Should You Use the Portable Or Installed Version of Software? 

Glad to see people are as glad to find out about the Onboard Memory Manager as I was

Off topic: As a non-native English speaker, I truly appreciate your clear pronunciation of every word. Thanks ThioJoe.

Back in college, I used to use portable software from my USB stick, so that no matter which computer I used, my programs were set up how I liked them.

For years, I created portable versions of various software from Windows 95 to Windows XP by copying the necessary DLLs from Windows/System to the program folder, and sometimes, if necessary, exporting registry keys. This way, you didn't have to reinstall everything repeatedly, and it was also convenient for use with a USB stick.

The biggest pro of portable is that it's so much easier to uninstall (just deleting the folder) and uninstalling will very rarely leave files behind, however installed will almost always leave some

Regarding "self contained": From my experience, only software advertised really as portable (for usb stick etc) saves settings to files in the directory. But there is a lot of Software available that just doesn't require install, but still saves settings in the registry or appdata folder. I usually go with the installer if I trust it to not install bloatware 😉

For programs that are not integrating into the OS (7zip, notepad++, etc.) I always try to look for a portable version. I can always make my oven environmental variables if i need them.

I've gone back and forth over the years; what I've settled on recently is having anything that can't be portablized easily or integrates into the system be installed, and having all of my portable programs sync across my computers through syncthing and a go-between home server. Though with every day, I'm finding new ways to tweak things; sometimes, a program will change it's config and cache files so often that I find it's better to install it rather than sync it.

For linux, the portable version is usually an appimage (.appimage extension) which is a self-contained program. Everything is in one file so there are no folders involved (except for some cache and other user data)

I used to always use portable software on USB drives back in highschool. I thought it was the coolest thing to be able to run FireFox when the only permitted browser was Internet Explorer. I also used to run the game Stepmania off of my USB drive and could run that on school computers as well. But for some reason I kinda forgot about portable software in recent years. I think I still have a few software that is portable but most stuff I use is installed. I should probably go back to using portable software. At least for things that aren't of any real vital importance.

The return to "unzip and run" it's a beautiful thing. Almost for all reason you say. I like so much this. Like '80 and first half of '90 when installer was almost only a copy to.

Portable is always my go to, rather than shady-looking .exe file that you have no idea what it does to your system (especially it is annoying when installers mess with auto-startup services and schedule manager tasks, contributing to your paranoia and making you go and disable that crap).

It is interesting that VSCode zip download version requires extra user configurations to make it portable mode, otherwise it does not install extensions in the same folder but in AppData folder

I use portable, mostly because of trust and it's easier to delete

Portable versions are also useful with a multi-boot system since you don't always have to install it for each OS. It's also easier to use it when you install a new OS or move it to another computer.

Always wondered what the difference was, but not enough to go looking for answers, but this is a great to know video! I WILL make more of a point to choose which way to download software, based on my needs of course. Thanks Joe.

This is why I love Liberkey. Portable apps, key file associations and the ability to add any portable app even if not part of their official library/suite.

I remember back in High School, Portable Firefox on a 256MB USB was a lifesaver for always having the same browser settings, bookmarks, and add-ons no matter which computer I sat down at

I have Portable Apps Suite on a flash drive that has been a savior at times. When we went through my grandmother's tech stuff after she died, plug in the drive and boom, got everything we needed off her laptop. I also have an IRC client that friends and I use to keep in touch as a portable install on my desktop and on the drive. I use a sync app to sync up the settings from one to the other so that way if I travel, logs and settings all are current.

Before watching the video I prefer portable versions cause it's waaay easier to have a package of software I can move around between computers (or between windows reinstalls) in an instant, rather than spending a whole day hunting setups and waiting for installs to finish.

I use portable apps for two reasons: 1 portability - I can have a folder of my portable apps on a memory stick and no matter which machine I'm on, I can plug it in and it usually just works and 2) admin rights. We have admin rights on our users machines which means they can't install anything - but a portable app doesn't need elevated rights, meaning you can run just about anything on systems that are locked down. Citrix springs to mind. Our Citrix environment is so locked down literally can only open the apps that are published to you. Sometimes you might want another utility. Easy, download it, extract it to your user folder and run it from there. No admin rights needed as no installation is needed.

Thanks for bringing this information to peoples attention! I’ve always been wondering what the differences were!

