Something not working?

Check the simple things first.

Most problems can be narrowed down quickly. Start with the one-minute checklist. If that does not solve it, open the question that matches what you see.

The one-minute checklist

MCS is attached to one supported FX chart.
The main MT5 Algo Trading button is ON.
The EA is allowed to trade in its Common settings.
The broker connection is live.
The chart symbol uses a standard name such as EURUSD.
The Experts tab does not show a clear startup error.

Choose what you see

I can see MCS, but it does not open trades

Make sure Algo Trading is ON.
If UseTradingHours=true, check whether the current broker/server time is inside your entry window.
Check whether Prop Guard has locked new entries for the day.
Look at the pair cards. If they say NO CHAIN or FORMING, MCS may simply be waiting for valid conditions.
If you still do not know why, temporarily set PrintDebug=true and read the Experts log.

Important: “No trade” does not automatically mean “not working”. MCS is supposed to wait when its conditions are not ready.

The dashboard is missing

Check that ShowDashboard=true.
Confirm MCS is still attached to the chart.
Read the Experts log for an unsupported-symbol or initialization message.
Resize the chart and keep AutoDashboardFontSize=true.

MT5 says the symbol is unsupported

The current MCS build expects exact standard FX names such as EURUSD. Broker-specific names such as EURUSDm, EURUSD.a or prefixed symbols are not automatically resolved yet.

What to do: check the broker's symbol names. If the broker does not provide the canonical names MCS expects, that broker may not be compatible with the current build.

Everything says NO CHAIN

This is usually normal. It means MCS does not currently have a complete Smart Money chain for those pairs.

What to do: wait. Do not lower filters just because the screen is quiet. Read the dashboard guide to understand the card states.

A pending setup disappeared after MT5 restarted

This is expected in the current build. Waiting virtual setups live in runtime memory and are cleared when the EA is reinitialized.

Open-position virtual protection and Prop Guard state use separate persistence mechanisms.

Price touched a level during a wide spread

MCS has spread-protection logic. In the current canonical build, virtual SL/TP processing can pause while a pair is in spread freeze.

This means a close can happen later and at a different price if the spread remains unusually wide.

RememberVirtual protection depends on the EA, MT5, broker connection and VPS/computer staying operational.

Prop Guard closed MCS because another trade moved equity

The current guard measures total account equity, but closes the filtered MCS basket. A manual position or another EA can therefore move the guard threshold.

See How MCS protects the account for the full explanation.

Telegram does not send anything

Set UseTelegramAlerts=true.
Enter the bot token and Chat ID.
In MT5 WebRequest settings, allow https://api.telegram.org.
Keep PrintTelegramStatus=true while testing.
Temporarily turn SendTelegramTestOnInit=true and restart/reload the EA.

If the test message does not work, fix the Telegram connection before troubleshooting trade alerts. See the Telegram guide.

I restarted MT5 or the VPS. What should I check?

MCS is attached.
Algo Trading is ON.
The broker connection is live.
Open positions are visible.
Virtual protection levels look correct on live cards.
Prop Guard state is restored as expected.
All required FX symbols are available.

If you still need help

Do not send a giant story. Send the few things that tell us what MCS actually saw.

A screenshot of the MCS Inputs tab.
A screenshot of the dashboard.
The relevant Experts-log lines.
Your broker/server name and chart symbol.
The MCS mode you selected.

Never share secretsHide account numbers if needed, and never publish Telegram bot tokens, passwords or private credentials.