[RSM123]

From the site ....

PortableApps Suite

Now you can carry your favorite computer programs along with all of your bookmarks, settings, email and more with you. Use them on any Windows computer. All without leaving any personal data behind.


PortableApps.com provides a truly open platform that works with any hardware you like (USB flash drive, iPod, portable hard drive, etc). It's open source built around an open format that any hardware vendor or software developer can use.


The Portable Apps Suite™ is free. It contains no spyware. There are no advertisements. It isn't a limited or trial version. There is no additional hardware or software to buy. You don't even have to give out your email address. It's 100% free to use, free to copy and free to share.

Contains .....

7-Zip Portable
AbiWord Portable
Audacity Portable
ClamWin Portable
FileZilla Portable
Gaim Portable
GIMP Portable
KeePass Portable
Miranda IM Portable
Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition
Mozilla Sunbird, Portable Edition
Mozilla Thunderbird, Portable Edition
Nvu Portable & KompoZer Portable
OpenOffice.org Portable
PuTTY Portable
Sudoku Portable
Sumatra PDF Portable
VLC Media Player Portable

http://portableapps.com/

Help forum on site, regular updates posted.

[Elvandil]

These are very useful. You can also make any app you have portable by using a Thinstaller. Not only does Thinstalling make any app portable, but it allows normally incompatible software to run in your regular Windows system. Multiple burning apps can be used, for example, because Thinstall only installs drivers as needed and not at boot time.

[Stoner]

When I google 'Thinstaller', I find the term associated with spyware
http://www.google.com/search?q=Thins...ient=firefox-a

[1002richards]

This site has a huge range of portable freeware and is updated almost daily:

http://www.portablefreeware.com/all.php

Richard

[RSM123]

Originally Posted by Stoner

When I google 'Thinstaller', I find the term associated with spyware
http://www.google.com/search?q=Thins...ient=firefox-a

Stoner I did the exact same thing, and found numerous links to forums referencing spyware and other malicious items, which perhaps says quite a bit about the lengths to which the idiots who use their 'ingenuity' to produce such things, will go



However Elvandil was right - there is a valid app. to produce portable apps from many existing programs.

1002richards - Thanks for posting that link.

I had never heard about this concept, even after being in internet cafes where people brought along their usb keys, I always assumed they were merely doing so to access things like Outlook, or maybe to knock out a document in Word.



Thanks again.

[Elvandil]

Thinstall Application Virtualization Suite

It's not the easiest thing to use and works best if all other apps are shut down so system changes can be tracked, but the results are truly remarkable. I have just been trying out version 3.0.

[RSM123]

Originally Posted by Elvandil

Thinstall Application Virtualization Suite

It's not the easiest thing to use and works best if all other apps are shut down so system changes can be tracked, but the results are truly remarkable. I have just been trying out version 3.0.

Thanks squire.

Have a good day.

[Elvandil]

Originally Posted by RSM123

Thanks squire.

Have a good day.

And thank you for pointing out that I wasn't promulgating spyware.

[RSM123]

Originally Posted by Elvandil

And thank you for pointing out that I wasn't promulgating spyware.

Elvandil,

Not sure if your was directed at me. If so, no need. I had never heard of Thinstaller, but I typed that into Google and found references to spyware related issues concerning an item containing the term 'thinstaller.'

Perhaps Stoner, who raised his concerns, found the same.

In fact, having done random Googles for 'thinstall ( insert name of desired prog.)' - I found a great deal of further sites offering me just about any software I've ever heard of, in thinstall format.

[1002richards]

RSM123,
I'm glad you like the link. I too was impressed with the range of progs that can be kept away from the 'essentials'. I'm tempted to try running a Linux product from USB but have not ventured there yet, though it looks fairly straightforward. I'm not confident enough to alter my BIOS settings for fear of doing irreversible damage!

Richard

[Stoner]

I knew Elvandil wasn't offering up spyware/malware.......it's just that's all that was initially showing in a search.

[Cyps]

Just a few more notes, Thinstall needs to be run on a virgin install of windows to use it effectively or better still you can run it inside a Virtual Machine created with VMWare or Virtual PC (free). It is also a hit and miss affair and no fault of Thinstall for some programs don't take kindly to being made portable, others seem to run well but have some of their functions disabled because they were never designed to run in 'kiosk' mode. Don't ever rely on getting full portability but it's a real bonus when you do.

[RSM123]

Originally Posted by Cyps

Just a few more notes, Thinstall needs to be run on a virgin install of windows to use it effectively or better still you can run it inside a Virtual Machine created with VMWare or Virtual PC (free). It is also a hit and miss affair and no fault of Thinstall for some programs don't take kindly to being made portable, others seem to run well but have some of their functions disabled because they were never designed to run in 'kiosk' mode. Don't ever rely on getting full portability but it's a real bonus when you do.

Cyps,

Cheers for that reply. Nevre used anything like this myself, so it's all new to me.

Have a good day, mate.

[Elvandil]

Originally Posted by Cyps

Just a few more notes, Thinstall needs to be run on a virgin install of windows to use it effectively or better still you can run it inside a Virtual Machine created with VMWare or Virtual PC (free). It is also a hit and miss affair and no fault of Thinstall for some programs don't take kindly to being made portable, others seem to run well but have some of their functions disabled because they were never designed to run in 'kiosk' mode. Don't ever rely on getting full portability but it's a real bonus when you do.

Thanks for those expanding remarks. The idea of using a clean, virtual machine is a very good one and prevents the interference I mentioned.

I use an app called "SmartClose" in XP that closes all chosen apps and services and can then restart (most) processes after the thinstallation. Haven't tried it in Vista yet.

Originally Posted by Stoner

I knew Elvandil wasn't offering up spyware/malware.......it's just that's all that was initially showing in a search.

LOL. I realized that, too. I had made the mistaken assumption that the word "thinstall" was unusual enough that anyone putting it in any search box would find the correct information about it. The idea of malware being used in this way never occurred to me.