MT4 & MT5 Error Decoder

What it means: The stop-loss or take-profit price is not allowed where you put it.

Usual cause on gold: The stop is too close to the current price (inside the broker's minimum stop level), on the wrong side of the price, or has too many decimals. On gold the stop level is often a few dollars and can widen around news.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Open the symbol's Specification and read the Stops level (in points).
2. Move the stop further from the price than that level: for a buy, below the bid; for a sell, above the ask.
3. Round the price to the symbol's digits (most gold symbols use 2 decimals).

Full guide: read the article · Tool: ATR stop-loss calculator

What it means: The lot size is not allowed for this symbol.

Usual cause on gold: The lot is below the minimum (often 0.01), above the maximum, or not a multiple of the lot step. Some gold symbols on cent or micro accounts use a different step.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Check Volume min, Volume max and Volume step in the Specification.
2. Round your lot down to the step (for example 0.125 becomes 0.12).
3. Recalculate the size so the risk still fits your plan.

Full guide: read the article · Tool: Position size calculator

What it means: The server does not accept orders for this symbol right now.

Usual cause on gold: Gold is in its daily break (17:00 to 18:00 New York time), it is the weekend, it is a holiday session, or the symbol you picked has its own shorter hours.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Check the session times in the Specification or on our market hours tool.
2. Wait for the reopen; pending orders placed earlier stay in the queue.
3. Make sure you are on the gold symbol your account actually trades (suffixes differ).

Full guide: read the article · Tool: Gold market hours

What it means: Your free margin is too small for this order.

Usual cause on gold: The lot is too large for the account at its leverage, or open trades already use most of the margin. Gold needs more margin per lot than most currency pairs because one lot is about 100 ounces.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Look at Free margin in the Trade tab.
2. Lower the lot size, or close a trade you no longer want.
3. Work out the margin first with the margin calculator; size by risk, not by what margin allows.

Full guide: read the article · Tool: Gold margin calculator

What it means: The server had no price it could fill you at when the order arrived.

Usual cause on gold: Very fast prices (CPI, NFP, Fed), the daily reopen, a weak internet connection, or a broker that stopped quoting for a moment.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Wait a few seconds and send again; do not click many times.
2. Avoid sending market orders in the first seconds after major news.
3. Check your connection (ping in the bottom-right corner of the terminal).

Full guide: read the article

What it means: The price moved before the order was filled, and the server offers you a new price.

Usual cause on gold: Instant-execution accounts during fast moves. It is common on gold around news because the price can jump several dollars in a second.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Decide in advance whether you accept the new price; never accept blindly.
2. Set a sensible Deviation (allowed slippage) if your account type supports it.
3. Prefer pending or limit orders when the market is fast.

Full guide: read the article

What it means: The price changed while the request was being processed.

Usual cause on gold: Same causes as a requote: fast markets and slow connections.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Refresh the price and send the order again.
2. Allow a small deviation if your platform offers it.
3. Avoid trading the first seconds after major news.

Full guide: read the article

What it means: The price in the order is not valid.

Usual cause on gold: A pending order sent at a stale price, a limit or stop order on the wrong side of the market, or a price with too many decimals.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. For a Buy Limit, the price must be below the ask; for a Buy Stop, above it (and the opposite for sells).
2. Round to the symbol's digits.
3. Refresh quotes and send again.

Full guide: read the article

What it means: MT4 is still busy with another trade request.

Usual cause on gold: Two expert advisors or a script and a manual order sending at the same moment. MT4 handles one trade request at a time.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Wait a second and send again.
2. Do not run several EAs that trade at the same time on one terminal.
3. In EA code, wait until the trade context is free before sending (IsTradeContextBusy).

Full guide: read the article

What it means: Trading on this symbol or account is switched off.

Usual cause on gold: The account is read-only (investor password), the symbol is close-only, or the broker disabled it for a period, such as an expiry or a rollover.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Make sure you logged in with the master password, not the investor password.
2. Check the Trade mode in the symbol's Specification.
3. Ask your broker why trading is off for this symbol.

Full guide: read the article

What it means: The terminal cannot reach the broker's server.

Usual cause on gold: Internet down, wrong server chosen, firewall, or the broker's server is offline.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Check the bottom-right corner: it should show a ping, not 'No connection'.
2. Right-click there and rescan servers, or choose the server named in your account email.
3. Restart the terminal and your internet connection.

Full guide: read the article

What it means: The login or password does not match the server.

Usual cause on gold: Wrong server, wrong password, a demo account that expired, or an investor (read-only) password.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Check the login number and server name in your account email.
2. Reset the password from your broker's client area if needed.
3. Demo accounts often expire after a period of no use: open a new one.

Full guide: read the article

What it means: The Algo Trading (AutoTrading) button is off, so expert advisors cannot trade.

Usual cause on gold: The toolbar button is off, or 'Allow algorithmic trading' is not ticked in the EA's settings.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Switch on Algo Trading in the toolbar (it turns green).
2. Open the EA's settings and tick 'Allow algorithmic trading'.
3. Check Tools > Options > Expert Advisors for blocks.

Full guide: read the article

What it means: The broker does not allow automated trading on this account.

