TradingBoss Troubleshooting Guide (Symptom-Based “If You See X, Do Y”)

Welcome to the TradingBoss Troubleshooting Guide.

This document is designed for the exact moment you’re thinking:

• “Something looks wrong.”

• “It’s not trading.”

• “The chart is frozen.”

• “It says UNLICENSED.”

• “Connection is red/yellow.”

• “NinjaTrader crashed and I don’t know what I broke.”

If you’re a beginner, troubleshooting can feel stressful because it’s hard to know what matters and what doesn’t. Don’t worry. Most issues fall into a handful of categories and are fixable in minutes once you follow the right sequence.

✅ IMPORTANT UPDATE (READ THIS FIRST)

TradingBoss strategies now auto-refresh daily.

That means you do NOT need a daily routine of disconnect/reconnect or restarting strategies each morning.

However, troubleshooting still sometimes includes actions like reconnecting when there is an actual problem (frozen chart, red connection, etc.). The difference is:

• Old way: reconnect every day as a habit

• New way: reconnect only when you see a real symptom

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What You’ll Learn

By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to:

• Diagnose problems using a simple, repeatable workflow

• Understand what NinjaTrader “colors” and statuses actually mean

• Fix the most common issues without guessing

• Know exactly what screenshots and information support needs (so you get fast help)

• Avoid beginner mistakes that accidentally create bigger problems

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How to Use This Guide (The Fast Triage Method)

When something goes wrong, don’t jump into random clicking.

Instead, do this in order:

Step 1 — Identify the symptom (what you see)

Pick the closest match from the symptom list in this guide.

Step 2 — Check the three pillars

Almost all issues are one of these:

1. VPS problem (machine not running / unstable)

2. Connection problem (broker/data not connected)

3. Strategy problem (disabled / wrong settings / licensing)

Step 3 — Open the Output window (your “truth source”)

Most real issues leave a message there.

In NinjaTrader Control Center:

1. Click New

2. Click Output

Keep Output open while you troubleshoot.

💡 Tip

If you only do one troubleshooting habit, do this: Always look at Output before guessing. It often tells you exactly what is wrong.

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Quick Reference: Common Indicators & What They Mean

Connection status “bubbles” (simplified)

• Green = connected and receiving data

• Yellow = trying to connect (wait briefly)

• Red = disconnected / failed / issue

• Gray = not connected to anything

Strategy color / status (common patterns)

• Green strategy = enabled and active (good)

• Gray strategy = disabled (not running)

• UNLICENSED = licensing problem (won’t trade)

• WARMUP = initial startup period (normal for some strategies)

• SCANNING / ACTIVE = normal waiting state

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Before You Fix Anything: Safety Rules (Prevents Panic Mistakes)

⚠️ Safety Rule #1 — Don’t “machine gun” buttons

Clicking connect/disconnect 20 times usually creates confusion. Follow a sequence, wait, observe Output, then proceed.

⚠️ Safety Rule #2 — Don’t change random settings during a problem

Fix the problem first. Tuning comes later. Beginners often “fix” a frozen chart by changing strategy times, then forget what they changed.

⚠️ Safety Rule #3 — One strategy per prop firm account

Running multiple strategies on the same prop account can:

• trigger hedging violations,

• stack contracts,

• confuse troubleshooting (“which strategy caused this trade?”).

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Symptom Index (Jump to Your Issue)

1. Strategy shows UNLICENSED

2. No trades taken today

3. Strategy isn’t doing anything

4. Chart is frozen / not updating

5. Connection shows red

6. Connection shows yellow

7. Strategy is gray instead of green

8. Error messages in Output window

9. Accidentally closed a chart

10. VPS won’t connect

11. NinjaTrader crashed

12. Wrong number of contracts traded

13. Strategy traded outside expected hours

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1) Symptom: “Strategy shows UNLICENSED”

What this looks like

You may see:

• a label on the chart that literally says UNLICENSED

• the strategy appears enabled but refuses to trade

• Output window shows a licensing error message

You might also notice the strategy never goes into normal statuses like SCANNING.

📝 Beginner reassurance

UNLICENSED is common and usually easy to fix. It doesn’t mean you “broke” anything.