Good info. I'll definitely have to look for that Onboard Memory Manager for Logitech -- hadn't heard of it before. I always prefer to get the portable version if one is available. I'm not keen on installers and all the gunk they can create in the registry, when it's often not strictly necessary. Also, you never quite know what you'll get with an installer (IE, if it's going to try to install a little extra "free trial" of something on the side, etc). I find it much easier to look at the contents of a portable directory and see what I'm getting into.

Good video Joe, but you missed to say that if using portable version of browser (e.g. Firefox), never to save your profile, or password, because... if that is copied or hacked, it becomes accessible fully by the illegitimate user, along with its passwords, cache, cookies and history. However, when a browser is fully installed on a computer, even if the folders are copied, it would run a "new" copy of the browser on the computer onto which it is copied. It is impossible to decrypt the contents of the browser (Firefox) installation folder by the illegitimate user. However, portable Browsers are esp. useful in cases of running multiple proxies to log in different work accounts, or run or create application like Tor (that has inbuilt Firefox portable).

I usually use portable version, for apps like jdk (java) i could have like 5 different installations which i could be using, having them installed will override and be a pain, so i have portable version so i can rename javaw.exe to javaw17.exe etc so that when i add it to system environmental variables it is super efficient and i never have to worry about which version since i can specify when running.

Great video, thanks ThioJoe -- I use several dozen portable apps, mainly as you said for easy backup and syncing of settings as I store the portable apps in a directory that is synced with my cloud account. I also use junctions to map specific folders in %appdata% to the same cloud-synced directory... Have to say, it is SO nice to have the peace of mind knowing that if my SSD dies or I decide to re-image my machine -- all my program settings are automatically backed-up for me, and it makes getting back up and running again MUCH easier!! 👍🏼

Retired now, but I used to use a lot of portable apps on quiet Saturday or Sunday shifts without violating the rule against installing "foreign" software on company machines.

It mainly depends on whether I want the program to auto-update, and how regularly I plan to use it.

The biggest thing I can think of between programs that are portable, or the ones that should be installed or should be extracted with extra data and files. Is that, depending on the language used, the portable one can be single-threaded, and therefore, slower. (In this case AutoHotKey)

Wow! That Onboard Memory Manager app actually lets me bind mouse buttons to mouse 4 and 5, which is something the fully installed app never let me do! Why are they hiding this?

I've used only the portable version of Firefox for at least 10 years. In 2016, they did a major upgrade called Quantum that made all of my favorite add-ons incompatible. Some developers of some of those add-ons didn't bother re-coding to be compatible with Quantum. It is sooo easy (and not too risky) loading an older portable version and using it to get something done.

In majority of cases, I prefer using a portable version or a zip file instead of an installation program, especially if my goal is to try software. (Now, you can easily use a VM to test in an isolated environment.) The installer may change file associations, it often was a problem. To me, there's a difference between portable version and a zip file. A truly portable version does not write files to your system, like AppData and the registry, it could save the settings in its own folder from where you started the program. At the same time, most apps which don't require installation will still save its settings in the registry and/or AppData just like its installed version will.

Oh man got those early college days coming back with this vid. Portable Seamonkey and Opera. VLC/winamp, open office, Abi Word,etc so I could do offline school work on a computer without MS office. Also iTunes for a podcast application because yeah! I remember in the middle of a term when they secured the computer lab so people couldn't run almost anything off USB and research got absolutely destroyed.

Grats on the 3M subs! Personally, I use portable software if I know I'm not going to use the program often *or* one-offs.

I use the installer version because it has better integration with the sys also because I don't need to seprately maintain a portable directory which can sometimes get messy!

I mean if I understand how Windows works you can in Windows at least just move the portable version into the default user instead of wherever you would normally copy it to before using it first. Then I believe every time you create a new user it will copy everything from that...

I use both, depending mostly on the usage frequency of the software, I download either portable or installer versions, for rarely used softwares, portable, and for commonly used, installer versions!

I like using portable OBS because you can do multiple recordings at once

I usually prefer the installers for the sake of better windows integration but portables are a huge blessing since I don’t have local admin on my work laptop lol

Regarding the "Running a portable app off a cloud storage", it's worth to mention that you might run into some troubles. For example, Google Drive and OneDrive download files "lazily" by default, that means they are not downloaded until they are accessed for the first, that might cause some unexpected behaviour when running the application directly from there. Both of the mention cloud storage services have an option to force a folder to be always accessible, which will also force that initial download.

