When the platform freezes at the worst moment

[Shadow Trader]

Platform freezes during news are a classic nightmare. Price spikes, the chart stops updating, the order ticket will not respond, and a position sits exposed.

Causes vary. Heavy server load at the broker, a flood of tick data overwhelming the local platform, or a poor network connection can all contribute. Running many indicators and charts on a slow computer makes it worse.

Preparation helps more than hoping it will not happen. A few practical steps:
- know the broker's phone dealing desk number
- keep a second device or platform logged in as a backup
- use stop-losses attached to positions, so they are held on the server
- reduce the number of charts and indicators before major releases
- avoid opening positions seconds before spikes

The server-side stop is the most important. A stop held on the server executes even if the local platform has died. A mental stop does not.

What backup plan do you have if your platform stops responding in the middle of a trade?