Hi, I have found out that there is a time dalay between the following:- 1) Data shown by DDL link to an excel file, at a much faster rate, e.g. =eqddesrv|'Security'!last 2) The chart being updated at a slower rate. I sometimes find out that there delay could range from 4 sec to 7 sec. How can I minimize the time delay?? Could we minimize this kind of time delay to optimize the performance of MS? Look forward to hearing from you...... One more thing, as shown in the following graph.... the data is updated at a faster rate for the chart as shown in the "new bar" and the price shown in the "inner window" while the price as shown on the "top of the window"(as I select to show "Last Price" in the "Title" of the Window Properties") is updated at a much slower rate...... Normally, I try to monitor the most updated price and look at the price on "the top window" as it is set with a bigger font size and more convenient to look for. Later, I notice that this price is being updated at the slowest rate, sometimes, with a time delay of 10 sec ++!!! Can the "Last Price" shown in the top of the Window be in phase (or as quick as) with others? sa

When using RT data there is a careful balance between the data, the indicators, the chart etc... If you have too many complicated indicators on your charts, or too many bars of data loaded these will slow down the screen refresh rate and produce the visible lag. Eventually everything catches up, but whether it does so before the next bar of data arrives...? To get the best performance: Load as few data bars as possible. This will mean there may be minor discrepancies in exponential indicators, Wilders smoothed indicators etc, but account for this in your trading system. Make the indicators simple as possible. Does the system ABSOLUTELY require the use of exponential moving averages or will simple moving average suffice. Avoid PREV functions and calls to other formulas. Enough said. Simplify the chart layout to minimise the redrawing required. Minimise the number of indicators. If you use expert advisors, keep them simple, and only inlcude code that is absolutely necessary to the decision making process. How many experts just add "pretties"? That's about from the programming persepctive.... although there maybe some more tips. From the operating system and network perspective, shutdown any unnecessary programs, especially email clients and RSS readers, be absolutely ruthless finetuning your firewall and antivirus protection, free up as many computer resources as you can. From the hardward perspective, a faster processor will do wonders for the computational lag, add as much RAM as you can possible afford (it will make everything faster) and if you insist on having many screens with multiple windows in each, then upgrade your graphics card. Keep your computer cool, it will run faster. Spend the profits from your next trade on yuor computer. Just $300 will go a long way to make a compurter faster! wabbit :D