MT4 backtest with colected tick data is reliable or not?

this question is in all threads.

i think that running a EA foward for 2 weeks and comparing results could say if that backtest is reliable.

anyone did that?

There is much debate here, and to be honest it really comes from people who look at their system that did mediocre in a tester and want an excuse for it

From what I've personally seen, if you use the tester CORRECTLY with CORRECT data, then you get a very good idea of how your system performed in the past. The BIG thing here is that past results NEVER determine future results, and you should be very aware of that fact. But, if you are looking to see how it performed in the past, Strategy Tester should never be overlooked.

So to answer your question. I've been programming professionally for MT4 for over almost 2 years now, and trading for almost 5...so as a professional, I use ST to make sure my EAs are performing correctly, and to get a rough idea of how it will perform in the future. I wouldn't use ST results as a basis for selling an EA or proving performance. And I would also say it depends heavily on the system..but more on that only if you're interested, because that would be a rather lengthy post =)

-Kev
Savage Pip Fiend

I personally think the only good thing about the tester is that you can run your indicator that you are using for your ea visually and see if it buys/sells where you want it to..
its a shame that the tester does not read other currencies besides the one you pick... cause i trade using a lot of currencies and how they act to provide me with the info to trade the current currency
in other words, the gbpusd may be the test currency, but the ea needs the info from eurusd to work..
presently all I can do is use the live charts.

the best answer:

click "OPEN CHART" after the test runs, and verify the arrows (entries and exits) are where your algorithms would have put them if you tested manually.

PS) do not be fooled by repainting indicators! if you don't know what they are, google for them....