Question: what is the difference between a portable program that does not require installation and one that instead installs with an automatic procedure that copies many files in various folders of the operating system "> This is one of the main differences between traditional and portable programs and it is worth understanding if and when they are preferable to each other. Programs that require installation on your computer start from a file called installer which includes instructions for copying the various files, making connections with the system's internal libraries (DLL files) and writing registry keys on Windows.
In most cases, the software uses existing DLL files except in cases where the programmer has created a custom library with a file that must be positioned appropriately during the software installation.
Since they are integrated into the system, the programs with installer, if well designed and programmed, are faster than the portable programs in their execution and operation.
Software that requires installation cannot be deleted to remove it from your computer, but requires an uninstall procedure guided by an included program.
The problem is that sometimes this uninstall has been poorly designed and is unable to delete all the files and references brought by the installation from that program.
Furthermore, from a privacy point of view, it is always possible to know if a certain program has been installed on a PC.
When using the installer to install a program, the following things happen on the Windows PC:
- The software creates a new folder in Programs or Users, according to how it is configured.
- New values are written to the Windows Registry and / or old entries may be changed.
- The installer copies files to the created folder.
- A shortcut to the program is created on the desktop, the Start menu and the taskbar
- Some new DLL files may have been added to the C: \ Windows \ System32 folder.
- When uninstalling the same software, one or more of the items created above can remain on the computer.
READ ALSO: Create portable programs of those installed on the PC with software virtualization
Portable programs, on the other hand, consist of one or more files inside a folder that can be moved wherever you want, even on a USB stick.
They are called "portable" precisely because, if copied to a portable USB drive, they can be run on any PC, without having to install them.
Thanks to this feature, they do not modify any system file, leave no traces on the PC in use and therefore allow it to be used even with full privacy.
If there is a folder in which the program is run, it could create an INF or XML file in its execution inside that same folder.
Portable software already contains built-in DLLs and can even create a virtual machine to run in, especially if it needs to use the Registry (the VM is then removed when the program is closed).
As mentioned above, it is not necessary to install it and it saves some initial time even if, its execution, it remains a little slower than a program with installation.
While every software can become portable in theory, not all programs can be portable in practice. because they would be huge.
For example Office programs would require the inclusion of several DLL files already included in Windows and of many of those internal references that would become much larger than normal.
Portable programs are very useful for technicians who work on multiple computers and for those who want to use public computers anonymously.
In another article we have seen the best portable programs without installation for USB sticks (Windows) .
