Two of the most frequent tasks we undertake on our computers are probably installing and deleting software programmes. This covers a variety of programmes, including browsers, video players, and many others. Nevertheless, in addition to their standard versions, a growing number of software products are being made available in a portable format. However, have you ever pondered just what these portable apps are?
This essay is perfect for you if the answer is yes. Read on as we go into a little more detail regarding portable apps and why you should be using them.
What are portable apps?
A portable application is, to put it simply, software that can be utilised without being installed on a computer. This means that, in contrast to ordinary applications, portable apps don’t alter the configuration of the computer they’re running on or add anything to the Windows Registry. They can be executed from the hard drives of the PC or laptop as well as external storage devices.
A portable application may take the form of a single executable file or may be packaged with a number of configuration files and kept in a folder. In the latter situation, any extra files that the portable application could produce while being used are also kept in the same folder.
Why you should use portable apps?
Using portable versions of software programmes instead of the standard installable ones has many benefits. Some of them are as follows:
1. Portability
Of course, this is the reason portable apps get their name. A portable application can be used anywhere because it doesn’t need to be installed; all you have to do is copy it to a detachable storage device like a USB flash drive or memory card. This is particularly useful if you’re using a public computer, like one in a library, where you don’t have administrative access to install software.
2. Consistent Program Settings Across Computers
Typically, we have our preferred programmes set up according to our preferences. And on any computer, we may use those accustomed working conditions thanks to portable programmes. For instance, if you use Google Chrome, you can have your own collection of the greatest bookmarks, extensions, and other items. Thus, you can always access your preferred browser settings if you utilise Google Chrome’s portable edition. This also applies to any other portable applications you could use.
3. Better Security
Portable apps don’t leave any traces or residual files behind because they don’t require installation on a computer. Take the example of using a portable programme that is kept on a USB flash drive. Simply close the application when finished, then take your flash drive with you. By doing this, any extra files that are created will be stored on the USB flash drive, not the computer, and will instead be written to the app’s folder. Your data is more protected as a result of this.
4. No need to install and configure programs again and again
Our computers slow down, begin to make sporadic mistakes, and fill up with unnecessary garbage files over time. To solve that, you often utilise the tried-and-true approach of reinstalling Windows (although you can also refresh and reset Windows). However, after that, you must again install and configure all of your apps, which is a laborious procedure. However, you can avoid doing all of that if you use portable programmes. To ensure that your portable apps are unaffected, just copy them to a non-Windows partition or external storage. You will be able to continue using them where you left off once Windows is installed and operational. Dope, yes?
5. Run multiple versions of the same applications together
There are instances where having multiple copies of a certain programme is necessary (maybe because the newest update removed an important feature you use frequently). Most installed software programmes today update to replace older versions of themselves. However, if you are utilising portable apps, you can update a program’s installed version to the most recent version while continuing to use an earlier version (if available) of the program’s portable version (or vice-versa). What a cool thing!
6. Sync portable apps to cloud storage services
These days, everyone uses cloud storage services. Additionally, they function considerably better when combined with portable apps. You could, for instance, copy the portable programmes to each PC’s Dropbox sync folder after installing the Dropbox sync client on each of them. You will always have the exact identical applications (and settings) on all the PCs, supposing the same Dropbox account is logged into each of them.
Portable apps: Few disadvantages
Despite all the benefits they provide, Portable Apps do have a few (albeit minor) drawbacks. These are outlined below:
- Not all apps are available in the portable format.
- In some cases, portable versions of applications have a restricted set of features, as compared to their installable counterparts.
- Some portable applications (e.g. Google Chrome) don t update automatically. So if you want to have the latest and greatest version, you have to download it manually every time.
- The apps that require some integration with the Operating System can t be run as portable.
- When run from removable media, portable apps run a tad slower than the installed software.
Where can you find portable apps?
The most recent versions of numerous portable applications are available from numerous web-based sources (often in the form of bundles including several programmes), including everything from web browsers to games and office suites to antivirus software. The most well-known ones are PortableApps, LiberKey, and Lupo PenSuite. Oh, and you should also look at our list of the 50 best portable apps.
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Use portable apps for convenient computing
Nearly all of the annoyances associated with using software applications—such as installation and removal—are eliminated with portable apps. Not only that, but because they don’t tamper with the OS registry and setup settings, they also somewhat improve PC performance. So why are you still waiting? Get the portable versions of your preferred programmes, then share your thoughts in the comments section below.
