How do I migrate from QCharts to eSignal 21.x?

ICE Data Services -

In an effort to help users who are ready to migrate from QCharts to eSignal 21.x, the eSignal team has created a backup file catered to users who are making the switch that can be used to completely reconfigure your eSignal program in a few easy steps that will be covered in the sections to follow.

Note: If you have not yet Downloaded and Installed eSignal 21.x yet, please refer to the article on how to do so located here.

Notice: Prior versions of the Backup Files our Team provided to customers had issues with causing errors in eSignal. A Notice has been issued, and the instructions on how to fix these errors can be found here.

  1. A Note on File Compatibility
  2. Notice for Profits On Wall Street (POWS) Students
  3. Downloading the Backup File
  4. Restoring from the Backup File
  5. (Optional) Changing eSignal's Theme
  6. Learning More About eSignal 21.x
  7. Getting Support for eSignal 21.x

A Note on File Compatibility

Please note that files from QCharts are not compatible with the eSignal software line. As such, it is not possible to try to open the workspace files in eSignal 21.x in an attempt to load them. Symbol lists will have to be exported from your QCharts Quote windows as CSV files, opened in Excel, and then copied and pasted into eSignal 21.x. Any charts will have to be recreated in eSignal manually.

Notice for Profits On Wall Street (POWS) Students

If you are a student of Chris Hanson's class for Profits On Wall Street (POWS) we have created a special backup file for you that has preconfigured defaults for all the charts you create, crafted to Chris' specifications for his classes. The backup file can be downloaded from the link below:

Download QCharts Backup File for POWS Students

Downloading the Backup File

Users migrating from QCharts to eSignal 21.x can find the backup file containing all the preconfigured settings from the link below:

Download QCharts Backup File for Migrating Users

Restoring from the Backup File

Once the backup file is downloaded to your computer, we then need to use eSignal's built-in Backup and Restore tool to use the backup file to completely reconfigure eSignal. The steps for this are as follows:

  1. Open eSignal.
  2. If the Service Announcements window is open, close it.
  3. In the top left-hand corner of eSignal, click on the Main Menu (looks like three horizontal lines).
  4. In the drop-down menu that appears, click on the option labeled "Restore".
  5. In the window that appears, navigate to the Backup File you downloaded earlier (by default most Web Browsers download files to your Downloads folder).
  6. Click on the Backup File.
  7. Click "Open" in the bottom right-hand corner of the window.
  8. When prompted about restarting the application, click "Yes."
  9. If it asks you to save any Pages, click "No" unless you have Pages you made changes to that you wish to save, in which case, click "Yes" instead.
  10. The program should automatically close and reopen.
  11. Once the program reopens you should then notice that your eSignal application has had a number of changes made to its layout and toolbars! It will also automatically open to a page called "Main" with a watchlist and chart preconfigured. You are more than welcome to edit this page or start anew.

Congratulations, you have now successfully applied the Backup File! You can then move on to changing the theme from Dark Mode to Light Mode if you so desire (as covered in the next section), or you can work with the Dark Mode as is, and recolor some of your charts to make the bars visible.

(Optional) Changing eSignal's Theme

By default eSignal has a dark theme applied to it that, while designed to help minimize eye strain, some users find to be a big departure from the very light theming that QCharts has. This theme can be changed from the default dark theme to the light theming by following these steps:

  1. With eSignal open, click on the Main Menu button in the top left-hand corner of the program (it looks like three horizontal lines).
  2. In the drop-down menu that appears, click on "Application Properties".
  3. In the window that pops up, you should be in the "Appearance" section by default. If not, navigate to the Appearance section.
  4. Under "Appearance" click the drop-down menu for "Theme" and change it to "Frost".
  5. Click "OK" in the bottom right-hand corner of the window.
  6. When prompted about restarting the application, click "Yes".
  7. The program should automatically close and reopen.
  8. Once the program reopens, you should notice that everything now has a light-colored theme to it. All done!

Learning More About eSignal 21.x

After you have finished downloading and installing eSignal 21.x, you may find yourself wondering about some of its features and settings, and how it all works. For your convenience the eSignal Team has provided you with numerous resources available to you in the form of our Knowledge Base, our New User Orientation Guide, and our YouTube channel. To find out more about these, you can refer to the links below:

Getting Support for eSignal 21.x

Should you come across any questions you have regarding eSignal 21.x that cannot be answered by the above resources, or need assistance with setting up your software and configuring it, you can reach out to our Support Team at any time! Details on ways you can reach out to us can be found here.