The Portable Freeware Collection Forums

I am new to the idea of having portable applications and want to reduce the clutter I have on my PC. The thing is, every "portable" app I download wants me to install something onto my PC. To me that defeats the purpose of having an application that is portable. Or do I just not understand what a portable app is supposed to do?

I just want an executable that I have on a USB flash drive or external HDD and run the program from that, is that not how portables work?

And the portables I have been trying to use have mainly been from portableapps.com. The applications seem to want me to download their software, what is going on here?

Thanks, and sorry for all of the newbie questions!

Edit: I learned how to make my own portable apps, so I will be doing that forward.

Check out: viewtopic.php?t=21791

angelapresson wrote: ↑Wed Feb 28, 2024 12:16 am Edit: I learned how to make my own portable apps, so I will be doing that forward.

Dang, that was fast!

Mod note: topic moved here from "Submissions"...

I learned how to make my own portable apps, so I will be doing that forward.

I have not yet been able to reach that point in my career

angelapresson wrote: ↑Wed Feb 28, 2024 12:16 amI just want an executable that I have on a USB flash drive or external HDD and run the program from that, is that not how portables work?

And the portables I have been trying to use have mainly been from portableapps.com. The applications seem to want me to download their software, what is going on here?

Yeah, portable programs can be moved anywhere as they store their settings beside the program and typically leave no traces outside the directory they reside within. The entries on portablefreeware.com list any minor exceptions/etc.

Programs from PortableApps.com use an installer to just extract the contents to a user-specified location. There's nothing that is added to the registry or outside the specified directory, so the installer just acts like an unzipper. Once extracted the program can be moved anywhere, either within your computer or on external flash drive.

PortableApps also offer a separate launcher program (IIRC) that allows for consolidating their apps into a start menu-like list UI but that's unnecessary to use.

Poll: what are the chances angelapresson is a human being with legitimate interest in this topic?
I'll start: 0% (prove me wrong, Angela, please!).

OP is a bot. Same post is on Reddit from Dec 21 - https://www.reddit.com/r/software/comme ... table_apps

Had my suspicions -- but it's hard to be sure with limited tools (didn't consider just googling, too)...

Glad that's been sorted out.

freakazoid wrote: ↑Mon Mar 04, 2024 12:12 pm OP is a bot. Same post is on Reddit from Dec 21 - https://www.reddit.com/r/software/comme ... table_apps

Thanks for that.