Well constructed details and logic, nice video many thanks. I use portable version were possible for programs that I rarely use or for evaluation testing and lastly for multiple version run as you stated. For programs that are multi integrated I would use installed version or for those that would run faster when installed rather than portable like some cad programs or PCB design programs, other reasons you covered very well in this video, hope my feedback is useful.

I can't thank you enough for telling me about the Logitech On-board Memory Manager. I kept installing and uninstalling the old one everytime I wanted to make changes to my G-Shift config.

So, for me, it's an entire case by case basis for what version, installed or portable I use. But generally, testing tools, CPU-Z, GPU-Z, hwinfo, benchmarks, I have them all in portable form on a flash drive, but for my personal system, I'll still have the hard installed version ready to go at any time

- I go to great lengths to avoid using installers, to the point of reverse-engineering file-formats to try to extract the program. - 1:15 I just wrote my own program to let me control a G600 instead of using Logitech's rubbish bloatware. - 3:11 I just extract the registry and file changes and services and drivers myself and apply the minimum required. - 5:11 That's the key right there, uninstallers almost always leave junk behind.

Another plus would be that if you do the yearly windows reset, that you have to reinstall less with portables. Just keep them on another drive

I have a USB stick with all the portable programs I would need to use. Super helpful

It would be interesting to do a part II of this video, explaining how to convert an installed program into a portable version of it, when there isn't a portable version available at the owner's software site. I've seen in the past such tools in the web, I just don't remember what and it is always dangerous to search the web and use some unknown software piece.

Minecraft was the only program I ever sought the portable version for. Not sure it's available anymore: Mojang changed their website at one point and I couldn't find the link anymore, and last time I remember trying, it still wanted to install the game. Which of course meant I was out of luck trying to play on the school computers.

I usually use the portable version whenever I want to bypass our company's IT employees. Installed version always require IT Department's password. Of course, I only install work-related apps such as LibreOffice, OpenOffice, and WPS.

I typically use portable when I have a program that is either a pain to install or is large, or I just can't be bothered to redownload it. For example, I play Minecraft, so I use Prism Launcher for modpacks instead of the bloated curseforge launcher. This way I can just shove it into the backup folder, and have it upload automatically without needing to reinstall anything. Only thing that it does need is java, which is annoying, but it's not nearly as painful as reinstalling the whole launcher + every single mod.

The Logitech Memory Manager is exactly what I didn't know I needed.

I always try to use the portable version as it makes backup way easier. I have a separate folder on partition D where I place all the portable software. I have a folder, placed in the PATH variable, where I place shortcuts for those apps. This way they can be found by search or run using command prompt or the run window. I also give the shortcuts easier to find names/ acronims so they are easier to type in run. In this configuration I can reinstall windows without affecting the apps and I only need to add the shortcuts folder to the path to "install" them. Also, I can archive the folder and send it to another laptop/pc for easier install. (Archiving makes it easier to send, due to some apps haveing loads of small files that basically kill your transfer speed) In the last year I have been experimenting with a virtual disk file (vhd) that I set up to mount as a folder. I placed all this apps inside it. This way I can move/copy the apps with a single file. I can also back-up everything by copying that vhd file. Also all the shortcuts in the shortcut folder have relative paths, that way no matter where I mount the folder they are still working

Portable and open source stuff is honestly the best, there's nothing i love more than things just working even after reinstalling OS(had to do that recently due to changing motherboard and upgrading CPU)

Onboard Memory Manager saved my life. Thank you so much for that tip!

I tend to use portable versions for the numerous light tasks, for example, all the PDF editors/manipulators that are sadly not built into windows by default.

I used the portable version of text editors so I could code on school computers. I'd take the program with me on a USB, really portable. Probably what they're meant for 😅

I use portable software at work because user access is locked down so tight, we need an administrative login to use installers. And to install fonts. And to change the date format.

The assumption that "portable versions of applications store settings in the same directory" is untrue in my experience -- most still write their stuff in %APPDATA% or, god forbid, the Documents folder.

I love your info!

Portable versions of programmes were very handy for systems where you domt have access to admin privilages, like at school.

I’ve been experimenting with using portable apps on computers that are locked for software installation. We have classroom computers that are missing software, such as OBS, that can be useful for teaching. I’ve found that the portable version of OBS works well, though it is different than the installed version. Most notably, the virtual camera feature isn’t available in the portable version. I’ve also done editing with the portable version of Shotcut with good results.

