MetaTrader 4 (MT4) remains the most widely used trading platform in the forex industry. Millions of traders worldwide rely on it for manual trading, technical analysis, and automated strategy execution through Expert Advisors (EAs). But running MT4 on your home computer introduces risks: power failures, internet outages, forced Windows updates, and system crashes can all interrupt your trades at the worst possible moment.

The solution is to run MT4 on a Forex VPS — a dedicated virtual server in a professional data center that stays online 24/7 regardless of what happens to your local machine. This guide walks you through every step, from ordering your VPS to having MT4 running with an Expert Advisor attached and executing trades autonomously.

Looking for MT5 instead? We have a companion guide: How to Set Up MetaTrader 5 on a VPS for Automated Trading.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have the following ready:

Step 1: Order Your Forex VPS

Navigate to the MassiveGRID Forex VPS page and select a plan that matches your trading requirements. Here is a quick guide to help you choose:

Plan Best For Recommended Use
Lite Beginners, single EA 1 MT4 instance with 1–3 EAs on a few charts
Trader Active traders, multiple EAs 1–2 MT4 instances with 5–10 EAs across multiple pairs
Elite Professional traders, heavy automation Multiple MT4 instances, dozens of EAs, high-frequency strategies

Choosing Your Data Center Location

Select the data center closest to your broker's server for the lowest possible latency. MassiveGRID offers four locations:

If you are unsure where your broker's server is located, check the server address in your MT4 login credentials. You can also ping the server from different VPS locations to find the lowest latency. For a deeper understanding, read our article on how latency affects forex trade execution.

After completing your order, you will receive an email with your VPS IP address, username, and password within minutes. MassiveGRID's automated provisioning typically has your VPS ready in under five minutes.

Step 2: Connect to Your VPS via RDP

On Windows

  1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
  2. Type mstsc and press Enter. This opens the Remote Desktop Connection application.
  3. In the Computer field, enter the IP address from your welcome email.
  4. Click Show Options and enter your username (typically Administrator).
  5. Click Connect.
  6. When prompted, enter your password and click OK.
  7. If you see a certificate warning, click Yes to proceed. This is normal for a first-time connection.

On macOS

  1. Download Microsoft Remote Desktop from the Mac App Store (free).
  2. Open the application and click Add PC (or the + button).
  3. Enter your VPS IP address in the PC name field.
  4. Under User account, select Add User Account and enter your username and password.
  5. Click Add, then double-click the connection to connect.

On Linux

  1. Install Remmina or FreeRDP from your distribution's package manager.
  2. Create a new RDP connection with your VPS IP address, username, and password.
  3. Connect to your VPS.

You should now see the Windows Server desktop of your VPS. It looks and behaves exactly like a regular Windows computer.

Step 3: Download MetaTrader 4

Now that you are connected to your VPS desktop, you need to download MT4. There are two approaches:

Option A: Download from Your Broker (Recommended)

Most forex brokers provide a custom-branded version of MT4 that is pre-configured with their server list. This is the easiest method:

  1. Open the Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge browser on your VPS.
  2. Navigate to your broker's website.
  3. Find their MT4 download page (usually under "Platforms" or "Trading" in the navigation).
  4. Download the MT4 installer (.exe file).
  5. If the browser blocks the download, click Keep or adjust the Internet Explorer security settings by adding the broker's site to trusted sites.

Tip: If Internet Explorer's Enhanced Security Configuration blocks downloads, you can temporarily disable it through Server Manager > Local Server > IE Enhanced Security Configuration > Off. Re-enable it after downloading MT4.

Option B: Transfer the Installer from Your Local PC

If you have already downloaded the MT4 installer on your local computer, you can transfer it to the VPS:

  1. Before connecting via RDP, click Show Options in the Remote Desktop Connection dialog.
  2. Go to the Local Resources tab.
  3. Under Local devices and resources, click More.
  4. Check Drives to share your local drives with the VPS.
  5. Connect to the VPS. Your local drives will appear in This PC on the VPS, and you can copy files directly.

Step 4: Install MetaTrader 4

  1. Double-click the downloaded MT4 installer on the VPS.
  2. If a Windows security prompt appears, click Run or Yes.
  3. Accept the license agreement.
  4. Choose the installation directory. The default (C:\Program Files (x86)\MetaTrader 4 or similar) is fine for most users.
  5. Click Next and wait for the installation to complete. This typically takes less than a minute on MassiveGRID's NVMe SSD storage.
  6. Click Finish. MT4 will launch automatically.

Installing Multiple MT4 Instances

If you need to run multiple MT4 instances (for example, for different brokers or different strategies), install each one in a separate directory:

Each installation operates independently with its own configuration, charts, and EAs.

Step 5: Log In to Your Trading Account

  1. When MT4 opens for the first time, it may display a list of trading servers. Select your broker's server from the list.
  2. If your broker's server is not listed, click Add New Broker and type your broker's server name or IP address (provided in your account credentials).
  3. Click Next.
  4. Select Existing trade account.
  5. Enter your Login (account number) and Password.
  6. Click Finish.

If the login is successful, you will see the connection status bar in the bottom-right corner of MT4 turn green, and tick data will begin flowing on your charts.

Step 6: Install and Configure Expert Advisors

This is the core reason most traders use a VPS: to run EAs (Expert Advisors) continuously without interruption.

