PortableApps is a software suite for USB keys

If you have ever used someone elses computer you will know the frustration of wanting a particular program they don't have. Installing that software may not make you popular so PortableApps is a clever alternative. You can either install PortableApps and its selection of programs to a USB key or external hard disk.

The installation is simple but you cannot simply click on Next all the way through as there is no default location for where to install PortableApps. This makes sense as you might have more than one USB disk connected to the computer.

This download is the full Suite. There is a Suite Light version that takes up less space on the USB key, 150MB as opposed to 400MB. Most of the space saving comes from including the word processor Abiword rather than the LibreOffice suite.

Other software includes Firefox, Thunderbird, Pidgin and the Sumatra PDF Reader. The password manager KeePass (read our workshop on how to use Keepass here) and audio player CoolPlayer+ are there. A couple of games are also included, Suduku and Mines.

Having a separate version of Firefox to hand is also helpful when there are problems with add-ons. If you leave the portable version as a clean installation this can help track down where the problem lies.

One limitation with Firefox is that you cannot run the portable version at the same time as running the ordinary version.

The Portable Apps Suite is still just a selection of the full range of compatible software. A full list can be found here on the Portable Apps download page.

It is possible to set programs to start automatically with PortableApps. Click here to watch our video on Youtube.

We have also explained how to backup a PortableApps installation.