Scaling your trading operations requires more than just adding charts; it needs a stable architecture that can handle multiple MT4 terminals on VPS simultaneously. Whether you are managing diverse prop firm accounts or distributing risk across different brokers, a disorganized setup can quickly lead to memory leaks, CPU spikes, and missed trade executions.

To keep your trading professional and stable, you need a low-latency Forex VPS paired with a smart plan for your computer’s resources. Unlike a normal home PC setup, a VPS needs special Portable Mode settings to use less memory and stay online without crashing.

Note: If this is your first time setting up MT4 or MT5 on a VPS, start with our guide on installing MT4 on a Forex VPS to learn the basics before following this multi-terminal setup.

In this tutorial, we will skip the slow installers and use a lightweight Portable method that works for both MT4 and MT5. This method lets you clone terminals instantly, keep your data safe, and use a script to start everything smoothly without crashing your VPS.

In MT5, just replace terminal.exe with terminal64.exe in your shortcuts and batch script.

Resource Planning and Hardware Limits for Running Multiple MT4 Terminals on VPS

Before installing anything, you must calculate your server’s capacity. Overloading a VPS leads to freezing and missed trades, so follow these simple rules to determine exactly how many terminals your system can safely handle.

• RAM Rule: Allocate 200MB to 300MB of RAM per empty terminal.
• CPU Rule: 1 vCPU core can comfortably handle 4 to 6 light terminals.
• Safety Buffer: Always leave 1GB of RAM free for the Windows OS.

For example, a 4GB VPS should run max 8 to 10 terminals, 3GB for terminals, and 1GB for Windows.

Now proceed to the following to run Multiple MT4 Terminals on VPS.

Copy-Paste Installation for Multiple MT4 or MT5 Terminals

Installing the software repeatedly is slow and creates a mess in your system files. The professional way to add instances is to install the platform once and then copy and paste the folder to create independent clones for as many MT4 or MT5 terminals as you need.

Install your broker’s MT4 or MT5 to the default location, for example:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Broker MT4

Create a root folder on your Desktop or C Drive named:

Forex_Terminals

Copy the core files:

• Go to the installed folder from Step 1.
• Copy the entire folder.
• Paste it into your Forex_Terminals folder.

Then, you can rename and repeat:

• Rename the pasted folder to Terminal_01.
• Paste again and rename to Terminal_02, Terminal_03, etc., until you have the desired number of folders.

Configure Portable Mode for MT4 or MT5 Terminals

By default, trading terminals save your data in hidden and hard-to-find folders. To run multiple terminals, you can use Portable Mode, which forces every MT4 or MT5 instance to keep its data inside its own folder, making backups and management much easier.

To configure Portable Mode:

• Open the Terminal_01 folder.
• Right-click terminal.exe, Send to, and Desktop (create shortcut).
• Rename the shortcut on your desktop to MT4_01.
• Right-click the MT4_01 shortcut and select Properties.
• Go to the Target box and add a space and /portable at the very end:

"C:\Forex_Terminals\Terminal_01\terminal.exe" /portable

• Click Apply and OK.
• Repeat this for every terminal folder.

Note: From now on, you must launch the terminals using these shortcuts for Portable Mode to work.

Optimize Every MT4 or MT5 Terminal for Better Performance

Running multiple terminals uses memory, which can slow down your VPS. To keep everything running smoothly, you must change a few internal settings in every terminal to reduce CPU and RAM usage.

1. Reduce Max Bars, which saves RAM. Default is often 50,000+, which wastes RAM on data you don’t need for live trading.

• Navigate to: Tools -> Options -> Charts.
• Set “Max bars in history” to 2000.
• Set “Max bars in chart” to 2000.

2. Disable News, which saves Bandwidth and CPU:

• Go to Tools -> Options -> Server.
• Uncheck Enable News.

3. Disable Sounds, which saves System Resources:

• Go to Tools -> Options -> Events.
• Uncheck Enable.

4. Hide Unused Symbols:

• Right-click the “Market Watch” window and select Hide All.
• Only manually add the specific pairs you are trading.

How to Start All MT4 or MT5 Terminals Without Freezing?

Opening all your terminals at the exact same time causes massive CPU spikes that can freeze your VPS. To prevent this, we will create a simple script that automatically launches your terminals one by one with a safe delay between them.

To do this, you can open a notepad and paste the following code:

Remember to edit the paths to match your folders.

@echo off
echo Starting Terminal 1...
start "" "C:\Forex_Terminals\Terminal_01\terminal.exe" /portable
timeout /t 15

echo Starting Terminal 2...
start "" "C:\Forex_Terminals\Terminal_02\terminal.exe" /portable
timeout /t 15

echo Starting Terminal 3...
start "" "C:\Forex_Terminals\Terminal_03\terminal.exe" /portable
timeout /t 15

echo All terminals launched.
pause

Save the file as Launch_All.bat on your desktop.

Whenever you reboot your VPS, just double-click Launch_All.bat instead of clicking icons manually.

Organize Workspace for Multi Account Trading

Managing 10 or 20 open windows can easily lead to mistakes. A clean visual layout and taskbar setup will help you instantly identify which broker account you are looking at and prevent accidental terminations.

1. Desktop Organization: Arrange your shortcuts like MT4_01, MT4_02 in a vertical column on the left side of the desktop. Place your Launch_All.bat at the top right.

2. Terminal Login Display:

• On every terminal, remove the Grid (Ctrl+G).
• Open one chart and maximize it.
• Use a Dashboard indicator or place a text label on the chart with the Account Number and Magic Number in large font. This lets you identify which terminal is which at a glance when switching windows.

3. Windows Taskbar:

• Right-click the Taskbar and select Taskbar Settings.
• Set “Combine taskbar buttons” to Never or “When taskbar is full“. This allows you to see the name of each instance in the bottom bar rather than a single stacked group.

FAQs

Conclusion

Running multiple MT4 terminals on VPS is not complicated when you follow the right structure. The Portable Mode method keeps your data organized, the resource rules prevent crashes, and the batch script eliminates CPU spikes during startup. With this setup, you can scale to 10, 20, or more terminals without performance issues.

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