Installing an application or using Portable Version

[Remah]

Originally Posted by eyeb

I'd like to see a portable apps article too, hoping someone mentions a use for it other than what I use it for. Or maybe arguments for why I shouldn't use them in certain cases. <--- Programs/Games that tie into OS/dll/whatever (I don't know my terms well enough) that uses heavy graphics/resources/cpu processing seem to do better for me being installed vs portable. I don't know why but they do.

I am thinking about explaining the different types of portable app and the different levels of integration with the various operating systems - probably Windows and Linux to start with. It would probably be more like 32 and 64-bit explained with tables to show the differences and which security features are integrated at each level. The main difficulty would be working out if that info can be presented in a logical and easy to understand way.

That's in line with my sort of interests but I'm also interested in any other good ideas. Your use of portable apps would be a very good example of their use.

[EldonW]

What I have found...

Numerous portable applications create a folder in the AppData > Roaming folder. And unplugging the external device, or deleting the folder from which the portable app ran, doesn't remove the folder.

When the portable application is a single executable it will sometimes create a Registry entry.

Some portable apps will trigger a UAC prompt.

[eyeb]

Originally Posted by EldonW

Numerous portable applications create a folder in the AppData > Roaming folder. And unplugging the external device, or deleting the folder from which the portable app ran, doesn't remove the folder.

yeah, i run into this too, I think the portableapps programs have a "cleaner" that runs after program exits that copies/deletes this folder

the older JauntePE type portable programs avoid this by making a sandbox like environment, the roaming folder still gets created but it is kept inside the JauntePE data folder instead of window's. A few other portable app makers do it like this too.

different ways to make a program portable, up to how people prefer them. I don't care much for "stealth" so whether it leaves tracks behind or not, as long as the settings/etc is stored within the program folder itself, it meets my purposes.

the portablefreware forum/site was one I used a decade ago. I think it might be active still but I've not visited them after I finished college. It's a good source for portable programs though.

edit: I think most of the portable programs and "stealth" was in the windows XP heyday. Windows 7/10 seems to have changed things and it's harder to make it a complete sandbox now where windows folders/registry is isolated from OS. Or if it has, I haven't kept up with it