My top 10

[rickrusco]

And here I thought I was so smart because I had my autorun.inf file run a batch file to start up my select programs!
Duh!
Thanks for the tip.

[opsimathic]

Wonderful.

It is a good day when a new trick is learned.

Thanks for your help!
/opsimathic

[rhapdog]

The reason I use multi-launch instead of having PStart load it up is because I don't always run the same programs on start up.

On my days off, I might just load PStart, FontsPortable, PortableFileAssociator, FloatLED, stuff like that. On days I need to work on web development, then I'll have it load all that plus Apache, MySQL, along with my favorite programming editor. If I want to do desktop program development, then I won't load Apache, etc, but will load Lazurus or Delphi and a few other things that I like to use for development.

You can rename multilaunch, as long as the INI filename matches the base file name of the multi-launch program, it will read that and you can run a different set of programs. Or, you can place it in different directories to organize it.

I'll look over the forums and read up on how to do submissions, and submit it. The only thing it's missing is instructions, so I'll have to type those up.

EDIT: Submitted. http://www.portablefreeware.com/forums/ ... f=4&t=5624

[donald]

Pstart can launch a batch file, any batch file.

I would bet that you could name all the apps you would use in a particular situation and create a batch file to launch them.

Pstart could then launch the apps via the batch files.

Each could have its own icon to visually represent it.

******************************************************
Unless I am missing something and Multi-Launch does something that I am not aware of.
*******************************************************
On a side note to make the above automatic, you could get into batch files that would look for a specific file on the host computer and then (depending on the name of the file in x location) call a batch, that would then launch your apps, thus fully automating the process (assuming you launch specific apps on a specific host).
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
x location would be anywhere on host not likely to be emptied or cleaned, likely a folder structure created by you to be unique and in an unused folder area. Likely file candidates would be a simple txt file with the name for the batch to be executed, such as work, home, or in the absence of both it could do nothing or something.

[Lupo73]

Also ASuite (and so the main launcher of my suite) includes advanced features like autorun at launcher startup. They are available if you open the launcher window and then right-click on a software and click Properties. There are even a few more features that in PStart.

[MiDoJo]

OT: Lupo congrats of LupoPen being a top suggested download at nonags

[rhapdog]

Pstart can launch a batch file, any batch file.

I would bet that you could name all the apps you would use in a particular situation and create a batch file to launch them.

Pstart could then launch the apps via the batch files.

Each could have its own icon to visually represent it.

******************************************************
Unless I am missing something and Multi-Launch does something that I am not aware of.
*******************************************************

The problem with using batch files is that there is one fairly restrictive computer that I frequent, where not only the DOS prompt is disallowed, but batch files will not run either. Therefore, batch files are not an option, as it would not be a completely portable solution across all computer situations.

Of course, I have heard of some computers where you are so restricted you cannot run a program from removable media (even CD) which would be a useless computer for you anyway, so that's the one exception I don't worry about.

[freakazoid]

I like Executor, you can define groups of apps you want to open at a time.

I much prefer using keywords instead of a start menu anyway.

[donald]

Search the site for the following two applications and give them a try (nothing complicated just a test to see if it will run).

Bat to Exe Converter

BeCyIconGrabber

Also you may want to use XNView (or something else) for an icon creator.


The important one is "Bat to Exe Converter" this allows you to convert a Bat file to an EXE (as the name implies),
use the ghost option to hide the window.

If this fails you may really be not able to use batch files (though of course a compiled batch is not? really a batch anymore right?)

[tpan]

1. GreatNews
2. POP Peeper
3. 7-Zip
4. Notepad++
5. FreeFileSync
6. AIMP
7. Opera
8. CCleaner
9. Everything
10.KeePass

Difficult decision to leave these out - PicPick, OperaUSB, Keynote, Kalender, TeamViever, PStart

[tproli]

My current top 10:

01. StrokeIt - universal mouse gesture app, can't live without it
02. PowerPro - a swiss knife for all kind of stuff (not entirely portable)
03. Total Commander
04. Executor - greatest launcher ever, I use also for file & registry search (using 3rd party tools)
05. Everything - tiny & fast file search
06. Dropbox (JPE version)
07. Notepad++
08. Irfanview
09. Opera/Chrome - sorry, I'm just switching from O to C
10. Assox - for file associations & all kinds of system setup stuffs. One run after system restore & all set and done

