Portable App Support

General Support Guidelines for Most Portable Apps

Many of the most common issues that arise when using portable apps are addressed here. Please read through the various topics to see if any of them address your question. If none of them do, and you can't find the information in a search of this website or the web, you can also post a question in the support forums.

Please note that these instructions only apply to applications packaged in PortableApps.com Format and published by PortableApps.com. In all examples, [AppName] Portable refers to the name of the application you downloaded and x.x refers to its version number.

Portable App Issues

• Downloading a Portable App
• Installing a Portable App
• Using a Portable App
• Upgrading a Portable App

Downloading a Portable App

To download apps from PortableApps.com, just click the Download button from the application's page. You'll see a SourceForge download page that automatically selects a download server close to you and redirects you to the download. (If you're using Internet Explorer, you may need to click the direct download link on this page. It appears as "If you are experiencing problems with the download please use this direct link" on the SourceForge page.) When you download the file, save it to a location you can easily find later like your Desktop.

Installing a Portable App

PortableApps.com Menu Installation - To install a portable app to the PortableApps.com Menu, just click Options and then Install a New App. In the window that comes up, click the Install button. Then, browse to the [AppName]_Portable_x.x.paf.exe file you downloaded and select it. Now, follow the on-screen prompts if there are any. The Menu takes care of letting the installer know where to install to.

Standalone Installation - To install a portable app by itself, or manually, just browse to the location of the [AppName]_Portable_x.x.paf.exe file you downloaded. Double-click the file to start the installation. Follow the on-screen prompts and select the location you'd like to install to. Within the directory you select, an [AppName]Portable directory will be created containing the portable app. Note that installing to the C:\Program Files or equivalent is not supported. It causes permissions issues on Windows Vista/7/8. Additionally, some apps will operate in 'local' mode instead of portable mode when installed there.

Using a Portable App

If you're using the PortableApps.com Menu, to start your portable app, just click its icon within the menu. If you're running it standalone, browse to the directory you installed it to and, in the [AppName]Portable directory, double-click the [AppName]Portable.exe file. Then, just use the app as you'd use the regular version. There are a couple of things to keep in mind:

• Stay Safe - When using portable apps, it's always a good idea to practice Safe Portable App-ing.
• Removing Your Drive - When you're done, close all your portable apps and the PortableApps.com Menu. Then select the 'Safely remove [device]' option from the icon in the system tray. If you remove the drive while it is in use, you could corrupt your apps and lose your data.

Upgrading a Portable App

PortableApps.com Menu - To upgrade a portable app from the PortableApps.com Menu, first, make sure the app isn't open. Then, click Options and then Install a New App. In the window that comes up, click the Install button. Then, browse to the [AppName]_Portable_x.x.paf.exe file you downloaded and select it. Now, follow the on-screen prompts if there are any. The Menu takes care of letting the installer know where to install to. All of your current settings and data will be preserved.

Standalone - To upgrade a portable app manually, just browse to the location of the [AppName]_Portable_x.x.paf.exe file you downloaded. Double-click the file to start the installation. Follow the on-screen prompts and select the location you'd like to install to. For upgrades, you should select the parent directory of the [AppName]Portable directory in which the app is currently installed. For example, if the app is within X:\PortableApps\[AppName]Portable, you'd want to select the X:\PortableApps directory in the Browse Folder window. After clicking OK, it should show X:\PortableApps\[AppName]Portable. All of your current settings and data will be preserved.