I'm in the process of moving my computing environment to a 2.5" external drive. Ideally, the C drive would be little more than a clean Windows installation. As part of this effort I'm switching to portable versions of the apps I need wherever possible with the help of TPFC. Of course, there are some non-portable apps I will continue to need, so I'm trying to figure out the best way to handle those. I've found the following solutions for getting non-portable apps to run as portable:
1) MojoPac - Price unknown. CONS: Does not work on Vista. Creates virtual Windows environment rather than making individual apps run portably (not necessarily a bad thing, just not my personal preference).
2) Ceedo - Reasonably priced. CONS: Creates virtual Windows environment rather than making individual apps run portably. May not work for many apps.
3) JauntePE - Free. CONS: Appears to be stillborn in the alpha/beta phase. No web site, no support.
4) ThinApp - Appears to be a near perfect solution. CONS: Hideously expensive.
I don't see a good choice here. Are there other noteworthy solutions that I've missed?
Running non-portable apps as portable
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dennis123123
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2008 2:44 pm
Thanks, Garbanzo. Actually, I have a fair number of apps that need to be addressed, so I was hoping for a single solution to handle most of them.perhaps you could list the non-portables that you need so we can help you better.
If I understand Dennis' post correctly, it sounds like you guys use batch files or installer scripts to backup and restore a non-portable app's settings as a way to emulate portability. Contrary to being common sense, I think it is a nice example of good ol' fashioned ingenuity to solve a problem using stuff that's readily available.
Still, I feel like there should be a better solution. So, I've decided to develop a program that I think will solve the problem nicely and require virtually no effort from the user. When it's completed, I will post more info here so others can try it if they wish. The program will be free, and if folks here feel it is useful I will solicit feedback to improve it. Coding is already well underway, and since it is a reasonably simple program, I hope to have it ready in the near future.
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GeddichNixan
- Posts: 159
- Joined: Fri May 09, 2008 6:03 am
Hi Jarte Guy,
as a matter of fact there were some apps which promised to turn a non portable into a portable. I did try some of them. None of the results was very satisfactory. Some of them used a regshot app comparing regshots before and after installation and tried to create some reghives within the app folder.
There was only one prog which did the job fairly well, but later on it became some kind of Adware. However finally I deleted all of them, therefore I am sorry but I can't be more specific. But who knwos probably one of the other users remember them, because the one or the other was also mentioned in some forum threads.
However, I am eagerly awaiting your app. I have been waiting for someting foolproof that only requires (very) limited coding experience (i.e. little to nothing). If you need some testing from that point of view, I am your man.
BTW, I like Jarte it's a nice piece of app. Thanks for that.
GeddichNixan
as a matter of fact there were some apps which promised to turn a non portable into a portable. I did try some of them. None of the results was very satisfactory. Some of them used a regshot app comparing regshots before and after installation and tried to create some reghives within the app folder.
There was only one prog which did the job fairly well, but later on it became some kind of Adware. However finally I deleted all of them, therefore I am sorry but I can't be more specific. But who knwos probably one of the other users remember them, because the one or the other was also mentioned in some forum threads.
However, I am eagerly awaiting your app. I have been waiting for someting foolproof that only requires (very) limited coding experience (i.e. little to nothing). If you need some testing from that point of view, I am your man.
BTW, I like Jarte it's a nice piece of app. Thanks for that.
GeddichNixan
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freakazoid
- Posts: 1212
- Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2007 5:45 pm
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Onesimus Prime
- Posts: 133
- Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2007 8:42 pm
Jarte Guy, I hear you with the "computing environment (on an) external drive" thing. I'm probably looking at a system reload in a few months, if not sooner. I'm not looking forward to the re-installs afterward, and I'm very glad that my portables, with a little more organization beforehand, will be a simple matter of copying back to my HD.
Umm, as far as another option, you could theoretically install stuff into a Sandboxie sandbox (portable version by wraithdu, suggested by lococobra), and many of the simpler programs would probably still work from there...in some fashion...but that's more of a "workaround" than a solution, I'd say.
And the other option would be to settle for software with (sometimes) fewer features and/or less capability, but portable. But many of us don't really have that as an option.
Scripts as a way to "emulate portability" - yeah, that's probably one of the better descriptions I've heard. I regularly use several of these and very much appreciate the people who have the know-how and generosity to create them, several of whom frequent this forum. But minimal-system-impact is still the ideal...
"if folks here feel it is useful..." If? What you seem to be talking about (and what, for a while, it looked like JauntePE would become) is practically the "holy grail" of portable-apps fans!
Hey, if you've figured out/found a "simple" and good way to do this, I think you're well on your way to building that 'better mousetrap.'
Just be careful about the whole (portable) world beating a path to your door!
Umm, as far as another option, you could theoretically install stuff into a Sandboxie sandbox (portable version by wraithdu, suggested by lococobra), and many of the simpler programs would probably still work from there...in some fashion...but that's more of a "workaround" than a solution, I'd say.
And the other option would be to settle for software with (sometimes) fewer features and/or less capability, but portable. But many of us don't really have that as an option.
Scripts as a way to "emulate portability" - yeah, that's probably one of the better descriptions I've heard. I regularly use several of these and very much appreciate the people who have the know-how and generosity to create them, several of whom frequent this forum. But minimal-system-impact is still the ideal...
"if folks here feel it is useful..." If? What you seem to be talking about (and what, for a while, it looked like JauntePE would become) is practically the "holy grail" of portable-apps fans!
Hey, if you've figured out/found a "simple" and good way to do this, I think you're well on your way to building that 'better mousetrap.' Just be careful about the whole (portable) world beating a path to your door!
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GeddichNixan
- Posts: 159
- Joined: Fri May 09, 2008 6:03 am
Hi Jarte Guy,
as you started this thread your asked for "portabelizers". Well, here are two of them:
http://portableapps.com/node/5188
http://portableapps.com/node/9909
I belive both are of the run-and-clean-up-afterward type, but I haven't tried either of them yet.
BTW, is there any news about your "portabelizer project"?
as you started this thread your asked for "portabelizers". Well, here are two of them:
http://portableapps.com/node/5188
http://portableapps.com/node/9909
I belive both are of the run-and-clean-up-afterward type, but I haven't tried either of them yet.
BTW, is there any news about your "portabelizer project"?
Thanks, GeddichNixan. Since my last post I have run across a number similar programs, all of them mentioned in this forum at one time or another. Everything seems to fall into two categories: 1) Programs that isolate-apps-from-Windows (either Windows emulators or programs that hijack registry and file system function calls), and 2) programs that synchronize-run-and-clean-up-afterward.
Most of what I found was the former, which I'm not interested in. I simply want to run apps from an external drive on my own computers. Perfect stealth is unnecessary for that situation, so emulators seem a bit Draconian for my purpose. I also don't want to be bothered with monitoring the system, writing scripts, etc every time I need to make an app portable.
My solution will be of the synchronize-run-and-clean-up-afterward variety. It will be quick and easy even for novice users. It should work well for most, but not all apps (i.e., it will not try to solve portability for h/w locked apps, apps that hide their registration code in strange places, etc). It should make most (but not all) apps stealthy.
The project is coming along well, but I still have a ways to go. Sorry, no forecast date since I'm usually terrible at that.