Must mention PDF-Change Viewer, TyperTask, Taskbar Shuffle, WinSCP, Gamma Panel, icoFX, Total Uninstall, VirtualBox, ImgBurn, Registry Workshop - commercial and not portable by default, Miranda, Monoff4, PotPlayer, RadioSure, SyncBack Free (portablized), System Explorer 1.5, TClock Light, etc

[webfork]

As they've changed quite a bit in 5 years, I'm going to update my top 10, roughly in order of love:

1. Firefox - the recent update has been a mixed bag (some of my all-important plugins started misbehaving), but it still does what I need it to do.
2. [Tie between] Everything and DocFetcher - the two search programs I couldn't do without. Everything for searches by file type, DocFetcher for content.
3. CubicExplorer - a customizable file manager that creates a virtual file system for your computer through it's outstanding bookmarking system.
4. Notepad++ - it's not very elegant, but the wide variety of functionality has kept this on every machine I use going back years now.
5. VLC - took my top spot over SMPlayer about a year ago. Has a few options built into it that I've become very fond of.
6. streamWriter - if I tried to come up with a list of features I'd like in an internet radio client, this would come pretty close.
7. Greenshot - a very recent change from PicPick, this does everything I need it to do, very simple and easy.
8. LibreOffice (specifically Writer) - saved my tech writer soul from Word Hell.
9. 7-zip - I've tried several other archivers and it seems there's just no replacement. It's very fast, simple, and effective.
10. Pstart - it's buggy under Win7x64 but I have no Plan B when this finally gives out on me in Windows 9 or whatever.

Previous top 10 items (only two are still listed in italics): Firefox, Rainlendar, Truecrypt, Photofiltre, SMPlayer, Dsynchronize, Kompozer, StartupLite and Startup Control Panel, 7-zip, and Renamer.

Honorable mentions (stuff I've left off because I've talked about it very recently, or it's just too new in my cycle): PushMonitOff, ShareX, RIOT, JPEGview (though I don't use it portably), Wiztree, FastCopy, PWGen, AutoVer, and Recuva.

Favorite so far this year: MultiHasher

[SYSTEM]

Pstart - it's buggy under Win7x64 but I have no Plan B when this finally gives out on me in Windows 9 or whatever.

It still works fine for me under 64-bit Windows 7 and 8.1.

[freakazoid]

1. Firefox - My browser history in the past 5 years: Moved from Opera 12 to Pale Moon to Firefox.
2. XMPlay - Still the best bit-for-bit audio player on the planet.
3. Executor - The best keyword-based launcher. Also handles hotkey launching.
4. AkelPad - Lightweight and extremely customizable text editor.
5. XYPlorer - Windows Explorer alternative. Changed from CubicExplorer. CubicExplorer starts up very slow for me; XYPlorer starts up in a flash.
6. SearchMyFiles - I need to search inside text files a lot and SearchMyFiles does a great job of this.
7. f.lux - Changes the monitor color to blend in to current lighting conditions of the room. Indispensible for those with sensitive eyes and those that have to stare at the monitor all the time. I use the yaP version.
8. Thunderbird - Still the best portable email client.
9. Bandizip - If I need to unzip something, this is a great and fast archive app that does the job well. Great command-line support.
10. Open++ - I use the right-click context menu a lot. This app allows me to customize various context menu items.

Some others that I use quite a bit - PDF X-Change Viewer, Sizer, Shutter Lite, Rainmeter, Peerblock, foobar2000, Miranda NG, XBMC, AutoHideDesktopIcons

My previous top 10 - http://www.portablefreeware.com/forums/ ... 566#p16566. The apps that are still in my top 10 - Executor, XMPlay, AkelPad

[Midas]

Portable stuff that I use everyday on XP (presently, my main platform):

1. Firefox (https://www.portablefreeware.com/?id=132)
2. Process Explorer (https://www.portablefreeware.com/?id=32)
3. Sentinel+ClamWin (https://www.portablefreeware.com/?id=2289 + https://www.portablefreeware.com/?id=601)§
4. Sizer (viewtopic.php?t=17028)
5. Pitaschio (viewtopic.php?t=2487)
6. ClipDiary (viewtopic.php?t=21501)
7. Fast Launcher (viewtopic.php?t=16304)
8. XYplorer (https://www.portablefreeware.com/?id=579)
9. PrIMo (viewtopic.php?t=8164)
10. Bvckup (viewtopic.php?t=16768)
    §) counting as one, because it doesn't make sense any other way...

There are more, but this are the ones that fit; and regarding Firefox, my route was exactly the same as freakazoid above (only I left Opera way before he did)...