NinjaTrader and OneDrive don't mix.
Windows silently backs up Documents to OneDrive by default, and Documents\NinjaTrader 8 is where NT8 writes every working file it has. When OneDrive locks those files mid-sync — or relocates the folder to the cloud path — imports fail, compiles throw “duplicate method names,” and indicators vanish on restart. None of it is NT8's fault, and none of it is the indicator's fault. Fixing it is two clicks, once.
OneDrive → Settings → Manage Backup → Stop Documents backup → move NinjaTrader 8 back to C:\Users\[you]\Documents\ → reinstall NT8 → reimport the ZIPs.
If you've seen any of these, yes.
- A The import dialog throws “The NinjaScript Archive File may contain duplicate method names…” — the single most common OneDrive symptom.
- B Compile errors appear right after an import that looked like it succeeded.
- C Indicators disappear from the SteadyTurtle folder after you restart NT8.
- D NT8 runs noticeably slower during imports, or hangs when loading a workspace.
Open File Explorer. Navigate to your NinjaTrader 8 folder. Look at the full path in the address bar.
C:\Users\[you]\Documents\NinjaTrader 8
C:\Users\[you]\OneDrive\Documents\NinjaTrader 8
If the path contains OneDrive, you're affected. Continue to the fix below.
Unblock now, or fix it for good.
The quick fix gets one import through in sixty seconds. The permanent fix takes ten minutes and solves it forever. Pick the quick fix if you're mid-session and need a chart running; come back for the permanent fix later.
Quick fix: pause OneDrive
Unblocks a single import so you can get a chart running. It comes back the next time OneDrive resumes syncing.
- 1 System tray → right-click the OneDrive cloud → Pause syncing → pick any duration.
- 2 Close NinjaTrader 8 fully, then reopen it.
- 3 Run the import (guide 01). Resume OneDrive when done.
Every time OneDrive resumes and re-syncs, the issue returns. Do the permanent fix when you have ten minutes.
Permanent fix: move NT8 off OneDrive
Stop the Documents backup, move the NinjaTrader 8 folder back to the local drive, reinstall, reimport. Four steps, once, and you never see this error again. Every NT8 add-on benefits — not just Steady Turtle indicators.
- ✓ One-time fix for every future indicator
- ✓ Requires admin rights to uninstall/reinstall NT8
- ✓ Indicator ZIP download links stay valid forever
Four steps. Once.
Do them in order. Step 1 stops the bleeding, step 2 relocates the files, step 3 gives NT8 a clean install pointing at the right directory, step 4 reloads your indicators.
Stop the OneDrive Documents backup
Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the Windows system tray. Open Settings (the gear icon), go to Sync and backup → Manage backup. Find Documents in the list and click Stop backup. Windows will confirm — say yes. This halts the behaviour that caused the problem; existing files stay where they are for now.
OneDrive → Settings → Sync and backup → Manage backup → Documents → Stop backup
Move the NinjaTrader 8 folder back to the local Documents
Open File Explorer, navigate to the OneDrive-synced Documents folder (likely C:\Users\[you]\OneDrive\Documents), and copy the entire NinjaTrader 8 folder to the local C:\Users\[you]\Documents. Keep both copies until NT8 is running cleanly from the new location; you can delete the OneDrive copy once the fix is verified.
In File Explorer right-click Documents → Properties → Location → Restore Default. This moves every file back to the local drive in one step — affects all documents, not just NT8.
Reinstall NinjaTrader 8
Uninstall NT8 via Control Panel → Programs → Uninstall a program. Then reinstall from ninjatrader.com — sign in and click Download. The reinstall resolves paths against your now-local Documents folder, which is the whole point. Your connection settings, workspaces, and chart templates from step 2's copy stay intact.
Uninstalling and reinstalling NT8 needs Windows admin access. If you're on a managed corporate machine, you may need your IT team — or the quick fix in Track A, repeated as needed.
Reimport your indicators
From the fresh Control Center: Tools → Import → NinjaScript Add-On, pick the ZIP, Open. The download links in your original Steady Turtle order email don't expire — reuse them. This time the import lands in the local Documents path, doesn't get touched by OneDrive, and stays put across restarts.
Everything back on your chart? Great. If the SteadyTurtle folder still doesn't show in Chart → Indicators, follow guide 02.
Resolving NinjaTrader issues with OneDrive ↗
Basecamp TradingNinjaTrader OneDrive conflict ↗
FlowBotsOneDrive and NinjaTrader troubleshooting ↗
This isn't a Steady Turtle issue — it's a NinjaTrader + OneDrive platform incompatibility that affects every third-party add-on. Several vendors have documented the same fix.
Off OneDrive. For good.
Every NT8 indicator — mine and every other vendor's — now installs cleanly. If you hit the issue again six months from now, Windows quietly re-enabled the Documents backup after a big update. Step 1 again; nothing else should need redoing.