Connect to a Windows VPS

Access your own Windows VPS from Mac or Windows, then install and keep PineConnector running there.

A Windows VPS is a remote Windows computer. You connect to its desktop, install MT5 and the PineConnector EA there, and keep that environment running for your automation.

This is the self-hosted path: you or your VPS provider manage the machine. If you prefer PineConnector to manage MT5 and its EA, use PineConnector Edge.

Before you connect

Have the details supplied by your VPS provider:

PC name or IP address, including a port if the provider specifies one.
Windows username and password for the VPS.
Any provider-specific connection instructions.

These credentials are separate from your PineConnector License ID and broker login. Enter them in the remote-desktop client, never in a TradingView alert message.

Use a full Windows VPS that supports the PineConnector EA and DLL. The published compatibility guide excludes MetaQuotes’ built-in VPS service for this workflow.

1. Choose the client for your computer

Your computer	Client
Mac	Windows App from the Mac App Store.
Windows	The built-in Remote Desktop Connection application, also called `mstsc`.

On Mac, download Windows App from the Mac App Store, open it and finish or skip the introductory tour. A remote PC connection uses your VPS account; you do not need to sign into Windows App with a Microsoft account. On Windows, the steps below use the built-in client. Microsoft also documents Windows App for remote PC connections on Windows. Microsoft’s connection guidance covers both platforms.

The published Mac screenshots below show the former name, Microsoft Remote Desktop. The current app is Windows App; use the matching Add PC controls.

2. Add the VPS connection

On Mac

Open Windows App. On Devices, select + → Add PC.
Enter the provider’s address in PC name. Add a Friendly name, such as your broker plus “VPS”, if helpful.
Leave User account as Ask when required, or save the VPS account using the client’s account control. Follow the provider’s instructions for any gateway.
Select Add. Double-click the saved PC to connect, then enter the VPS username and password when prompted.

Add PC dialog showing an empty PC name field, Ask when required for the user account and Friendly name — Use the address and credentials supplied by your VPS provider. The screenshot's fields are deliberately empty.

Saved remote PC with its Connect action selected — Open your saved PC to start the remote session. The provider label in this historical example is illustrative.

On Windows

Press , enter mstsc, and press Enter. Enter the provider’s address in Computer, connect, and supply the VPS credentials when prompted.

Follow the provider’s instructions if it supplies a connection file or additional authentication. You should reach the remote Windows desktop.

3. Check any identity warning

A certificate warning can appear when connecting. Compare the destination with the VPS details supplied by your provider before accepting it. If the address is unexpected or the warning appears after an unexplained change, check with the provider first.

Historical remote-desktop certificate warning with Show Certificate, Cancel and Continue controls; the host address is obscured in the original — The published example obscures its address. Check your own destination before continuing; a warning is not confirmation that you reached the right server.

Do not interpret a generic connection warning as a reason to disable security settings across your computer.

4. Install MT5 inside the remote desktop

Once connected, perform the installation inside the VPS session:

Open the VPS’s browser and download your broker’s MT5 terminal.
Install it and sign in to the intended broker account. Use demo for the first test.
Open PineConnector Portal in that same remote environment.
Follow the full MT5 EA installation guide.

Example remote Windows desktop with a MetaTrader 5 shortcut — Historical example of the remote desktop. The provider name, Windows appearance and installed applications may differ from your own VPS.

Check which desktop you are using. Installing the EA on your Mac or local Windows computer does not install it on the VPS. Opening File → Open Data Folder from the VPS’s MT5 terminal takes you to the correct data folder.

If copy and paste do not work

Clipboard and file transfer depend on the remote-desktop client’s settings and the provider’s configuration. The easiest alternative is to download the EA package directly from Portal inside the VPS, then copy your License ID from Portal in that same session.

5. Verify the complete alert path

Confirm the account in Portal Connections, then follow Send your first test alert.

Check the order inside the VPS’s MT5 terminal or another supported view of the same broker account. Verify the account, symbol, direction and volume, with no unexpected duplicate.

Keep MT5 running

After a restart or update, check that the intended MT5 terminal and EA are active and that Portal shows the connection. With multiple terminals, check each one.

Use connection-loss notifications where available. A VPS reduces dependence on your own computer being online, but it does not establish uninterrupted service or guarantee a particular trading latency.

If you cannot connect

Problem	Check
Remote desktop cannot reach the server	Address, provider status, network access and provider connection instructions.
Windows sign-in is rejected	The VPS username/password, not the broker or PineConnector login.
Remote desktop works but MT5 is disconnected	Broker login/server, the terminal’s state and the PineConnector EA connection.
Alerts arrive but no trade appears	The Signal Log and Experts error, using Missing signals or Errors.

For the server or remote-desktop login, contact your VPS provider. For PineConnector processing, share the relevant time, timezone and redacted error with PineConnector Support.