DislikedNub,
MT4 runs just fine under Win XP, therefore the problem can NOT possibly lie with MT4. All MT4 asks for is access to its own ..../experts/files folder. It's not as though it's malware that's trying to run roughshod over ..../Windows/system32.
Starting with Vista, Microsoft then decides to introduce all of these stupid rules as to where I'm allowed or not allowed to write files, and needless complications as to whether I'm logged in as Sys Admin or not ...... just like in the dark old days of IBM mainframes and minis that I used...Ignored
xp is what it is. it is fairly stable and user friendly but is now dated (and also isn't it unsupported now?). i used vista for only a short while at one point, and i didn't like it. it was unfriendly and difficult to use at first.
but, 7 is so NICE (and easy, and friendly)! yes it is based on vista, but from the ugly duckling that was vista has evolved the beautiful duck called windows 7. it's very friendly and easy to use, and UAC doesn't hound you constantly like in vista. in fact, i only see the UAC popup when i run legacy programs such as MT4 as UAC confirms with me that, yes, i do want to allow this old program to do what it wants. i don't run other older programs much so i just generally don't see UAC except when running mt4.
users will run into issues with vista / 7 because they don't realize that it keeps a sandbox directory for files created by older legacy programs such as mt4. although the files and directories are presented seamlessly to the programs as though they are simply located in the program files directory where the program expects the files to be, they are not actually located there. they are in the sandbox. so when a program like metaeditor presents it's own explorer dialog box for you to load an mql file to edit and so on it looks like the files are located in the program files directory, but they are not and are actually located away in the sandbox.
pro tip for 7 users (possibly vista as well) : you can tell the difference between a file that is and is not located in the sandbox simply by observing if the file icon has a little lock image overlaid on the icon or not. if there is a little lock symbol then the file is actually in the sandbox and not in program files. win7 at least gives you this visual sign so you can immediately tell if you are looking at a file that truly exists in whatever directory you are searching in or if it is actually located away in the sandbox and windows is just seamlessly presenting the file to you as though it was in this current directory. note though that windows explorer doesn't do this and it just shows you only what files are in the directory you are in which is why you can't find these sandboxed files when you go searching for them in the normal windows directory locations using windows explorer. it's only when looking at files and directories through the dialog boxes that appear when you do things like select file->new or file->save or file->open and so on since it is windows seamlessly presenting all relevant files and folders to the program you are in and the programs dialog box is then presenting to you the end user this already gathered set of files and folders as though the files and folders all one big happy bunch all located together, but again, at least you are visually shown a lock icon or not if something is actually in the sandbox.
if users don't run into some admin / UAC issue with mt4 trying to run a separate exe, or don't get confused when they go looking for a particular file and don't realize it's actually located in the sandbox... then that person is fortunate and must only be using basic indi's etc.
one issue that users will face with your news indi and associated exe and database is the following. a user will dump the contents of the zip file into the program file directory as instructed. that's fine. if they manage to update their database correctly without running into admin issues etc then awesome. BUT, if they then go rooting around in the program files directory and look at the CSV files created then they will surely get confused.... those files never got updated. win 7 created a new copy in the sandbox when the database and csv files were updated. so now there are actually 2 copies of these files, the old original version that was dumped into program files because it was a part of the zip file that was extracted there and which the user is now looking at with a confused daze on their face, and the newer files created when updating the database that exists in the sandbox because windows doesn't let legacy programs write files into the program files directory. unlike creating an indi or log file or whatever that you then search for with windows explorer and then won't find in the program files directory, this time you actually find the files you are looking for but they aren't the newer version of those files and these files won't actually ever be updated. they will just sit there forever as though they are in cryostasis, never getting updated.
it can be confusing if you don't know about the sandbox and what is happening.
the solution for most mt4 issues on vista / 7 is like i keep saying. cut and paste mt4 to a different location away from folders that windows uses. stick it on a usb drive. stick it on the desktop. whatever. most admin and 'vanishing file' issues people face will immediately stop, and all that is left after this are ACTUAL bugs and issues like bad mql etc. if you don't have mt4 in the program files directory then windows no longer cares about mt4 creating sub-directories and writing files because, although it is a legacy program, it isn't trying to write to the main windows program files directory anymore. so mt4 can now create any sub-directory or file it wants and none of it gets sandboxed. it doesn't potentially pose a threat to the integrity of windows and it's file structure so windows no longer cares about what it does.
anyway. point is that you should do as you say and simply not help anyone using vista / 7. it's simply too much hassle to explain what's happening to them. the solution is probably simply the above, but why bother even trying. if they just did a quick google they'd probably figure it out themselves and fix it.
some day you will no doubt have to upgrade to win7, and you will surely like it. win8, on the other hand, is concerning. but doesn't microsoft roll a dud every second release anyway?
WIN7 4 EVA!
Congratulations ScalaFX for coming out of the closet!