Trade Client supports running multiple instances simultaneously, each with its own independent configuration, strategies, and logs. This is useful when you want to:

• Trade different strategies on different accounts
• Separate premarket trading from regular hours trading
• Test configurations without affecting your main setup

How Profiles Work

Each instance of Trade Client uses a profile to store its settings. When you launch Trade Client:

• Without arguments: Uses the default profile
• With a profile name argument: Uses that specific profile

Each profile maintains completely separate:

• Connection settings (DAS port, TWS settings)
• Strategies
• Options and preferences
• Log files
• Trade execution history

Data for each profile is stored in:

Documents\TradeClient\{ProfileName}\

For example:

• Documents\TradeClient\default\ - Default profile
• Documents\TradeClient\premarket\ - A "premarket" profile
• Documents\TradeClient\account2\ - An "account2" profile

Creating Shortcuts for Multiple Instances

Step 1: Locate the Executable

Find where Trade Client is installed. The executable is typically:

TradeClient.exe

Step 2: Create a Shortcut

1. Right-click on TradeClient.exe
2. Select Create shortcut
3. Move the shortcut to your desired location (Desktop, Start Menu, etc.)

Step 3: Configure the Profile Name

1. Right-click on the shortcut
2. Select Properties
3. In the Target field, add the profile name after the executable path

Example Target values:

Important: If the path contains spaces, ensure the executable path is in quotes, with the profile name outside the quotes:

"C:\Program Files\TradeClient\TradeClient.exe" premarket

Step 4: Rename the Shortcut

Rename each shortcut to identify which profile it launches:

• Trade Client - Default
• Trade Client - Premarket
• Trade Client - Account 2

Example: Setting Up Two Instances

Instance 1: Main Trading (default profile)

Shortcut Target:

"C:\Path\To\TradeClient.exe"

This uses the default profile with no argument needed.

Instance 2: Premarket Trading

Shortcut Target:

"C:\Path\To\TradeClient.exe" premarket

The first time you launch with a new profile name, Trade Client creates a fresh configuration. You'll need to:

1. Configure your connection settings
2. Set up your strategies
3. Configure notifications

Identifying Which Instance is Which

The window title displays the profile name:

• Trade Client default - Default profile
• Trade Client premarket - Premarket profile

This makes it easy to identify which instance you're working with when multiple windows are open.

Profile Naming Rules

Profile names should:

• Contain only letters, numbers, and underscores
• Not contain spaces or special characters
• Be descriptive of the instance's purpose

Good examples: default, premarket, account2, swing_trades, test

Tips for Multiple Instances

1. Use different DAS ports - Each DAS Trader Pro instance uses a different CMD API port. Configure each Trade Client profile to connect to the appropriate port.

2. Pin shortcuts to taskbar - Pin each shortcut to your taskbar for quick access.

3. Separate log review - Each profile has its own log files in Documents\TradeClient\{ProfileName}\Logs\, making it easy to review activity for specific instances.