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Outlook Express - Fully Portable?

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Les Harris
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Outlook Express - Fully Portable?

I have just discovered this amazing PortableApps subject and it could well solve a problem for me. I have two PC's in my home office, plus a dedicated laptop that I use when visiting clients. (The home office runs on LAN.) I use a Seagate 5GB Pocket Drive to quickly move files between the PC's and the laptop, and sometimes to client's PC's. For several reasons, not the least of which is that my home PC's are on the dodgey side (I know, I am going to have to rebuild both of them, and soon!), it would be hugely convenient if I could run Outlook Express from the Pocket Drive.

Can this be done and, if so, how stable/reliable would it be?

Les Harris
Australia

Patrick Patience
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Not Really

I doubt anyone here would do it for you as we mainly do open source, and it would be completely against Microsoft's license if even a portable launcher was made. You have to register it for the particular PC, so I don't think it would really work at all.

What's wrong with Thunderbird? It's awesome once you get used to it.

Les Harris
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I wasn't looking for someone

I wasn't looking for someone to do it for me, just asking if it was possible. I have previously managed to do it by making the pocket drive the target for OE on the main PC, then making the folder a shared folder on another computer. It works but it is a bit clunky. The concept of portable applications made me wonder if it could be done more simply. From searching the Internet, it appears that I can do it on a U3 drive, which then brought up the question in my mind as to whether it can also be done as a portable application and thus be used on the Seagate pocket drive.

Les Harris

Patrick Patience
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Well,

It usually takes a lot of work to make an application portable, especially something like Outlook. Even though you may be able to pop it on your drive, it still leaves settings ALL over the Host P.C. So, you're not only leaving settings on computer you use, but they're not taken with you.

A U3 drive is a regular U3 drive with U3 'hardware' installed in order that the U3 menu will run. PortableApps.com doesn't need additional hardware to be installed on your drive in order to work. Also, U3 charges for a lot of the U3 Smart Software, PortableApps.com doesn't. I know that's not what you're talking about, but I just wanted to let you know that a U3 drive doesn't make making an application portable easier.

If a Seagate drive is a regular drive, feel free to throw Outlook on there, if it works, cool, but you will be leaving settings everywhere you go. Unfortunately there's no easy way to to make an application portable. I've heard of something called JauntePE, really have no idea what it does, but I'm pretty sure it won't help Outlook. Microsoft applications are very tightly tied into the system.

Now See Comment Below. Smile

Espreon
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Dude...

Why would you want Outlook Express as a portable app if Thunderbird is MUCH MUCH MUCH better?

Les Harris
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Could well be

It could well be a better mousetrap but I have OE running back over about fifteen years and I have to access old emails from time to time. Within this are a hundred or so folders so that I can find the relevant client, friend, interest group, software purchased on the Internet, etc. The bigger the database, the more difficult it becomes to switch.

Les Harris

Patrick Patience
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I'll just let you know,

It's best to get into Open Source because I understand your point there, but with open source if you were in a situation where a format's gone unsupported, or features that you really like were taken out of the program, or you want some other features in the program, an open source developer makes is easy to have all those things fixed.

Sorry about your luck.

Chad Ross
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Import

Thunder bird does have the option to import your contacts and emails directly from Outlook Express. You could always try the import, I have a feeling that this route will be a lot less work for you than trying to make OE portable.

-Chad

"If knowledge can create problems, is it not through ignorance that we can solve them." -Isaac Asimov

roor
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Outlook Express for Windows 7 and 8 Portable

Yes there is one version available on runasxp.com forum
here: [link to illegally packaged app removed by mod JTH. Outlook Express can not be packaged without permssion from Microsoft.]
that works on windows 7 and 8.
That version keeps mail folders, accounts, settings, rules e.t.c on same folder so it is good for usb memory.

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