How to Install an Expert Advisor on MetaTrader 5 and Activate Your License Key (Step by Step)

Every week we get the same WhatsApp message: “I bought the EA but it is not trading.” Nine times out of ten it is one of five setup issues, and none of them take more than a minute to fix. Here is the complete installation process for any House of Chento expert advisor — Gridder V2, Chento King, Gold Crush or RTX Chippercore V2 — and the checklist we run through with customers.

Step 1 — Put the .ex5 in the right folder

1. Download and unzip your product from My Account → Downloads.
2. In MetaTrader 5 go to File → Open Data Folder.
3. Open MQL5 → Experts and paste the .ex5 file there.
4. Back in MT5, right-click Expert Advisors in the Navigator and choose Refresh. Your EA appears in the list.

Step 2 — Generate your license key

Our licenses are bound to your MT5 account number, not to a computer, so you can move between PCs and VPS freely. On your order page (My Account → Orders → View) enter the login number of the account you will trade on and the key is generated instantly. Copy it — you will paste it into the EA inputs.

Testing first? Gridder V2 has a demo-only trial key that works for 7 days on demo accounts, generated the same way from your demo login.

Step 3 — Attach to the correct chart

Open the symbol and timeframe the EA is designed for. For Gridder V2 that is XAUUSD on M5; for Chento King any pair on M15 with H4/H1 trend context. Drag the EA from the Navigator onto the chart. In the Inputs tab paste your license key into the License Key field and set your lot size.

Optional: click Load in the Inputs tab and select the .set file we ship. For Gridder V2 that is the exact configuration behind the published tester report.

Step 4 — Enable Algo Trading

Click the Algo Trading button in the toolbar so it turns green. In the EA’s Common tab make sure “Allow Algo Trading” is ticked. A smiling icon in the top-right of the chart means the EA is live; a frowning or grey icon means one of the checks below failed.

The five reasons an EA “is not trading”

1. Algo Trading is off. Toolbar button is grey or red. Click it.
2. Wrong account type. Grid EAs need a hedging account (most brokers default to this). Netting accounts merge positions and break basket logic.
3. Key does not match the login. The key is bound to the exact account number. A key generated for your demo will not run on real, and vice versa.
4. Symbol name differs. Brokers use XAUUSD, XAUUSDm, XAUUSDc, GOLD. Attach to the symbol your broker actually offers; the EA reads the chart symbol.
5. Market is closed or session filter is active. Check the Experts tab log — our EAs print exactly why they are waiting.

Running 24/5 without your PC

An EA only trades while MT5 is open. For continuous operation use a Windows VPS close to your broker’s server (London or New York for most brokers). Because our licenses bind to the account, not the machine, you simply install MT5 on the VPS, log in with the same account, drop in the .ex5 and paste the same key.

Still stuck? Message us on WhatsApp with a screenshot of the Experts tab and we will sort it. Full details are also on the install guide page.