In this tutorial we will outline the process of the importing historical intraday data from csv files to Metatrader 4 (MT4). (Note, the process of importing into MT5 is slightly different, please review Importing Historical CSV data into MT5

The FX data in this instance is in the format {Date,Time,Open,High,Low,Close} which is relatively straightforward to import into MT4.

Removing the Default Historical Data Limitation in MT4

The first step is to remove the dafault limitation in the amount of historical data MT4 can access.

1. In the main menu, select Tools
2. Select Options. (Alternatively, you can press Ctrl+O)
3. Select Charts. In a new window, click on the Charts tab
4. Set the maximum value in the Max. bars in history. See the screenshot below:

Importing the Historical Data into MT4

Next we can start the process of importing the data.

1. In the main menu, select Tools
2. Select History Center. (Alternatively, you can press F2.)
3. In the Symbols section, double click on MAJORS / FOREX MAJORS
4. Double Click on the currency pair you wish to import
5. Double click on 1 minute..
6. Click on Import at the bottom of the window. A new window will pop up:
7. Click on BROWSE and find the file provided by FirstRate Data on your PC and double click on the file or the OPEN button.
8. Make sure that: SEPARATOR is a , (comma).
9. The time zone for FirstRate Data FX files is UTC. Your broker is likely to use a different time zone. If so you need to set a Shift value. For example, if your broker operates in UTC+2, you need to select +2 in the Shift field. Click OK.
10. Once loading is complete, you’ll see a message offering to recalculate the data for other timeframes. Press OK. Then restart the trading platform.