How do I join and learn to Beta Test?

I believe beta testing generally involves downloading a beta or development test version and using it as much as you can to uncover particular bugs.
There are a few specific things in regards to portability that need to be watched, but these are usually caught by experienced users:
- Does the software leave behind registry entries after is closes? There are a few that are acceptable (listing as "most recently used" for example, often referred to as MRU, cannot be prevented, but is not considered a problem), but most should be redirected by the launcher.
- Does the software leave behind files in the user folders after it closes?
- Does the software create absolute links tied to a specific drive letter? The quickest way to check for that is to plug your usb into more than one computer where it's assigned different letters.

It's also important to check to see if all the functions that are available to the installed version also work in the portable version. However, it's a good idea to NOT check installed and portable on the same computer, because the OS may not accurately distinguish between the two when it comes to settings.

There are lots of development tests available here: https://portableapps.com/development/test

I guess the MOST important thing to do in testing is to actually post feedback on the pages of the app you are testing. A lot of apps kind of sit there because the developer isn't getting enough feedback.

Good luck, and happy testing!

There are a few devs here in charge of checking to make sure apps on the road to official status are truly portable, but otherwise anyone can help out, there is no sign up, and there are no guidelines apart from using the apps and making sure you report anything out of the ordinary that you notice.

Running the app on a clean virtual machine while using RegShot Portable (which you can find in the beta testing forum) and/or any other filesystem scanners you would like can also help weed out portability issues that everyday users may not ever notice.

There are some great apps in the beta testing forum, some of which are just as portable as any of the official apps, they just haven't made it to official yet for whatever reasons.

Otherwise, welcome to the forums.

As mentioned before, download RegShot Portable. That is the most important app you will need to test beta apps.

After that, browse on over to the the beta forums and check out their apps.

I'll use the first one I saw as an example: Rainmeter Portable is being tested right now. Go there, and click on the download link. Install it to the location of your choice. Then run RegShot Portable, and take the first shot. Then run Rainmeter Portable, change some settings, do some things, then exit. Wait a couple of seconds, then go back to RegShot and take a second shot. When it's done, click "compare" and look at the file. If anything says "XXX Created" (i.e. Files created) and if it looks like they're Rainmeter's settings and they're not in the Data folder of Rainmeter Portable, then you got a problem--a portability bug. Otherwise, the app is probably clean.

You can then post a comment in the topic saying if it's clean or it leaves settings behind and VIOLA! your a beta tester It's also nice to know what computer you tested the app on, such as Windows XP, Vista, and whether you had administrative rights or not.