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Possible causes (most common → less common)

1. License key not entered (blank field)

2. License key pasted incorrectly (extra spaces, missing characters)

3. Wrong product license (FastPass-only key used on bundle strategy)

4. Subscription inactive / expired / payment issue

5. Machine binding mismatch (you changed VPS or reinstalled)

6. VPS cannot reach license server (internet/firewall outage)

7. Account limit reached (max accounts allowed)

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Diagnostic checklist (do this in order)

Step 1 — Open Output and read the exact message

Control Center → New → Output

Look for lines mentioning:

• “No license key provided”

• “Validation failed”

• “Maximum accounts allowed”

• “Machine mismatch”

• “Connection error”

Write down the exact wording.

Step 2 — Confirm the license key field is filled

1. Right-click chart

2. Click Strategies

3. Select the TradingBoss strategy

4. Find License Key field (often in “Group 0. License”)

5. Confirm it contains your full key

Step 3 — Confirm you’re using the correct product

If you bought FastPass standalone, trying to run Pulse/MONEYBAGS/Blitz/60M can trigger UNLICENSED/product errors.

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Fixes (based on what you see)

If Output says: “No license key provided”

Fix:

1. Open strategy settings (right-click chart → Strategies)

2. Paste key into License Key field

3. Click Apply (if available) → OK

4. Disable + re-enable strategy once (if needed)

5. Confirm Output shows something like LICENSE VALID

If Output says: “License validation failed”

Fix:

1. Re-copy the key from your original email (do not type manually)

2. Paste into Notepad first to confirm no spaces

3. Paste into NinjaTrader License Key field

4. Confirm VPS internet works (open a website)

5. If still failing, contact support (see support section below)

If Output says: “Maximum accounts allowed”

Fix:

1. Disable strategy on accounts you’re not using

2. Close unused charts/workspaces

3. Restart NinjaTrader

4. Try enabling only on your intended accounts

5. If it still fails, support may need to clear stuck sessions or upgrade limit

If Output says: “Machine mismatch / already bound”

Fix: You need a machine reset. Contact support and request:

• “I changed VPS and need a machine reset.”

Include screenshots.

If Output says: “Connection error / cannot reach license server”

Fix:

1. Confirm VPS internet works in a browser

2. If internet is down, fix VPS network first

3. If internet works, wait 1–2 minutes and re-enable strategy

4. Restart NinjaTrader if needed

5. If persistent, contact support with screenshots

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When to contact support

Contact support if:

• you confirmed key is correct and still get validation failed

• you see machine binding mismatch

• you hit maximum accounts allowed and can’t resolve it

• Output shows a message you don’t understand

What to send:

• screenshot of chart showing UNLICENSED

• screenshot of Output showing the error

• your purchase email (and license key last 4 characters if you prefer)

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2) Symptom: “No trades taken today”

What this looks like

You expected trades, but:

• nothing entered today

• no orders placed

• strategy stayed in scanning state

This can be normal.

Some strategies are:

• one trade per day (FastPass, MONEYBAGS, Blitz)

• filtered and selective (60M)

• dependent on market conditions (Pulse still can have slow days)

📝 Beginner reassurance

“No trades today” does not automatically mean something is broken. First, confirm the system is healthy.

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Possible causes

1. Strategy is healthy but no setups occurred (normal)

2. Strategy already traded and hit daily limit (“done for day”)

3. Wrong timeframe or instrument (strategy won’t function correctly)

4. Strategy disabled (gray)

5. Wrong account selected (SIM instead of live, or wrong prop account)

6. Connection/data not flowing (chart frozen or stale)

7. Strategy is still in warmup (Pulse warmup can apply)

8. Trading window times not active (outside session)

9. Prop firm rules or maintenance caused disconnect during trade window

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Diagnostic checklist

Step 1 — Check connection is green

If you’re not connected, you won’t trade.

Step 2 — Confirm chart is live (candles moving)

If chart time is stuck, data isn’t flowing.

Step 3 — Confirm strategy is enabled (not gray)

Enabled strategies typically appear active/green.

