Category: Troubleshooting & Common Errors | Last Updated: April 2026

Occasionally a position opened by your Vector strategy may not close as expected — either because the connection dropped, the strategy was disabled mid-trade, or NinjaTrader restarted while the position was still open. Here's how to handle it safely.

Common Causes

• Broker connection dropped during the trade. When this happens, the strategy loses its ability to manage the position — but in most cases your TP and SL orders remain resting at the exchange. Follow the specific guidance for this scenario in the Strategy Management article (Pro Tip on mid-session disconnects with open positions).
• Strategy was disabled mid-trade. If the strategy was disabled while a position was still open, NinjaTrader will not close the position for you.
• NinjaTrader crashed or the VPS restarted. Positions remain open at the broker level regardless of NT's state. When NT reopens, it may not recognize them.

How to Close a Stuck Position Safely

Step 1: Do NOT re-enable the strategy if the position was opened by a strategy that's currently disabled or disconnected. Re-enabling mid-position can cause the strategy to close it in a way you didn't intend.

Step 2: Verify the position in the broker / firm dashboard. This is your source of truth, not the NinjaTrader Account window (which can show stale data).

Step 3: Manually flatten via NinjaTrader. If the connection is live and you see the position in the Account window: - Right-click the account → Flatten Everything (closes all open positions on that account), or - Right-click the specific position → close that one position

Step 4: If NT can't close it, log into your broker / firm platform directly (Rithmic R|Trader, Tradovate web, or firm dashboard) and close the position there.

Step 5: Once the account is flat, you can restart NinjaTrader if needed to reset its state, and re-enable your strategies for the next session's routine.

Prevention

Connection drops during active trades are broker-side and not something you can eliminate from your end. What you can do:

• Do your morning check before the session starts (see the AM Check Routine article)
• Check your accounts at end of day to confirm everything closed correctly (see Naked Trades article)
• Open a support ticket if you notice recurring stuck-position patterns — our team can review the strategy-side behavior on your VPS

Bottom Line

A stuck position is almost always the result of a connection drop or disabled strategy mid-trade. Don't re-enable the strategy reactively; instead, verify the position on your broker/firm dashboard and flatten manually (NT's "Flatten Everything" or direct on the firm platform). For recurring issues, open a support ticket.