TICKSTORY DATA bein overwritten by mt4?
Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2026 8:55 am
From what you've described, the most likely explanation is not that Tickstory itself changed the data, but that MT4 replaced or rebuilt your M1 history when it started.
Here's what probably happened:
All previous history was removed , including hst and hxt tick . reloaded by tickstory latest version , mt4 version 1470
Before launching MT4
Tickstory exported:
tester\history\*.fxt
history\<server>\*.hst
Your M1 history contained about 150,000 bars.
You disconnected the Internet.
Tickstory launched MT4.
Immediately after MT4 started
Your M1 history now contained only about 30,000 bars.
That tells us MT4 itself altered the history during startup.
What could cause this?
1. MT4 rebuilt the HST files (most likely)
Modern MT4 builds rebuild history files if they believe:
the HST format is old,
the header doesn't match the current build,
the file version is different.
Instead of accepting the imported history, MT4 writes a new HST file.
The result is exactly what you saw:
150,000 bars
becomes
around 30,000 bars
without needing an Internet connection.
2. Wrong history folder
MT4 has several possible data locations.
For example:
Program Files\MT4\history
and
AppData\Roaming\MetaQuotes\Terminal\xxxxxxxx\history
If Tickstory exported to one folder but MT4 used another, MT4 may have generated a fresh history containing only about 30,000 bars.
This is very common.
3. Broker cache
Even without Internet, MT4 has cached history stored locally.
When MT4 starts it may decide
"My cached history is newer."
and overwrite the imported file.
4. Build conversion
Build 1470 can convert older HST files into its own format.
Sometimes that conversion loses large sections of history if the source format isn't exactly what it expects.
Less likely
I don't think disconnecting the Internet caused this.
If the Ethernet cable was already unplugged before MT4 started, then MT4 couldn't download new bars.
So the reduction from 150,000 to 30,000 bars almost certainly came from local processing, not from the broker.
How to find the exact cause
A few questions will narrow it down:
Where did you see the 150,000 bars?
In Tickstory?
In the history folder?
In MT4 History Center?
When did it become 30,000?
Before MT4 opened?
Immediately after MT4 opened?
After opening a chart?
After running Strategy Tester?
Which file changed?
EURUSD1.hst?
XAUUSD1.hst?
GBPUSD1.hst?
Did the actual file size change?
For example, did XAUUSD1.hst shrink from 18 MB to 4 MB?
I suspect one particular cause
Based on your previous messages, my strongest suspicion is this:
You exported 150,000 M1 bars from Tickstory.
MT4 Build 1470 started.
MT4 detected the HST file format didn't match what it expected.
It rebuilt the M1 HST from its own local cache.
The rebuilt cache only contained about 30,000 bars.
Every higher timeframe (M5, M15, H1, etc.) was then regenerated from this shortened M1 history.
That sequence matches your observation that all the higher timeframes also changed after the M1 history was reduced.
Here's what probably happened:
All previous history was removed , including hst and hxt tick . reloaded by tickstory latest version , mt4 version 1470
Before launching MT4
Tickstory exported:
tester\history\*.fxt
history\<server>\*.hst
Your M1 history contained about 150,000 bars.
You disconnected the Internet.
Tickstory launched MT4.
Immediately after MT4 started
Your M1 history now contained only about 30,000 bars.
That tells us MT4 itself altered the history during startup.
What could cause this?
1. MT4 rebuilt the HST files (most likely)
Modern MT4 builds rebuild history files if they believe:
the HST format is old,
the header doesn't match the current build,
the file version is different.
Instead of accepting the imported history, MT4 writes a new HST file.
The result is exactly what you saw:
150,000 bars
becomes
around 30,000 bars
without needing an Internet connection.
2. Wrong history folder
MT4 has several possible data locations.
For example:
Program Files\MT4\history
and
AppData\Roaming\MetaQuotes\Terminal\xxxxxxxx\history
If Tickstory exported to one folder but MT4 used another, MT4 may have generated a fresh history containing only about 30,000 bars.
This is very common.
3. Broker cache
Even without Internet, MT4 has cached history stored locally.
When MT4 starts it may decide
"My cached history is newer."
and overwrite the imported file.
4. Build conversion
Build 1470 can convert older HST files into its own format.
Sometimes that conversion loses large sections of history if the source format isn't exactly what it expects.
Less likely
I don't think disconnecting the Internet caused this.
If the Ethernet cable was already unplugged before MT4 started, then MT4 couldn't download new bars.
So the reduction from 150,000 to 30,000 bars almost certainly came from local processing, not from the broker.
How to find the exact cause
A few questions will narrow it down:
Where did you see the 150,000 bars?
In Tickstory?
In the history folder?
In MT4 History Center?
When did it become 30,000?
Before MT4 opened?
Immediately after MT4 opened?
After opening a chart?
After running Strategy Tester?
Which file changed?
EURUSD1.hst?
XAUUSD1.hst?
GBPUSD1.hst?
Did the actual file size change?
For example, did XAUUSD1.hst shrink from 18 MB to 4 MB?
I suspect one particular cause
Based on your previous messages, my strongest suspicion is this:
You exported 150,000 M1 bars from Tickstory.
MT4 Build 1470 started.
MT4 detected the HST file format didn't match what it expected.
It rebuilt the M1 HST from its own local cache.
The rebuilt cache only contained about 30,000 bars.
Every higher timeframe (M5, M15, H1, etc.) was then regenerated from this shortened M1 history.
That sequence matches your observation that all the higher timeframes also changed after the M1 history was reduced.