Step 4 — Confirm instrument/timeframe match the strategy

• FastPass: NQ, 1-minute

• MONEYBAGS: NQ/MNQ, 30-second

• Blitz: NQ/MNQ, 3-minute

• Pulse: NQ/MNQ, 1-minute

• 60M: ES/MES, 3-minute

If these are wrong, don’t expect trades.

Step 5 — Check strategy status text

Look for messages like:

• SCANNING / ACTIVE (normal waiting)

• DONE FOR DAY (already completed its limit)

• SESSION COMPLETE (done)

• UNLICENSED (won’t trade)

Step 6 — Check time window settings

Right-click chart → Strategies → Edit Verify start/end times make sense.

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Fixes

If everything is healthy (green connection + live chart + enabled strategy + correct setup)

Then the likely answer is: No qualifying setup occurred today.

That is normal.

Your next action is:

• leave it running

• check again tomorrow

• review your expectations based on strategy style (one-trade systems are not guaranteed daily)

If chart is frozen → go to “Chart is frozen” section

If connection is red/yellow → go to connection sections

If strategy is gray → go to “Strategy is gray” section

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When to contact support

Contact support if:

• it hasn’t traded for multiple days and you confirmed correct setup

• Output shows errors

• you suspect strategy is stuck in a broken state

Send:

• screenshot of chart showing instrument/timeframe

• screenshot of strategy settings window (account + enabled + key)

• screenshot of Output

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3) Symptom: “Strategy isn’t doing anything”

What this looks like

You enabled the strategy, but:

• it sits there silently

• no orders show

• you’re not sure if it’s even running

This is different from “no trades today” because it often feels like the strategy is not active.

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Possible causes

1. Strategy is actually running but in SCANNING (normal)

2. Strategy disabled (gray)

3. Strategy not attached to chart correctly

4. Wrong instrument/timeframe

5. Strategy blocked by UNLICENSED

6. Strategy outside its trading window

7. Connection/data issue prevents scanning properly

8. NinjaTrader is running but scripts didn’t load correctly

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Diagnostic checklist

Step 1 — Is strategy green or gray?

• Gray = disabled

• Green/active = enabled

Step 2 — Check status label on chart

• ACTIVE/SCANNING = normal

• UNLICENSED = blocked

• DONE FOR DAY = finished for today

Step 3 — Open Output window

Look for errors when you enabled it.

Step 4 — Confirm correct chart setup

Check instrument/timeframe.

Step 5 — Try reloading scripts (safe diagnostic)

Right-click chart → Reload NinjaScript Then watch Output for any errors.

💡 Tip

Reload NinjaScript is like “refresh.” It can fix weird display issues without changing your settings.

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Fixes

If it’s in SCANNING/ACTIVE

That’s normal. It is “doing something” — it’s waiting for conditions.

If it’s outside the time window

Adjust trading window times only if you know what you’re doing. Otherwise, return to defaults.

If it shows UNLICENSED

Go to the UNLICENSED section.

If Output shows script errors

Go to “Error messages in Output window.”

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When to contact support

• strategy appears enabled but Output shows repeated errors

• strategy never reaches normal statuses (always stuck)

• you can’t determine if it is running

Send:

• screenshot of chart + status

• screenshot of Output

• screenshot of strategy settings panel

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4) Symptom: “Chart is frozen / not updating”

What this looks like

Your chart looks “stuck”:

• candles aren’t moving

• last price doesn’t change

• the time on the chart is behind current time

• it looks like it’s showing yesterday’s close

This is one of the most important issues to fix because no data = no trading.

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Possible causes

1. Broker connection dropped (even if NinjaTrader is open)

2. Data feed stalled

3. VPS internet issue

4. Prop firm maintenance disconnected data

5. NinjaTrader is connected but the chart didn’t refresh correctly

6. Wrong instrument contract month (rollover issue)

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Diagnostic checklist

Step 1 — Check connection color

• If gray or red, you’re not getting data.

• If green, continue diagnostics.

Step 2 — Compare chart time to real time

Look at:

• bottom axis time

• last candle timestamp

If it’s clearly behind, it’s frozen.

Step 3 — Check other charts

If all charts are frozen, it’s likely connection/data. If only one chart is frozen, it may be chart-specific.

