:15: I’m really trying, but, this is the down side of not sitting in a classroom, I guess. I’ve loaded the simulator and the historical data has downloaded. What next? I thought I was to go day by day to see if my strategy works…pressing the space bar or mouse to go candle by candle. I don’t seem to have that option. Also, I thought I was not supposed to be able to see what was coming up so that, again, I could see if my strategy works. But I see the entire year right before me. My brain feels like a spaghetti bowl. Puhleeze help me. I am not giving up!!! Thanks!
If you’re using MT4 then you probably need to set the time frame for your backtest period then it would just run the system from the dates you entered and show the results.
Did you try F1 on mt4 platform? The Help file is really good, careful study should help to solve your problem 
Below ; Courtesy of MQ F1:
#TradeSafely
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In my opinion back-testing is a complete waste of time, energy and money. Forward test if you want to learn something…forward test in a live account if you really want to learn something.
Got a pretty solid point right here! Past results don’t guarantee future profits anyway, but I guess back testing could give you a bit of confidence in the system. Forward testing is really much more crucial in my opinion since it could also show you how the system reacts to slippage/market events and how this affects your trading psychology as well.
You can use back testing and try something, but the best way of learning is through live trading, making mistakes and learning from them.
Thanks! I’ll try it using F1.
Thanks. In Pipsology school, it says I should back test. …by forward test, you mean, use real money and go live? …or in a demo account?
What system are you testing? Basically all should be done automatically you have to enact your brain just to check results and see success ratio of the system :D.
BTW I’d suggest you to not confuse yourself with complicated indicators better to work with fundamental data or some simple technical tricks like limit orders (that work on breakouts) or S/R levels.
Good luck
Thanks for this…'cause just last night I decided to keep it simpler than I’ve started. I’m forgetting MACD (for now); revising my system to use SMA and Stochastics, and using s/r and a time limit to set my stops.
You know the answer to you conundrum as you typed the title.
You don’t make money with an academic experience like back testing.
Not so, Dolamite. The School of Pipsology teaches that I should back test my system. I was feeling “dumbfounded” because I do not know the mechanics of back testing. It is my understanding that back testing would show me the likelihood of my system working. It would also give me experience with the process. In any case, you and others caused me to rethink it. I have moved forward with testing it with the demo account that I’ve opened. Thanks for your response.
Have you ever heard of the expression “past performance is not indicative of the future”? I don’t care what any school of thought says, I have my experience. I don’t want to discourage you and I hope you learn something from real trading.
Well the trading is up to us what we will decide and how much amount of profits we can expect from our trading.
Real trading is not the same as doing Demo trades and whatever results we may have got in trading with the Demo trading accounts may not get repeated in the Real accounts 
Hi Hazelwins
I disagree that backtesting is a waste of time.
If you back test really well. You will notice sometimes your method works sometimes it fail.
When it fail. What is your plan B? and when plan B fail. What do you do next. I agree that forward testing is important. Nonetheless, backtesting still come 1st for a beginning trader. You must have a solid strategy that is suitable for you. When backtest fails, only means your strategy is not suitable for current market condition. If you do not have a counter strategy, you just have to wait it out. There is always a strategy for every situation. Open your minds, keep learning new strategy. Market conditions are not always the same. If you only know 1 or 2 strategy and are making money, good for you. When your strategy starts to fail? Its plain stupid to continue using it. Current market condition have change. Either you wait or use another strategy to overcome the market, and is only possible if you have another strategy. There is no holy grail strategy, you are the holy grail.
By the way, I suggest that you don’t use the strategy tester to backtest. I think its a waste of time.
Backtest with your naked eye. Forget about EA. When you backtest with your naked eye.
You are training your brain to think. My opinion is backtest 20 trade is more than enough.
At least 60% correct for your strategy to pass.
I don’t know with another trader because each person has his own consideration but for me, it’s not dummy thing when I back test strategy before I used it in real account. I won’t use strategy directly although there are other traders who ever tested it because different person will be different money management, emotion control and timing to use the strategy. I will try to use it personally and I will make sure if the strategy is comfortable for me and it’s quite profitable to use with current system.
I think back testing does have its merits, even though it doesn’t really guarantee future profitability, at least you can eliminate those system ideas that don’t seem to be catching any good moves at all. Besides, seeing how the system fared in the past can give you a good idea of what to adjust in terms of entries and exits or things to watch out for when forward testing. I do agree that back testing along is not enough since you want to see how the system fares in real-time or real market conditions.