Setup guide
Lock30x XAUUSD setup guide
Start with your platform. The MT5 tutorial below walks through a first historical test; cTrader users have separate preset instructions. Keep the exact build, settings and broker conditions with every result.
Using a cTrader .cbotset file? Follow the preset checks below.
Free tutorial · MetaTrader 5 · Reviewed 23 October 2026
Your first Lock30x MT5 backtest
Make one test you can inspect and repeat before changing settings. This is a software-testing workflow, not a recommended trading preset.
Build reference: this tutorial refers to MT5 v2.910. Record the full version label shown by your installed EA and confirm the package delivered by MQL5 before using a preset. The cTrader edition is a separate product.
- 01
Get the correct MT5 edition
Use the official Lock30x XAUUSD listing, product 171804. Check its current version and available demo access. A Market demo is for the Strategy Tester; it is not permission to run a free copy on a demo-account chart. Read the marketplace demo limits first.
- 02
Match the build and broker symbol
Record the EA name, version and matching preset. Select your broker's exact Gold symbol, including any suffix, and M5. The v2.910 interface also shows a Core H1 label; that does not turn this into an H1 chart tutorial. Review that build's inputs rather than copying an older video's settings.
- 03
Open Strategy Tester for one fixed test
In MT5's Navigator, right-click the intended EA and choose Test. Select the EA, symbol, M5, a defined date interval, deposit currency and leverage. Use a single test with fixed inputs before exploring optimisation. Choose a local testing agent; this tutorial does not need paid cloud agents.
- 04
Record the inputs before pressing Start
Check every enabled engine and its sizing, exposure and loss controls. The v2.910 interface shows Range, Sessions, Portfolio and Core. Record the actual values in Inputs and save the effective MT5 .set file. Do not assume one engine's lot setting controls the others or that a preset filename proves what was loaded.
- 05
Record data and trading costs
Record the tick model, spread behaviour, commission, swap and execution-delay assumptions. Broker real ticks, where available, give a different basis from generated ticks. Check the Journal for history gaps or warnings. A matching starting balance alone does not make two tests comparable.
Use the existing free backtest-plan worksheet to keep the details together. Keep the baseline inputs unchanged when checking a separate date interval.
- 06
Keep the completed report and Journal
Let the run finish, then save its report, effective inputs and Journal. Inspect losses, equity and balance drawdown, costs, trade count and any rejected orders. Note any positions or orders still open when you stopped an interrupted run. An unfinished graph is not a completed test.
No trades? Use the MT5 tester troubleshooting guide and retain the error text before changing settings.
- 07
Decide what the test actually establishes
A historical test describes one build under recorded conditions. It does not prove future performance. Check another period without tuning to it. Only consider demo-account forward testing if your licence permits chart use; preserve the configuration and use the demo test journal.
Keep this with each test
EA/build + effective .set + broker/symbol + dates + tick model + deposit/currency/leverage + costs + completed report + Journal + final exposure. No account passwords or private identifiers are needed.
For a setup question, send the build label, symbol, timeframe and exact error to ExpertCodeFX support. Remove private account details from attachments.
The tutorial and worksheet are free. Product access, licensing and any purchase take place on MQL5. Confirm its current terms there; there is no checkout on ExpertCodeFX.
Platform references: MetaTrader 5 Strategy Testing, Testing Report and Journal of Testing. ExpertCodeFX develops Lock30x.
cTrader Windows and Mac
Load a .cbotset preset, then verify it
A preset stores cBot parameter values. It does not establish a profitable setup or make a test comparable by itself. Use the file supplied for your exact Lock30x build; MT5 .set files belong to the MT5 edition.
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01
Use a separate, stopped test instance
Select the intended Lock30x cBot and record its version. Add a separate instance for your test so you can retain your existing setup. Parameters can be changed when an instance is stopped. A matching name or version number alone does not establish preset compatibility. Confirm the expected parameter names and values for your installed package; separately labelled research presets need their own checks.
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02
Load the matching file
In cTrader Windows or Mac, right-click the stopped instance and select Load parameters. Choose the .cbotset file and click Open. The parameters window also provides an Open icon. If cTrader reports that the file belongs to a different algo or lists missing parameters, keep the error and check the package and preset with support.
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03
Check the actual symbol, period and risk values
If a preset's chart symbol or period differs from the instance, cTrader can show a warning. Continuing can apply the values while leaving the original chart attached. Check the symbol and period visibly selected after loading, including broker suffixes. Then review the loaded trading switches, lot sizing, loss limits, reset behaviour and any enabled engines against that build's documentation.
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04
Verify the Backtesting setup separately
Select the intended instance and open Backtesting. Recheck the values shown in its Parameters section before starting. Set and record the dates, starting capital, data source, commission and spread in the tester. A preset filename or a matching balance does not confirm these settings. Use the backtest-plan worksheet to keep them together.
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05
Save the values that were actually tested
Use the Save icon in the Parameters section to export the effective .cbotset. Give it a clear build, symbol and test label. Once the run finishes, save its HTML report using the report Save icon, and retain the Log and Events evidence with it. Review losing trades and equity drawdown alongside any return.
Need help loading a preset?
Send the cBot name and version, Windows or Mac version, broker symbol, timeframe and exact error text to ExpertCodeFX support. Remove account identifiers and credentials from screenshots or logs.
Official instructions: manage cBot instances, use .cbotset files, and backtest a cBot.
Important
No guarantee
This guide is educational product support. It is not financial advice and it does not guarantee profit, funding approval, or challenge success.