Missing history or gaps in the bars in MetaTrader 5

What is causing it

The history for that symbol and timeframe has not been downloaded.

Why this happens

MetaTrader does not hold the full history of every symbol on your machine. It downloads bars from the broker on demand, storing them locally, and it only fetches what you ask to see. Scrolling left is literally the request for more, which is why the gap fills in as you scroll rather than being there from the start. A brand new installation, or a symbol you have never opened before, therefore starts with very little history and builds it up as you use it.

Two limits then cap what you can see. The terminal's own maximum bars setting discards anything beyond it, so raising that setting is often all that is needed. Beyond that, the broker decides how far back their server will serve, and it can differ by symbol and by timeframe. When the broker simply does not hold that history, no amount of refreshing on your side will produce it, and that is worth confirming with them rather than continuing to troubleshoot locally.

The fix, step by step

1. Scroll left on the chart to trigger a history download.
2. Open Tools, Options, Charts and raise "Max bars in chart" to a large number.
3. Right-click the chart, choose Refresh, and wait for the bars to load.
4. For deep history, some brokers require you to open the symbol on a lower timeframe first.

How to confirm it is fixed

Scroll to the oldest part of the chart and check the date on the first bar, then switch timeframe and back and confirm the bars remain rather than disappearing. If you raised the maximum bars setting, restart the terminal and check the history extends further back than before. Gaps that persist across a restart on one symbol only are broker-side.

Stopping it happening again

Open the symbols and timeframes you intend to backtest or study in advance, so the history downloads before you need it rather than during your analysis. Keep the maximum bars setting high enough for the longest lookback you use. If deep history matters to your work, ask your broker how far back their server provides for the instruments you trade, since this varies considerably.