT4 installations is no matter how MT4 is launched.

Why don't you just put some option so we can choose where to save files? Especially for MetaTrader it's a big crap when files goes outside it's installation folder. You know that MetaTrader users are working with files in old-fashion way all the time, normally they have multiple MetaTrader installations and normally this is fine. They don't need sophisticated virtualization stuff. Again, in MetaTrader this is unwanted, so just put some option there or make it work in it's own folder all the time.

 
JDeel:

Windows 8.1: "\portable" does not work, UAC does not matter, Data Folder is always somewhere in AppData\Roaming

Windows 7: "\portable" does not work when UAC is enabled (on it's default position), Data Folder is somewhere in AppData\Roaming. When UAC is disabled "\portable" does not work as well, now Data Folder is where MT4 installations is no matter how MT4 is launched.

Why don't you just put some option so we can choose where to save files? Especially for MetaTrader it's a big crap when files goes outside it's installation folder. You know that MetaTrader users are working with files in old-fashion way all the time, normally they have multiple MetaTrader installations and normally this is fine. They don't need sophisticated virtualization stuff. Again, in MetaTrader this is unwanted, so just put some option there or make it work in it's own folder all the time.

Its actually "/portable" instead of "\Portable" if that helps.
 
Damn, it helps :D
 

"...In order to launch the terminal in Portable mode, use "/portable" key. For more convenience, you can create an additional terminal launch shortcut with the appropriate name on your desktop and add the key directly to the shortcut:"

But where is "/portable" key? Or, what is the "/portable" command? How do I open terminal.exe with "/portable" command? I tried right clicking on terminal exe and saw nothing called "/portable" . I only saw "Run as Administrator" etc., etc. I tried renaming terminal.exe to /portable but it does not allow / in the file name.

If someone can specifically explain how to open terminal with "/portable" it will help. The article did not even explain how to do it. All it said was..."use the "/portable" key....or "add the key to the shortcut" but did not explain where this key is or how to create it or how to add it to the shortcut etc.

Thanks in advance.