Step 4 — Open Output window

Look for data/connection messages.

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Fixes (step-by-step)

Fix A — Reload the chart view

1. Click inside chart

2. Press F (often recenters / refreshes view)

3. Right-click chart → Reload NinjaScript

If it starts updating, you’re done.

Fix B — Reconnect broker connection (only when needed)

1. Control Center → Connections

2. If currently connected, disconnect once

3. Reconnect to your broker connection (Tradovate/Rithmic)

4. Wait for green

5. Confirm chart starts moving

📝 Note

This is not a daily routine anymore. This is a troubleshooting tool when the chart is frozen.

Fix C — Restart NinjaTrader (if needed)

If reconnect doesn’t help:

1. Save workspace (if possible)

2. Close NinjaTrader

3. Reopen NinjaTrader

4. Load workspace

5. Recheck chart

Fix D — Check internet on VPS

Open browser and load a normal website. If no internet, resolve VPS network issue first.

Fix E — Contract rollover check

If everything seems connected but volume/price is strange:

• verify you’re using the current contract month (see rollover notes in daily operations)

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When to contact support

Contact support if:

• connection is green but charts remain frozen

• Output shows repeated data errors

• you suspect rollover confusion and need confirmation

Send:

• screenshot of frozen chart (show timestamp)

• screenshot of connection status

• screenshot of Output messages

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5) Symptom: “Connection shows red”

What this looks like

In Control Center, your connection status is red. You may also see:

• “disconnected”

• no accounts appearing (only SIM101)

• charts frozen

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Possible causes

1. Wrong username/password

2. Wrong connection type selected (Tradovate vs Rithmic)

3. Prop firm or broker maintenance

4. VPS internet issue

5. Firewall/security blocking connection

6. Too many login attempts / temporary lockout (rare)

7. Broker service outage

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Diagnostic checklist

Step 1 — Read the message in Output or Log

• Control Center → New → Output

• Control Center → New → Log

Look for “authentication failed” or “unable to connect” details.

Step 2 — Confirm you selected the correct connection

Example:

• If your account is Tradovate-based, you must connect via Tradovate setup.

• If Rithmic-based, connect via Rithmic.

Step 3 — Confirm internet works

Open browser and confirm websites load.

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Fixes

Fix A — Retry connection once, then wait

1. Connections → disconnect

2. Connections → reconnect

3. Wait 30–60 seconds

If it stays red, don’t spam it.

Fix B — Credentials check

If message suggests auth failure:

• re-enter credentials carefully

• verify you’re using the correct password

• confirm no extra spaces in username

Fix C — Maintenance window check

If it’s around common maintenance times:

• wait 10–15 minutes

• try again

Fix D — Restart NinjaTrader

If stuck:

• close and reopen NinjaTrader

• reconnect

Fix E — Firewall/security

If VPS has security software that blocks outbound connections, it may break broker connection. Avoid installing random security tools on a trading VPS.

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When to contact support

Contact support if:

• you verified credentials and connection type

• internet works

• but connection remains red

Send:

• screenshot of connection red status

• screenshot of Output/Log showing the error text

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6) Symptom: “Connection shows yellow”

What this looks like

Connection icon stays yellow:

• “connecting…”

• it never turns green

• sometimes it turns red after a while

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Possible causes

1. Broker servers slow or in maintenance

2. Incorrect settings (server selection)

3. Network latency on VPS

4. Temporary outage

5. NinjaTrader stuck in a half-connected state

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Diagnostic checklist

1. Wait 30–60 seconds (yellow often resolves)

2. Check Output/Log for details

3. Confirm VPS internet is stable

4. Try disconnect/reconnect once

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Fixes

Fix A — Wait briefly (most common fix)

Yellow often resolves itself.

Fix B — Disconnect/reconnect once

If it stays yellow longer than 60–90 seconds:

1. Disconnect

2. Reconnect

3. Wait again

Fix C — Restart NinjaTrader

If it remains stuck:

• restart NinjaTrader and reconnect

Fix D — Check broker maintenance/outage

If many users report issues (Discord announcements), it may not be you.

