DataTools Service Information
What's New?
Service Information
Discontinuation of Coverage: September 20, 2021
Database Upgrade: September 14, 2021
S&P 500 Index Futures de-listed: September 1, 2021
Available Database Upgrades
Fixing Connection Problems
DataTools & Windows Operating Systems
De-Listed Contracts
Problems with Continuous Contracts
Discontinuation of Coverage: September 20, 2021
Over the past few years, trading in the CME Ethanol contract has significantly declined. As there is no open interest and there has not been any trading in this contract for the past few months, we have discontinued coverage effective immediately.
To remove this contract from your Futures database, please follow the instructions shown here > De-Listed Contracts
Database Upgrade: September 14, 2021
We are now providing updates for the following futures market:
| Contract |
Code |
Exchange |
| Euro-OAT |
OAT |
Eurex |
| Euro-OAT L |
OAT4 |
Eurex |
Please note -
the newly added symbol won't update for you unless you obtain the historical data first. the continuous contracts for these markets won't exist unless you create them! to incorporate the new market, please perform a "Database Upgrade".
The full list of available database upgrades and instructions on how to add these markets can be found here > Available Database Upgrades
S&P 500 Index Futures de-listed: September 1, 2021
The CME Group announced in May 2021 that it will delist its full-size, floor-based S&P 500 futures contract following the expiration of the September 2021 contract on September 17, 2021.
Any remaining open interest after the delisting will be migrated into the E-mini S&P 500 futures contract at the current 1:5 ratio.
To remove the "S&P 500" and "S&P 500 F" from your Futures database, please follow the instructions shown here > De-Listed Contracts
Available Database Upgrades
The following markets are currently available as database upgrades in DataTools:
| Market |
Code |
Added |
| Euro-OAT |
OAT |
20210914 |
| Euro-OAT L |
OAT4 |
20210914 |
Please note -
the newly added symbols won't update for you unless you obtain the historical data first. the continuous contracts for these markets won't exist unless you create them! to incorporate these new markets, please make sure that all charting programs are closed and perform a "Database Upgrade".
To perform a Database Upgrade -
Do a data update to ensure that you have the latest data and configuration files. Click on Program Utilities and then Database Upgrade. Highlight any market histories you wish to incorporate and then click "Download".
To create Continuous Contracts -
Open the Continuous Contracts module (Tools > Continuous Contracts) Highlight the required market(s) in the market list and click "Create Contracts".
Fixing Connection Problems
Occasionally DataTools may have trouble connecting to one of our data servers.
If you experience any issues where DataTools cannot connect or it is not updating past a certain date,
you can try changing the server that DataTools connects to.
You can do this on the Update Window in DataTools, by changing the "Server Selection" to try each of the 4 servers in turn.
DataTools & Windows Operating Systems
Microsoft has ended support for the following operating systems and service packs:
| Operating System |
Date |
| Windows 98 |
July 11 2006 |
| Windows ME |
July 11 2006 |
| Windows 2000 |
July 13 2010 |
| Windows XP SP2 |
July 13 2010 |
| Windows Vista SP1 |
July 12 2011 |
| Windows XP SP3 |
April 08 2014 |
| Windows Vista SP2 |
April 11 2017 |
| Windows 7 SP1 |
January 14 2020 |
As such, we are advising potential clients that they need to have Windows 8.1 (or above) in order to run our updating products.
Whilst DataTools should continue to function under W98/ME/2k/XP/Vista and Win7, we can no longer guarantee that it will work seamlessly.
In particular, problems may arise when we issue an automatic upgrade to a program component.
If you are using an earlier version of windows and you find that an upgrade causes the program to fail, you can usually work around the problem simply by doing a program re-install.
Program installers are always available for this purpose from the Downloads area of our website.
Contracts De-listed
To remove a market from the database, use Windows to delete the relevant market sub-folder from the ...\Futures\Contracts\ folder (or cut-and-paste it to an archive) If you're not sure where your "Futures" folder is located, you can read the location from the DataTools Configuration page, where the entry for "Data Folder" shows the path to its top level. (Program Utilities / Configuration / General). The default installation path is c:\Trading Data\Futures\.
Redundant continuous contracts can be removed (along with any unwanted continuous contracts) by using the "Remove Contracts" command in the DataTools Continuous Contracts module.
The following markets have been de-listed since the DataTools service commenced:
| Exchange |
Market Name |
| ASX |
All Ords SPI |
| ASX |
Australian Dollar (SFE) |
| ASX |
Barley (SFE) |
| ASX |
Broad Wool |
| ASX |
Canola (ASX)* |
| ASX |
Canola (SFE) |
| ASX |
Cattle (SFE) |
| ASX |
Fine Wool |
| ASX |
Greasy Wool |
| ASX |
Sorghum (ASX)* |
| ASX |
Sorghum (SFE) |
| ASX |
W.A. Wheat (ASX)* |
| ASX |
Wheat (SFE) |
| CME Group |
E-mini Russell 2000
(code=ER delisted in 2008) |
| CME Group |
Ethanol* |
| CME Group |
Deutschemark |
| CME Group |
Dow Jones |
| CME Group |
Nasdaq 100 |
| CME Group |
Pork Bellies (Frozen) |
| CME Group |
S&P 500 |
| CME Group |
S&P 500 F |
| CME Group |
Treasury Bills |
| CME Group |
Unleaded Gas |
| Eurex |
Nemax 50 |
| ICE Futures Canada |
Western Barley |
| ICE Futures US |
Cocoa |
| ICE Futures US |
Coffee |
| ICE Futures US |
Continuous Commodity Index |
| ICE Futures US |
Cotton |
| ICE Futures US |
Gold 100oz* |
| ICE Futures US |
Orange Juice |
| ICE Futures US |
Russell 2000 Mini |
| ICE Futures US |
Silver 5000oz* |
| ICE Futures US |
Sugar #11 |
| ICE Futures US |
US Dollar Index |
| MGEX |
Wheat (MGEX) |
| NYSE Liffe |
Euro-Lira |
| NYSE Liffe |
Euro-Mark |
| NYSE Liffe |
Italian Govt. Bond |
| NYSE Liffe |
Coffee (LIFFE) |
| SGX |
Euroyen TIBOR* |
| SGX |
Taiwan Index |
*Contract was still listed for trading at the time of removal.
Problems with Continuous Contracts
General Advice
If any problem is noticed with a continuous contract, the first thing to try is to re-build the contract from scratch. Continuous contracts are made from the data in your underlying futures database. As long as this data is sound, you can always quickly re-create a continuous contract. The Continuous Contracts module can be accessed from the chain-link icon, or from under the Tools item on the DataTools menu line. See below for a complete description of the process.
Re-creating Continuous Contracts
Open DataTools and select "Tools" from the menu line and then "Continuous Contracts". Highlight the market in question and click "Edit Roll Settings". Make sure that the "End Year" setting shows some year beyond the current year (towards the bottom of the Annual Template window) Click "Save & Exit" With the market in question still highlighted, click "Create Contracts".
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