For me Portables were extremely useful at works, both in an IT Workshop and as an IT consultant. Portables allow to use the program with My config all the time, no mather the computer I was diagnosing, bit also they were hugely useful when I has to check remote computers without admin privileges so I could not install my diagnosing tools, but I could share these programs and use them without a problem.

My greatest use of Portable software is Firefox Portable. I can make an encrypted USB, to keep a portable browser with all my sites logged in and password manager, so that I can use it on multiple computers.

2:12 openRGB! My man!!! 🤩 Congrats!

Usually i prefer portable versions for software I don't use a lot, or when I'm trying a new software.

i prefer portable versions, since it will mean less time on windows maintenance. my old windows 7 pc still goes as fast as a fresh install.

Interesting idea. usually I install programs, only a few are portable. now I think that IF a portable version is available, I might try that and see what difference it makes

The more programs you install, the higher the "threat surface" is. So having a version that runs from usb can be an advantage, here, especially if it is a tool that can be exploited maliciously by bad actors if the do get part access to your machine. Use the tool, unmount the usb, remove the stick, and as far as the internet goes, you do not have it.

I always carry a USB drive with Krita, Blender, and...Minecraft since it's software that not every school on my computer has installed and I use a lot for school activities.

Wow, your video is a goldmine of knowledge!

Excellent and informative.

one thing that's neat about steam unlocked, even if you are anti piracy, is that every game is a portable version. obviously if you already own a game but don't like reinstalling it you can download it from steam unlocked. unfortunately they don't update, so you have to download the game again to update it unless you know how to 'compile' a program to make it portable

I prioritize the portable version always, for two major reasons: one that does not alter the Windows registry (greater system stability), and when formatting, I just have to drag the shortcuts of my 15 portable programs, and they are ready to use with their previous configurations. Just perfect 😎

TIL the Onboard memory manager exists... Well im off uninstalling ghub.

Note that as a user if you have AppLocker running (which you yourself showed one time) you will (or should) not be able to run many portable programs, as AppLocker should prevent running from all directories that the user has right access. Of course you can circumvent that by allowing programs with specific certificates etc., or if an admin copied it into a folder he actually allows in AppLocker, but still a thing to keep in mind. If you are an ADMIN user you run the program it is actually possible, that it does all the things installer programs do, so that is not something portable versions should normally do. Of course there are also exceptions which you can trust, like SysInternals tools.

Since I don’t have admin access on my work machine, often using portable versions of apps works when an installer version that requires elevation won’t.

I am usually the full install guy but mostly its per basis judgement. For example, if i have just bought a new GPU and want to check it specs i will usually download portable version of GPU-Z that i am not gonna use again until the next hardware swap, but if it's a utility like HDTune that i want to constantly monitor the status of all my HDD's its definitely going to be an install.

I almost always get the portable version when I can and I even put them in their own dedicated directory on the C drive. When I upgrade my comouter I just copy the whole directory to the new computer, which saves me a lot of time. Sometimes I even copy my 'installed' software over and go through it all on the new computer to find the ones that continue to work and move them to the portable directory. (Sometimes I'll then format the computer again to get rid of whatever problems running the non-installed software may habe caused.)

I usually opt for install. It does allow the operating system to easily find and run the app (via search or appearing in the start menu 'n all of that). I rarely need to move apps around on different systems while keeping settings. I have different systems, but they all serve different purposes, from a gaming PC, to a general purpose laptop, the home theater PC, etc. I don't mind portable apps if they do something I'm only going to need once, or very rarely, so I can do what I need it to do and delete it afterward to prevent clutter. The portable apps still need to reside in a folder somewhere where you remember it so you can run it. More often than not, it leads to a ton of app folders on your desktop, and you'll probably forget what some of them are or do.

Going to try and get most of software as portable. I just want to thank you from bottom of my heart

I switched to scoop as a software manager. Winget made me some problems, especially with the latest version of Node.js and I prefer portable versions, whenever possible. To update software with scoop, you simply run 2 commands and update all "installed" software with newer versions. Ok, some versions may be not the very last one, but that depends on the maintainer of the scoop registry. The "installed" software is listed in the start menu and that's enough for me to find and run it. Scoop even provides the installer for software, when no portable version is available. Maybe there can be a video about some software managers like winget or scoop.

haven't watched yet, but IMO portable is good for tools and things you'd keep on a usb stick. Otherwise, allowing the installer to setup the program folder sturcture rather than yourself is usually fine for normal programs like a web browser.

