Portable simply means it can be run without installation.

Heck, Merriam-Webster even has a definition for portable as it pertains to software:
usable on many computers with little or no modification

Things like settings persistence, leaving behind information or clutter and whatnot is all the realm of how "stealthy" (as TPFC seems to call it) a program is.

Personally, I'm anal about disturbing local settings or bloating up a registry with junk from a portable application so at the very least I create NSIS launchers to protect local settings, restore my portable settings, then clean up the registry (or local settings files in some cases) and restore the local settings for all the software I use portably.

However, my insistence that the software I use not leave behind traces (I don't mind if undelete-able traces are left) of use does not mean the software is or isn't portable. The "stealth"-purists need to recognize that that is what they are and accept that portability simply pertains to the ability for a given program to run without first being installed.

Queue

I think that, in general, this site has it right. Stealth is clearly listed and the entry is usually correct. I disagree with the notion that people who care about stealth are no more than esoteric "purists". Stealth just means that no trace of any kind is left on someone else's computer. If you use your own equipment mostly then stealth is irrelevant. If you find yourself on other people's systems mostly then stealth could be very important for anyone, not just purists. I, personally, prefer the no trace model. It's just a privacy thing.

Very Much so. Many of us who consider, but don't always require (nirsoft we're looking at you ), stealth are tech support or just (to paraphrase microshaft) "known as the computer guru" to those we know. Those of us like this would rather leave as little trace as possible, after all we all know that the majority of WinTell Problems arise from bloated under-cared-for registries and random ini files in the Application folders.


Andrew has a great system wherein he tells us exactly what a prog does (and leaves) on the host computer.

and if it doesn't fit into the little boxes he made for them HE JAMS THEM INTO THEM WITH A GIGANTIC AMOUNT OF FORCE

I want to echo lajjal's comment that this site strikes a good balance. Also that Andrew does a fabulous job of letting us when applications are not stealthy and what the issue is. This gives us the information necessary to make our decisions wisely in accord with what we each deem important.

Personally, I am not overly concerned with completely stealthy applications BUT I AM VERY GLAD that the TPFC community has those who are absolutely determined to push for Stealthy apps at every opportunity. The overall standard of software on this site is enhanced by those who care passionately for this aspect. The recent forum postings about MoboPhoto illustrates this nicely with the developer responding the comments about lack of stealth with rapid modifications and a request for further feedback.

So ... Thank you to Andrew ... and Thanks to you Stealth 'Zealots' - long may to continue to be vigilant to help protect the rest of us.

/opsimathic

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Better late than never.

No, it doesn't. It just means that program itself doesn't leave anything, but Windows monitors programs running on it and saves what it finds important (like MRU lists and logs). So do some programs you can find installed on the host machine, I know sb. who has ProcessMonitor always on. In this case "stealth" sounds like a joke.

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Nobody said it's a perfect world. Perfection is unachievable. Yes, Microsoft makes perfect stealth impossible but there is big difference between a permanent registry entry and a temporary MRU entry. Stealth should not be and issue because total stealth isn't possible? That's a straw argument.

wait, are you trying to say that we shouldn't get rid of Cops because there is still crime??? LMAO!!! you're Sooooo silly.


Ummmm from Andrew's site

NOT STEALTH!!! So your statement sir/mam is a FLAWED UBERFAIL.
Sorry but at least use examples that are said to be stealth and not just a possibly Portable Program (and if that sb is always running it, it's probably not running portably anyway

Sorry, I don't get the cops reference. All I am saying is that even though absolute stealth is impossible it should still be pursued to the limits imposed by things about the Microsoft environment that we cannot change. Don't see how that makes me silly but I don't really care either.

No worries lajjal, I was actually using sarcasm to agree with you. M^(2) saying that b/c there are some MRUs etc that stealth was a joke was being compared to the idea that: just 'cause the police are not 100% effective at stopping crime, we shouldn't bother with any law enforcement at all.

I guess since I had to explain it my simile was not as good as it could have been.

Sorry, I misundersood. I'm smiling now.

You misunderstood my statement. ProcessMonitor is a program that basicly very carefully looks at working programs' hands and logs everything. When it's on, you can track VERY well what every app was doing. Also "stealth" one.


I just say that calling programs "stealth" is very misleading. Personally I say "clean".

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You know, even stealth programs leave crap in the prefetch...

Just throwing that out there...........

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320gb 2.5in 9.5mm - 100% Portable