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When to contact support

If yellow persists across:

• waiting,

• reconnect attempt,

• NinjaTrader restart,

send screenshots of:

• yellow status

• Output/Log messages

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7) Symptom: “Strategy is gray instead of green”

What this looks like

You expected the strategy to run, but it appears:

• gray in the strategy list

• not actively scanning

• not trading

Gray almost always means: disabled.

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Possible causes

1. Strategy not enabled (checkbox off)

2. NinjaTrader restarted and strategy didn’t re-enable

3. Workspace not loaded

4. You’re looking at the wrong chart

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Diagnostic checklist

1. Right-click chart → Strategies

2. Look for an “Enabled” checkbox

3. Confirm it is checked

4. Confirm correct account is selected

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Fix

1. Check “Enabled”

2. Click OK

3. Confirm strategy becomes active (green)

4. Watch Output for any errors (licensing, connection)

✅ Success Indicator

Strategy changes from gray to active states like SCANNING/ACTIVE.

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When to contact support

Usually you don’t need support for gray strategies. But if it becomes enabled and instantly flips to UNLICENSED or errors, then contact support with Output screenshot.

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8) Symptom: “Error messages in Output window”

What this looks like

Output window shows:

• red error lines

• repeating warnings

• message spam

Beginners often ignore Output because it looks “technical.” But Output is your best tool.

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Possible causes (broad categories)

1. Licensing errors (UNLICENSED, validation failed)

2. Connection errors (data feed disconnected)

3. Script errors (strategy/indicator loading)

4. Order errors (rejected orders, permissions)

5. Data errors (instrument not found, contract mismatch)

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Diagnostic checklist

Step 1 — Identify if it repeats

• A single warning might be harmless.

• Repeated errors every few seconds = real problem.

Step 2 — Copy the exact error text

Don’t paraphrase. Copy it. Even a screenshot is fine.

Step 3 — Match it to a category

• If it says “license” → licensing section

• If it says “connection” → connection sections

• If it says “order rejected” → account/broker rules

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Fixes (general safe fixes)

1. Confirm connection is green

2. Confirm license is valid

3. Reload NinjaScript

4. Restart NinjaTrader if needed

If the error is unclear, do not guess by changing strategy settings. Instead, collect:

• error text

• screenshot

• what you were doing when it happened

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When to contact support

Contact support if:

• errors repeat

• you can’t categorize the error

• strategy refuses to run

Send:

• screenshot of Output

• screenshot of chart status

• which strategy + which broker connection

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9) Symptom: “Accidentally closed a chart”

What this looks like

You closed a chart tab/window and now you’re thinking:

• “Did I delete the strategy?”

• “Is it gone?”

• “How do I get it back?”

Good news: closing a chart does not delete your strategy files. But you may need to reopen the chart and re-apply the strategy if the workspace wasn’t saved.

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Possible causes

• You clicked X on the chart tab

• NinjaTrader crashed and charts closed

• Workspace didn’t save

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Diagnostic checklist

1. Check Workspaces menu

2. See if your saved workspace is available

3. If yes, load it and see if chart returns

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Fix A — Reload workspace (fastest)

1. Control Center → Workspaces

2. Select your saved workspace (TradingBoss/Algos/etc.)

3. Charts should reopen

Screenshot description

You should see the workspace name highlighted in the Workspaces menu. After clicking, multiple charts appear again.

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Fix B — Recreate chart manually (if workspace missing)

Follow strategy setup rules:

• choose correct instrument

• choose correct timeframe

• add strategy via right-click → Strategies

• enter license key

• select correct account

• enable

Then save workspace.

⚠️ Warning

If you recreate a chart, double-check you picked the correct timeframe. Wrong timeframe is the #1 reason recreated charts “don’t work.”

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When to contact support

Usually not needed. But if you’re unsure which chart settings to use, support can confirm instrument/timeframe for your strategy.