You want the program be installed if you need the data only on that computer such as drivers otherwise portable if available. Some portable programs can be auto-updated or just be overridden by the latest version.

Portable is nice for organizing software into different folders and not have so many options filling the "All apps" part of the start menu. Installer is great for things like Sunshine because SunshineService is needed to operate the computer from Moonlight.

Thanks was looking for this video

I'm a huge fan of portable software. The two most important pieces kf software for a student are the browser and the pdr reader, and being able to use the separate them by subject is much much better than using "pdofile switching", which I thoroughly hate. I get to use the same browser (Opera GX), with the same extensions and keyboard shortcuts (extremely important, I love how easy it is to duplicate a tab in opera), and yet it get to save the open tabs for each subject without conflict. 10/10. Similar story for PDF readers. God bless the writer of SumatraPDF. Lightweight as h*ck and portable. 11/10

Some versions of FTP handily store the settings along with the prog together so it's easy to run from a folder/USB and pivk up the existing settings. Another thing to consider are browser based versions of software.

This is similar to a question I've always had: What's better? The regular .exe file, the app from the Microsoft Store, or the web version? Obviously, the web version doesn't get installed, but some apps seem identical to the website (e.g., RU-vid).

reason using portable software on point 4 and 5 is really depending on how developer made the software, not all portable software made equal. even it could run without install, doesn't mean it's portable. portableapps is repository of all portable apps, and it's works as truly separated app from main system

Thank you Mr Thio, very cool!

In the late 90's following 2 HDD crashes, and a subsequent loss of irreplaceable data, I went the portable route by using a second HDD and storing all portable programs on it. I still to this day employ this so if windows crashes, or the boot disk fails for whatever reason, not only do I have clean Windows image on the backup drive to clone onto a new drive, but all my programs and data remain on the 2nd drive too. For many years now I have still backed up the second drive...just in case! The only program I have ever truly needed that has never been made portable is Adobe's Lightroom. For me it's not just about the incredible reliability of running Windows without all programs installed, it's about a quick and painless backup, that is quick and painless to restore with a prepared Ventoy boot disk. Anyone not doing this is asking for trouble.

The only software I have installed as portable is Portable Apps

yea i typically use the installer if i plan on using it a lot, or if i want it to do file associations or run a background task. otherwise i like portable stuffs because its easier to keep track of files.

Brings back memories of the good old DOS 3.1 days...

Well I sometimes download the portable version but I didn't think of these many advantages of it but I knew in the back of my head that it's better somehow.

The problem I had with portable version, when using on a company computer which basically has everything blocked, is it doesn't fully ultilize the whole PC resouces. For example, when using a portable PDF editor, the pages and comments will disappear if the file is too big and you've scrolled too far away. It's probably due to it can't ultilize the full 16gb of ram.

I've been trying to use all portable software. The most immediate downside you run into is the fact that updates aren't usually as convenient. But the upside is its easier to dodge bad updates i guess.

Honestly it depends for me, I would use installers for pretty much all programs I use. But I would use portable versions on portable drives to use on other devices. Or if the program doesn't even have an installer.

I always use portable apps whenever I can, it's just so useful for transferring for another PCs even with different Windows versions or Linux with Wine, when a app doens't come with a portable version I always install it in a VM and transfer it back from program files to my main PC, contrary to the video it works most of the time just fine, when it does not there's a high chance it is missing a easy registry key that you can get with nirsoft reg tools, but yea, this method does not work with application that install driver or kernel/low level files and some services, some portable apps still won't save the data to the portable folder and instead will use one of the three appdata folders or registry, I just symlink that folder or save the reg file for portable config restoration (HWInfo for example, save sensor configs to registry even portable) and this trick works for most installed apps too, if you copy the reg file for the configuration or the appdata folder containing the program's data it will act as it was always there for exemple, notepad++ loses it's styles and custom syntax highlight but copying it's appdata/symlinking it will retain. You can still have the integrations, like shell integrations, start with windows, path variables, but most of the time will need to be done manually, so that's the only con that I see.

Since i'm a macOS user I mainly use portable software because it's the standart for macOS. Most Apps don't even have installers.