Backtest results not displayed when test finished

 

Sorry to ask such a noob question. This has probably been answered before, but I've tried every way of phrasing this question in searches that I can think of, and have found no answer.

Very often when a backtest finishes it does not seem to display the results in the "Results" tab of the "Strategy Tester" window. In fact, it doesn't even display a results tab at all.

I have tried over several different test periods and different instruments. Sometimes it does display the results tab, and sometimes it doesn't. I can't figure out why!

For example, I can run the same EA with the same settings over the same time period on GBPUSD or AUDUSD and the results tab appears, but there is no results tab for EURUSD. Then the "Start" button is pressed the results tab disappears, and doesn't always get put back again at the end. In fact - worse than this - sometimes I can re- run EXACTLY the same backtest, and sometimes it doesn't display the results tab and sometimes it does!!!

In every case there are hundreds of trades being drawn in the "Graph" tab, and trade actions being logged in the "Journal" tab, and the green progress bar in the "Settings" tab goes all the way to the end - at which point the button changes from "Stop" to "Start" and the squeek noise happens. There do not seem to be any errors being shown in the "Journal" tab of the Strategy Tester (or in any tabs anywhere in either the "Strategy Tester" or the "Toolbox").

This happens even when the test period ends in profit. This version of MT5 is installed on a separate hard drive (but the problem also occurs when installed in a windows directory). I am using Windows XP.

There does not seem to be any setting which I can change to sort this out anywhere. Is this some sort of memory issue??

 

hatlle:

I am using Windows XP.

Do you have SP3 and all the latest updates installed?
 
hatlle:

Sorry to ask such a noob question. This has probably been answered before, but I've tried every way of phrasing this question in searches that I can think of, and have found no answer.

Very often when a backtest finishes it does not seem to display the results in the "Results" tab of the "Strategy Tester" window. In fact, it doesn't even display a results tab at all.

I have tried over several different test periods and different instruments. Sometimes it does display the results tab, and sometimes it doesn't. I can't figure out why!

For example, I can run the same EA with the same settings over the same time period on GBPUSD or AUDUSD and the results tab appears, but there is no results tab for EURUSD. Then the "Start" button is pressed the results tab disappears, and doesn't always get put back again at the end. In fact - worse than this - sometimes I can re- run EXACTLY the same backtest, and sometimes it doesn't display the results tab and sometimes it does!!!

In every case there are hundreds of trades being drawn in the "Graph" tab, and trade actions being logged in the "Journal" tab, and the green progress bar in the "Settings" tab goes all the way to the end - at which point the button changes from "Stop" to "Start" and the squeek noise happens. There do not seem to be any errors being shown in the "Journal" tab of the Strategy Tester (or in any tabs anywhere in either the "Strategy Tester" or the "Toolbox").

This happens even when the test period ends in profit. This version of MT5 is installed on a separate hard drive (but the problem also occurs when installed in a windows directory). I am using Windows XP.

There does not seem to be any setting which I can change to sort this out anywhere. Is this some sort of memory issue??


I think the problem come from memory issue. I ever experienced that. To check it, please try using simple EA and run it using "1 minutes OHLC" mode.
 

Thanks for your responses.

OK I just checked and apparently I do have Service Pack 3 already installed. It has been a while since I downloaded any updates though. Will that really make much of a difference?

I tired running it just on OHLC, and that seems to work properly each time. So I am guessing it probably is a memory issue then. That would make sense since the EA I was running was making several thousand trades a year, and often modifying orders and positions every tick.

I have 1.75 GB RAM apparently. Other than buying more RAM, is there anything I can do MT5 wise to help prevent the problem?

 

Installing latest updates increases stability and reliability of the system.

You can try to optimize the code of your EA. Use the code profiler to figure out the slowest parts of the code, for example.

 
OK, great. Will do. I didn't know about the code profiler. Thanks.