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10) Symptom: “VPS won’t connect”

What this looks like

Remote Desktop fails:

• black screen

• “cannot connect”

• credentials rejected

• stuck at loading

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Possible causes

1. Wrong IP/username/password

2. Local internet issue (your home network)

3. VPN interfering

4. VPS provider outage

5. VPS is stopped or rebooting

6. Firewall restrictions on your network

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Diagnostic checklist

1. Confirm your internet works locally

2. Confirm Remote Desktop credentials are correct

3. Try from another network (mobile hotspot) if possible

4. Check VPS provider dashboard status

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Fixes

• Restart your router (if local issue)

• Disable VPN temporarily

• Try again in 2–3 minutes

• Check provider dashboard and restart VPS if it’s stopped

• Contact VPS provider support if their service is down

📝 Note

Disconnecting Remote Desktop does not stop the VPS. Only shutting down Windows or stopping VPS in provider dashboard stops it.

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When to contact support

If you can’t access your VPS, TradingBoss support can’t fix your VPS provider. You’ll need VPS provider support first.

However, once VPS access returns, TradingBoss support can help verify NinjaTrader/strategies are running correctly.

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11) Symptom: “NinjaTrader crashed”

What this looks like

• NinjaTrader closes unexpectedly

• You see an error dialog

• Charts disappear

• After logging back in, it’s not open

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Possible causes

1. VPS reboot / Windows update

2. Too many charts/scripts running

3. Corrupted workspace

4. NinjaTrader internal issue

5. Third-party software interference

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Diagnostic checklist

1. Reopen NinjaTrader

2. Load workspace

3. Check Output/Log for crash-related entries

4. Confirm connection is green

5. Confirm strategies are enabled

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Fixes

Fix A — Simple restart and reload workspace

1. Open NinjaTrader

2. Workspaces → load saved workspace

3. Verify charts load

4. Verify strategies enabled and licensed

Fix B — If workspace causes crash

Sometimes a workspace can be corrupted. If NinjaTrader crashes immediately after loading workspace:

1. Open NinjaTrader

2. Do NOT load the workspace immediately

3. Create a new clean workspace

4. Rebuild charts one-by-one

5. Save as a new workspace name

Fix C — Reduce load

If VPS is low-power, too many charts/indicators can cause instability. Keep only what you need.

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When to contact support

Contact support if:

• NinjaTrader crashes repeatedly

• you can’t keep strategies running stably

• Output/Log shows consistent errors related to scripts

Send:

• screenshot of any crash message

• Log/Output snippets

• VPS plan info if relevant (performance constraints)

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12) Symptom: “Wrong number of contracts traded”

What this looks like

You expected:

• 1 contract But it traded:

• 2, 5, 10, etc.

Or you expected micros and got minis.

This can be dangerous because it directly affects risk.

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Possible causes

1. Wrong instrument (NQ instead of MNQ, ES instead of MES)

2. Quantity setting not what you thought (Moneybags/Blitz/Pulse)

3. Running multiple strategies on same account (contracts stack)

4. 60M dynamic sizing (contracts change with ATR volatility)

5. You selected the wrong account or chart

6. You changed settings and forgot

7. You placed a manual order (Chart Trader) accidentally

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Diagnostic checklist

Step 1 — Confirm the instrument

Look at the top-left of the chart:

• NQ = mini

• MNQ = micro

• ES = mini

• MES = micro

If you thought you were on MNQ but chart says NQ, that explains 10x risk difference.

Step 2 — Check strategy settings (quantity)

Right-click chart → Strategies → select strategy → look for:

• “Contracts”

• “Entry quantity”

• similar

MONEYBAGS / Blitz / Pulse typically use direct contract sizing.

Step 3 — Check if you’re running multiple strategies on same account

If Strategy A uses 2 and Strategy B uses 2, total risk is 4. Even if each strategy is “correct,” the account exposure is higher.

Step 4 — Special case: 60M dynamic sizing

60M can change contracts based on volatility. This is normal behavior.

Your job is to set risk-per-trade appropriately.

Step 5 — Check execution/positions tab

Control Center → Accounts/Positions:

• confirm what actually filled

• confirm it wasn’t a manual order

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Fixes

If you accidentally used mini instead of micro

1. Disable strategy immediately (gray)

2. Close position if needed (only if you are in a trade and must exit)

3. Change chart instrument to micro (MNQ or MES)

4. Re-enable strategy

5. Recalculate risk

⚠️ Warning

Minis are 10x micros. If you are new, treat “wrong instrument” as a critical error.