Copying EA Files to the VPS

  1. Transfer your EA files (.ex4 or .mq4) to the VPS using one of these methods:
    • RDP drive sharing — Map your local drives as described in Step 3, Option B, and copy files over.
    • Cloud storage — Upload files to Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive, then download them on the VPS through the browser.
    • Email — Email the files to yourself and download them on the VPS.
  2. In MT4, click File > Open Data Folder.
  3. Navigate to the MQL4\Experts folder.
  4. Copy your .ex4 files into this folder.
  5. If your EA requires custom indicators, copy them to the MQL4\Indicators folder.
  6. If your EA uses script files, copy them to MQL4\Scripts.
  7. Restart MT4 or right-click in the Navigator panel and select Refresh to load the new files.

Attaching an EA to a Chart

  1. Open a chart for the currency pair your EA is designed to trade (e.g., EURUSD, M15 timeframe).
  2. In the Navigator panel (View > Navigator if it is not visible), expand Expert Advisors.
  3. Find your EA in the list and drag it onto the chart, or double-click it.
  4. The EA properties dialog will appear. Configure the input parameters as needed.
  5. Go to the Common tab and make sure the following are checked:
    • Allow live trading
    • Allow DLL imports (only if your EA requires it)
  6. Click OK.

Enabling Automated Trading

After attaching the EA, you must enable automated trading globally in MT4:

  1. Click Tools > Options.
  2. Go to the Expert Advisors tab.
  3. Check Allow automated trading.
  4. Check Allow DLL imports if your EA requires it.
  5. Click OK.
  6. Click the AutoTrading button in the toolbar (it should turn green).

Your EA should now be active. You will see a smiley face icon in the top-right corner of the chart if the EA is running correctly. A frowning face means the EA is loaded but automated trading is not enabled.

Step 7: Optimize Your VPS for Trading

These additional tweaks will ensure your Forex VPS delivers maximum reliability for MT4:

Disable Windows Updates Auto-Restart

Windows Server updates can force a restart, which would close MT4 and stop your EAs. To prevent this:

  1. Open Group Policy Editor: press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, press Enter.
  2. Navigate to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update.
  3. Double-click Configure Automatic Updates.
  4. Set it to Enabled, then select 2 - Notify for download and notify for install.
  5. Click OK.

This ensures updates are downloaded but never installed automatically, giving you control over when to apply them.

Disable Sleep and Hibernation

  1. Open Control Panel > Power Options.
  2. Select High performance plan.
  3. Click Change plan settings.
  4. Set Turn off the display to Never.
  5. Set Put the computer to sleep to Never.
  6. Click Save changes.

Set MT4 to Start Automatically on Boot

In the unlikely event your VPS restarts (MassiveGRID provides a 100% uptime SLA backed by Proxmox HA clustering), you want MT4 to start automatically:

  1. Press Win + R, type shell:startup, and press Enter. This opens the Windows Startup folder.
  2. Right-click your MT4 shortcut on the Desktop, select Copy.
  3. Paste the shortcut into the Startup folder.

Now MT4 will launch automatically whenever Windows starts.

Disable Unnecessary Services

To dedicate maximum resources to MT4, disable services you do not need:

For comprehensive optimization tips, see our guide on optimizing a Windows VPS for Forex trading performance.

Step 8: Verify Everything Is Working

Before you disconnect from your VPS, run through this checklist:

Step 9: Disconnect and Let It Run

Once everything is verified, you can safely close your RDP session. This is critical to understand: closing the RDP window does not shut down the VPS or close MT4. The VPS continues running independently. MT4 keeps processing ticks, your EAs keep executing strategies, and your trades are managed without interruption.

You can reconnect at any time from any device — your phone, your tablet, a friend's laptop — to check on your trades or adjust your EA settings.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

MT4 Shows "No Connection" or "Invalid Account"

EA Is Not Trading

RDP Connection Is Slow or Laggy

Need Help?

MassiveGRID provides 24/7 human support with a customer satisfaction rating of 9.5/10. If you encounter any issues with your VPS, their team can assist with server configuration, connectivity issues, and general troubleshooting. With 22+ years of experience since 2003, they have seen and resolved every possible hosting issue.

Recommended VPS Specifications for MT4

Trading Scenario vCPU RAM Storage
1 MT4 instance, 1–3 EAs 1 core 1–2 GB 20 GB NVMe SSD
1 MT4 instance, 5–10 EAs 2 cores 2–4 GB 30 GB NVMe SSD
2–3 MT4 instances 2–4 cores 4–6 GB 40 GB NVMe SSD
4+ MT4 instances, HFT 4+ dedicated cores 8+ GB 50+ GB NVMe SSD

For high-frequency or resource-intensive strategies, consider MassiveGRID's Forex VPS Pro plans with dedicated CPU cores that are never shared with other users, eliminating the "noisy neighbor" problem that plagues oversold VPS providers.

Why MassiveGRID Is the Right Choice for MT4 Hosting

Setting up MT4 on a VPS is straightforward, but the reliability of your VPS infrastructure is what determines whether your EAs run smoothly for months on end. Here is what MassiveGRID brings to the table:

Ready to get started? Visit the MassiveGRID Forex VPS page and have MT4 running on your own VPS in under 30 minutes.

Next Steps

Now that your MT4 is running on a VPS, consider exploring these related guides: