Back up NinjaTrader from inside your Ninja Mobile Trader VPS desktop using the platform’s export tool. Keep the completed archive separately, then use the import tool to recover the items you need. Our Windows hosting keeps your NinjaTrader installation, charts and add-ons together in one workspace you can access from a PC, Mac or mobile device. A planned archive helps preserve the setup you have built there.
If you need to reach that desktop first, follow our Windows VPS connection guide.
Choose what the archive should preserve#
NinjaTrader’s Backup & Restore utility saves selected application data. It is not a complete Windows server image. Other applications and their separate files need their own preservation plan.
The archive options distinguish these categories:
| Selection | What it preserves |
|---|---|
| Configuration files | Account settings, license keys and preferences |
| Database | Historical executions used in performance reports |
| Historical chart data | Recorded, downloaded or imported price history |
| Log and Trace files | Platform diagnostic records |
| Market Replay | Recorded price and depth updates for Playback |
| NinjaScript files | Custom scripts and add-ons, including third-party tools |
| Templates | Saved chart, strategy, ATM and other tool settings |
| Workspaces | The arrangement of your working windows |
For your own archive record, note the date, NinjaTrader version and selections. Keep a separate list of licensed add-ons and their vendors; an archived file is not proof that a vendor license will activate on another installation.
Export during a maintenance window#
First stop order-producing strategies and copiers, account for working orders and positions, and pause tools that would reconnect automatically. Choose a window when disconnecting will not interrupt a workflow you intend to keep active.
Save the intended layout through Workspaces > workspace name > save, as described in NinjaTrader’s workspace guide. Then:
- Disconnect all providers in NinjaTrader.
- Open Tools > Export > Backup File in the Control Center.
- Choose the needed categories and select Export.
- Pick a filename and location, then select Backup. The default folder is
Documents\NinjaTrader 8 Backup. - Wait for completion and confirm the named archive exists there.
Keep a protected copy outside the VPS as well. Because the archive may contain account settings and license information, use private storage and restricted access; do not post it in a public support thread.
The backup reminder displays a prompt; it does not finish an unattended backup. Only omit historical data to shrink an archive when you have confirmed that its required type and dates remain obtainable elsewhere.
Protect the archive, not the live working folder#
NinjaTrader’s installation guidance warns against including Documents\NinjaTrader 8\ in cloud or local backup operations because of file-access conflicts. Keep that working folder excluded from backup and sync software.
Use the completed export in a separate location for your protected copy. The similarly named NinjaTrader 8 Backup folder is distinct from the application’s live NinjaTrader 8 folder. Before replacing an older archive, retain a known-good copy; a new filename alone does not establish recoverability.
Restore selected items, then validate#
With execution and automatic recovery stopped, retain a separate archive of the current setup if you may need to return to it. Follow NinjaTrader’s restore instructions: open Tools > Import > Backup File, choose the archive, select the items to restore and start Import.
Choose the smallest set that addresses the recovery task. Import compatibility can change between platform releases; NinjaTrader advises contacting its support team if an older archive has problems. Keep the original archive intact instead of repeatedly changing it to force an import.
Before returning to live use, check:
- The intended workspace, charts, templates and add-ons load.
- Required licenses, provider connections and account selections work.
- Strategies and copiers remain stopped while you validate settings in simulation.
A restored layout does not establish the current state of orders or positions. Our strategy continuity guide covers the controlled return to automation. For a move to a different server, use the migration and rollback procedure.
If only a saved layout needs recovery, NinjaTrader also offers Tools > Database Management > Restore Workspace for retained workspace versions. That narrower recovery option does not replace an archive of scripts, settings and data.
Keep your hosted workspace manageable
Our VPS support team is available 24/7. Contact us for help accessing your NMT Windows desktop so you can manage your NinjaTrader installation and saved files.