If quantity is wrong

1. Disable strategy

2. Edit settings and set correct contracts

3. Re-enable and confirm

If contracts stack due to multiple strategies

Best practice:

• one strategy per prop account

If you must run multiple, you must add their contract exposure together and keep it within safe limits.

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When to contact support

Contact support if:

• you believe the strategy ignored your quantity setting

• 60M sizing seems wildly off relative to your risk setting

• you can’t explain why fills occurred

Send:

• screenshot of chart instrument

• screenshot of strategy settings

• screenshot of trade fill/position details

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13) Symptom: “Strategy traded outside expected hours”

What this looks like

You expected trades only during a window, but you see a trade:

• too early

• too late

• outside “power hour”

• during a time you thought it was off

This can be confusing because:

• strategy windows may be in Eastern time,

• your VPS clock might be different,

• NinjaTrader charts display time based on the computer’s time zone.

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Possible causes

1. VPS time zone different than you assumed

2. Strategy trading window set incorrectly

3. Daylight saving time shift changed perceived hours

4. You edited session times and forgot

5. Chart uses a session template that changes what “hours” look like

6. You were looking at historical trade marker and misread the timestamp

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Diagnostic checklist

Step 1 — Confirm what time zone your NinjaTrader is using

NinjaTrader chart time generally follows the Windows system time of the machine it runs on.

On VPS:

• check Windows clock (bottom right)

• compare to the chart timestamps

If Windows time is Eastern but you are in Europe, the “hours” will look shifted.

Step 2 — Check the strategy’s session times in settings

Right-click chart → Strategies → Edit Find:

• start time

• end time

Confirm they match the intended window.

Step 3 — Confirm you’re reading the correct trade marker

Sometimes a trade marker is from:

• yesterday

• last week And looks “outside hours” if you are not zoomed correctly.

Zoom and confirm the date.

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Fixes

If time zone confusion is the problem

Do NOT change time settings randomly without a plan.

Instead:

1. Decide which time zone you will use as your “reference”

2. If strategy times are documented in Eastern, keep them in Eastern and mentally convert

3. Or adjust strategy window carefully once you understand your VPS clock

💡 Tip

Beginners often do best leaving defaults alone and learning how to read chart times consistently.

If strategy window is set wrong

1. Disable strategy

2. Correct start/end times

3. Re-enable

4. Watch for trades only in the correct window

If daylight savings changed timing

Expect that some weeks per year, “market open” feels different. That’s normal.

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When to contact support

Contact support if:

• you confirmed time zone and strategy times are correct

• but trades still appear outside window

• or you suspect a configuration bug

Send:

• screenshot showing the trade marker + time axis

• screenshot of strategy time settings

• screenshot of VPS Windows time

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What to Include When You Ask for Help (So You Get Fast Answers)

When contacting support, include:

1. Which strategy (FastPass, MONEYBAGS, Blitz, Pulse, 60M)

2. Which instrument (NQ/MNQ/ES/MES)

3. Which broker connection (Tradovate or Rithmic)

4. Screenshot of Output window showing the error

5. Screenshot of chart showing status (UNLICENSED, etc.)

6. A one-sentence summary:

   • “Connection red, can’t reconnect”

   • “Chart frozen on yesterday”

   • “Pulse enabled but no trades for 3 days”

✅ Success Indicator

With those 6 items, most issues can be resolved quickly without back-and-forth.

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Summary

Troubleshooting becomes easy when you stop guessing and follow a sequence:

1. Identify the symptom

2. Check VPS + connection + strategy enable status

3. Read Output for truth

4. Apply the specific fix

5. Confirm the success indicators

Remember:

• strategies auto-refresh daily now (no daily reconnect habit required)

• reconnect/restart is still a valid troubleshooting tool when symptoms appear

• most issues are licensing, connection, VPS stability, or wrong setup

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Next Steps

1. Read risk-management.md next This is the guide that prevents the most expensive mistakes:

   • minis vs micros

   • tick math

   • sizing formulas

   • trailing drawdown understanding (with real examples)