Usual cause on gold: Some account types or symbols do not allow EAs.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Read your account type's terms about EAs.
2. Ask the broker whether EAs are allowed on this account.
3. Test the EA on a demo account of the same type first.

Full guide: read the article

What it means: The order asks for a fill type the symbol does not support.

Usual cause on gold: An EA or script sends Fill or Kill, Immediate or Cancel or Return when the gold symbol supports only one of them.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Check 'Filling' in the symbol's Specification.
2. In the order window, pick the filling type the symbol allows.
3. In EA code, read SYMBOL_FILLING_MODE and set the order's filling type from it.

Full guide: read the article

What it means: The server refused the request.

Usual cause on gold: Many causes: price limits, risk checks by the broker, or a dealer rejecting the order during fast markets.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Read the full line in the Journal tab for the reason.
2. Send again with a normal lot and a valid stop.
3. If it keeps happening, ask your broker for the exact reason.

Full guide: read the article

What it means: The server did not answer in time.

Usual cause on gold: Slow connection or a busy server, often during news.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Check the Trade tab before sending again: the order may have been filled.
2. Improve your connection or use a VPS close to the server.
3. Avoid repeated clicking.

Full guide: read the article

What it means: You (or your EA) sent orders too often.

Usual cause on gold: An EA that sends or modifies orders on every tick.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Slow the EA down so it acts only when something changes.
2. Do not modify stops on every tick.
3. Restart the terminal if it is stuck.

Full guide: read the article

What it means: The order or position is frozen and cannot be changed now.

Usual cause on gold: The price is inside the broker's freeze level near your pending order or stop.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Check the Freeze level in the Specification.
2. Wait until price moves away, or change the order earlier.
3. Place stops and pending orders further from price.

Full guide: read the article

What it means: You reached the broker's limit of open and pending orders.

Usual cause on gold: Grid EAs or many small orders.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Count open and pending orders in the Trade tab.
2. Delete pending orders you no longer need.
3. Grid systems carry large hidden risk: test them with the martingale and grid stress tester.

Full guide: read the article · Tool: Martingale and grid stress tester

What it means: The total lots on this symbol would go over the broker's limit.

Usual cause on gold: Too many lots open on gold at once.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Check Volume limit in the Specification.
2. Reduce lot size or close some positions.
3. Check that your total risk still matches your plan.

Full guide: read the article · Tool: Position size calculator

What it means: Your account cannot hold a buy and a sell on the same symbol.

Usual cause on gold: The account is a netting account, or the broker does not allow hedging.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Check whether your MT5 account is hedging or netting (the title bar or account type).
2. Close the existing position instead of opening the opposite one.
3. Read our guide to hedging and netting accounts.

Full guide: read the article

What it means: You must close the oldest position first.

Usual cause on gold: First-in, first-out rules, common on US-regulated accounts.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Close positions in the order you opened them.
2. Use one position per symbol to keep it simple.
3. Ask your broker whether FIFO applies to your account.

Full guide: read the article

What it means: You can close positions on this symbol, but not open new ones.

Usual cause on gold: The broker moved the symbol to close-only, for example before a contract change or a symbol change.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Look for a new gold symbol in Market Watch (right-click > Symbols).
2. Read your broker's notices about symbol changes.
3. Close or keep existing trades; new ones go on the new symbol.

Full guide: read the article

What it means: The expiry time of the pending order is not allowed.

Usual cause on gold: The broker does not allow the expiry type you picked, or the time is in the past or past the session end.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Choose 'GTC' (good till cancelled) or 'Today' if allowed.
2. Check the allowed expiration modes in the Specification.
3. Use a time in the future, in server time.

Full guide: read the article

What it means: The position you tried to change no longer exists.

Usual cause on gold: The stop or target hit, a stop-out closed it, or you closed it on another device.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Check the History tab for when and why it closed.
2. If it was a stop-out, read how margin calls work.
3. Refresh the terminal on all devices.

Full guide: read the article

What it means: The broker closed your trades because margin level fell below the stop-out level.

Usual cause on gold: Losses grew while the position was too large for the account, so equity fell below the required margin.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Find the margin level and stop-out level in your account terms.
2. Size every trade by a fixed risk with a real stop.
3. Read how margin call and stop-out work before the next trade.

Full guide: read the article · Tool: Gold margin calculator

What it means: The gold symbol is not shown in Market Watch.

Usual cause on gold: It is hidden, or your broker uses another name such as GOLD, XAUUSD.m or XAUUSD+.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Right-click Market Watch > Symbols and search 'XAU' or 'gold'.
2. Click Show, then drag it onto a chart.
3. Use the name your broker uses; suffixes are normal.

Full guide: read the article

What it means: A general error with no detail.

Usual cause on gold: Often a temporary server problem or an order the server could not process.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Check the Journal tab for the full message.
2. Send the order again after a short wait.
3. Contact your broker with the time and the message if it repeats.

Full guide: read the article

What it means: The server is overloaded.

Usual cause on gold: Peak moments such as data releases.

Fix it in 3 steps:

1. Wait and try again.
2. Do not click repeatedly.
3. Avoid sending market orders right at release time.

Full guide: read the article