Download Historical Data on MetaTrader 4
How do I download historical data on MetaTrader 4?
Download Historical Data on MetaTrader 4
Get complete historical price data for backtesting and analysis.
What You'll Get
- Historical data for any currency pair or instrument
- Data going back to 1999 for major pairs
- 1-minute interval data for precise backtesting
Step 1: Increase Data Limits
- Open MetaTrader 4
- Go to Tools > Options
- Click the Charts tab
- Set both fields to the maximum value:
- Max bars in history: 9999999999999
- Max bars in chart: 9999999999999
- Click OK (system will adjust to 2147483647 - the true maximum)
- Close and restart MetaTrader 4
Step 2: Download the Data
- Go to Tools > History Center
- Expand Forex in the left panel
- Find your pair (e.g., EURUSD)
- Double-click the pair and select 1 Minute (M1)
- Verify the header shows your pair and timeframe
- Click Download
- Click OK when prompted
- Wait for download to complete (record count will increase significantly)
- Close and restart MetaTrader 4
Step 3: Verify the Data
- Open a chart for your downloaded pair
- Switch to the 1-minute timeframe
- Scroll back to confirm historical data appears
- For EUR/USD M1, data should start around September 1999
Tips
- Download time varies - Major pairs have more data and take longer
- Repeat for each pair - You must download each currency pair separately
- Restart is required - Always restart MT4 after changing limits and after downloading
- Storage - Large datasets use significant disk space
Troubleshooting
Data not appearing after download?
- Ensure you restarted MT4 after download
- Check you selected the correct timeframe in History Center
Download stuck or failing?
- Check your internet connection
- Try a smaller timeframe first
- Contact your broker - some limit historical data access