MT4 version 600+

Over the next weeks, MetaQuotes will enforce an MT4 update to version 6.00 on its users. This version is not compatible to previous MT4 versions, so many EAs won't run anymore.

If you have Zorro's MT4 bridge already installed, the update is supposed to go smooth and the bridge will continue to run fine with the new version. But when you install the bridge on a new MT4 600+ version, the installation is now different.

For Zorro versions 1.20 and below: You need Zorro.ex4, not Zorro.mq4. Second, the MT4 shadow folders are now all different. You can download the new archive with Zorro.ex4 here:

http://server.conitec.net/down/ZorroMT4.zip

The Zorro.ex4 EA now goes into this shadow folder:

C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\MetaQuotes\Terminal\SomeStrangeCodeSequence\MQL4\Experts

And the ZorroMT4.ex4 and ZorroMT4.dll go into this shadow folder:

C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\MetaQuotes\Terminal\SomeStrangeCodeSequence\MQL4\Libraries

After that, the Zorro bridge should work with version 600+ as before.

The new Zorro 1.22 version that's available on the "Starting" section contains a new bridge for MT4 V600+, so you don't need the advices above and can directly install the bridge as desribed in the manual.

It seems that a 600+ compiled Zorro.mq4 doesn't work together with ZorroMT4.ex4 < 600, I get a error message when the EA tries to import the ex4 file.

I did some changes to Zorro.mq4, which are important. So could you please upload ZorroMT4.ex4 which is compiled with version 600+?

Afraid not - ZorroMT4 does not compile anymore with MT4 600+. The reason is that strings are handled completely differently in the new version. A new version of the bridge that compiles under 600+ will be included in the next Zorro update.

But what you can do is compiling your Zorro EA with MT4 version 509. The compiled .ex4 version will also work under 600+.

Okay, thanks! Looking forward to the next update. There are also some nice new features included as I see ;-)

This update to build 600 has not been forced on me yet, but I'm scared now after reading more about this. I try not to close/reopen my MT4 platforms and haven't done so in several weeks. They are still on build 509. There has been no word from my broker about this update yet, though I have received a couple alerts from other brokers who must have my email.

Anyway, I found this article which seems useful for delaying the update:
http://4xtrader.net/mt4-build-600-why-you-should-not-update-it

I will start proactively contacting my broker to find out when the update will be forced (ie, when they will stop supporting build 509 connections). My experience in the past has been that old builds are supported for a period, and then at some point everyone will be required to update.

One reason for delaying the update is just common sense: on a major release like build 600... do you want to be a guinea pig beta tester on your accounts? If not, just delay as long as you can and then update to the latest refined build when you are forced with no choice. That will save you a few headaches anyway.

EDIT: FYI here is how IBFX replied when I asked about a forced upgrade to build 600+. Sounds like MetaQuotes dictates it from the broker-server side.

Two questions:

1) how can I see which build version of MT4 I have?
2) if I have UAC turned off (Windows 7), do I still need to put them in the shadow folders? It's unclear, because the manual says only to put them in the shadow folders if UAC is turned on, but the instructions here indicate to put them in the shadow folders regardless?

Thanks!

You can see the build under Help/About. About the shadow folders I have no clear information, but it seems that MT4 600+ uses them even when UAC is turned off. At least that's the behavior that we observed. MT4 has also a "portable" mode where it does not use the shadow folders, but that would complicate matters even further.

I actually noticed that if I turned UAC off, MT4 loaded a completely new account/platform upon restarting and I was able to attach the MT4 bridge by placing the EA files in the Experts and Library folders directly in the MT4 folder, rather than in the shadow folders.

Does it make any differences whether UAC is turned on or off in terms of Zorro's behavior, etc.?

As long as Zorro can find its MT4 components, then I think it doesn't matter whether UAC is on or off.

I noticed that with UAC on, Zorro saves e.g. edited Assets.dta files in a shadow folder somewhere, but with UAC off, it saves it in its own folders, so I was wondering if this would affect its functioning.

It does not affect Zorro's functioning, but when you copy files into the Zorro folders or edit them directly, you need to know which folder is the right one. The UAC is not a problem for the software, it's a problem for the user.

I just turned off UAC to check out the difference. Just a note for anyone else that does this that you will need to copy all the shadow folders into your MT4 folder so that all your MT4 profile etc are saved there. The Zorro files are obvious but I hadn't thought about the MT4 profile. Just keep that in mind.