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Vivaldi can easily be made completely stealth AND portable:

• Extract the Vivaldi-Installer as described in the database, create the directory-structure and the stp.viv
• Delete "update_notifier.exe" from within the "Application" folder (perhaps not necessary, but on my test run on first start it created an entry in autostart that was not removed after unticking the auto-update in options)
• Start the Browser. Check the options page if you like, then close the browser.
• Open Regedit and navigate to "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Vivaldi", export the whole key to "vivaldi.reg" into the Vivaldi-folder where the "Application" folder resides.

• Create a batch with the following content:
• For even more convenience throw the script into the Bat-To-Exe-Converter, tick "invisible program" and generate an EXE (stored in your Vivaldi-folder where the "Application"-folder resides). If you want the V-icon for it, extract it from the vivaldi.exe and point the Bat-To-Exe-Converter to here you saved it before compiling the EXE.

When you start Vivaldi with this script or EXE, it will remember all settings and extensions, but leaves no registry-entries or files behind. Even the annoying problem with forgotten extensions and settings on other machines is gone, because they are stored in the "vivaldi.reg" file, that is updated on every change and written back to the Vivaldi folder on closing.

>> doesn't need admin-rights <<

Updating ist easy - grab the new Version, extract it and copy over the vivaldi.exe and the folder with the version-number to yor "Appliation"-folder inside the Vivaldi-folder. Don't forget to delete the folder with the old version-number.

After much disappointment with Slimjet I went over to Vivaldi and after managing to make it completely stealth, it's for sure my favorite browser aside Firefox.

End note: If you come across more registry keys or folders/files outside the Vivaldi-folder, simply add them to the script for deletation - the only necessary and reused information is in the reg-key exported to vivaldi.reg. The Google-reg-key for example appeared after a week of use, so I added it afterwards.

This is pretty great. A batch system would be much easier to explain to users who want a stealth program. Although the use case for enabling stealth like this is probably stronger with security programs than a browser, it's still a cool suggestion.

Thanks for that.

webfork wrote:This is pretty great... a cool suggestion.

This is not the way to make ANY program portable or stealth: it destroys local installation(s).

3K3 wrote:This is not the way to make ANY program portable or stealth: it destroys local installation(s).

I'm not seeing how's that. Please explain...

I converted the script into a yaP configuration file and made it to leave data from other Google Applications (in my case, Google Drive) alone:

3K3 wrote:

webfork wrote:This is pretty great... a cool suggestion.

This is not the way to make ANY program portable or stealth: it destroys local installation(s).

Not in this case. The HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Vivaldi is an irrelevant registry entry. The batch file adds the key, runs the browser, and then zaps the key after launch. This is again just for folks who want a stealth system.

I should note that I haven't actually tested this process so it's possible zorro's specific system doesn't do what I describe, but the concept is solid.

zorro wrote: Even the annoying problem with forgotten extensions and settings on other machines is gone, because they are stored in the "vivaldi.reg" file, that is updated on every change and written back to the Vivaldi folder on closing.

Not working. I'm still losing extensions.

SYSTEM wrote:Not working. I'm still losing extensions.

Dang. Well, maybe this stealth hack is too hackey.

BTW: What are the advantages of our extracting instructions over the standalone installation that Vivaldi innately offers? I don't quite get that, since both ways don't make it stealth and seem to have the portability issue with extensions.

In the meantime: Still waiting for Vivaldi to implement the mail client, which they afaik still promise to do.

Emka wrote: BTW: What are the advantages of our extracting instructions over the standalone installation that Vivaldi innately offers? I don't quite get that, since both ways don't make it stealth and seem to have the portability issue with extensions.

As far as I can see, the point is not having to run the installer. It's not very useful though, since IIRC the installer doesn't require admin rights.

Emka wrote:In the meantime: Still waiting for Vivaldi to implement the mail client, which they afaik still promise to do.

They have said that it's in development and already being used internally, but they want to make it good enough before releasing it.

I haven't tried Vivaldi in a while, but if I'm reading the above correctly, extensions are still lost as you move PCs, correct? I don't think saving the registry keys is sufficient. The extension settings as well as passwords and some general settings in Chrome and Blink-based browsers are keyed to each individual PC in Windows builds by default. As you move PCs, it's all reset. You can get around this in Google Chrome Portable by staying logged into Google and syncing your settings and passwords so they are automatically restored on first run on each PC. If Vivaldi has introduced syncing since the last time I tried it, you could do possibly do that.

SYSTEM wrote:As far as I can see, the point is not having to run the installer. It's not very useful though, since IIRC the installer doesn't require admin rights.

Generally my preference is to go through the installer vs. using 7zip, usually because they can upgrade to a new installer and break our process. If there's interest, I have no problem switching over to the standalone installer.

Midas wrote:

3K3 wrote:This is not the way to make ANY program portable or stealth: it destroys local installation(s).

I'm not seeing how's that. Please explain...

This “concept” (batch file) has a fatal flaw: it does not backup local settings and restore them on exit.
Imagine using some payware program this way. First you would overwrite local settings and then on exit leave local program unlicensed.

3K3 wrote:This “concept” (batch file) has a fatal flaw: it does not backup local settings and restore them on exit.

Imagine using some payware program this way. First you would overwrite local settings and then on exit leave local program unlicensed.

Oh, I see now. You're absolutely right.

Although, personally, I don't care much about this regarding Google's products, which I stopped using due to their penchant to install unrelated and unacknowledged utilities in my computer.

Well, the critics are certainly right! My way ist not meant for folks who don't know their system exactly.
If you have other Google products installed (Picasa?), the settings of this products might get lost... For me Google is strictly internet-related and every software that writes Google-keys to the registry is immediately removed or made stealth like above.

Regarding the portability: Interesting enough, for me it worked. I "installed" Vivaldi on my Laptop, made all changes, used it for a week and then copied the whole folder over to my wife's desktop computer (never touched by Vivaldi or Google products). Started Vivaldi and all was in the right place - settings & extensions.

I'll test it on another machine. But if Vivaldi has the same hardware binding as Chrome it should not work... Perhaps there's a way to isolate the installation - should be ok since it's not payware.