EDIT: Look at arizona480's post from March 21, 2009 - 7:24am on this thread here
https://portableapps.com/node/11309 and you have your solution!
I have a problem it seems many have had over the years, which is to use FF/TB Portable as the main and default programs instead of the local versions.
I understand there are problems where paths are being created in Documents and Settings instead of the PortableThunderbird folder and the start menu buttons point to blank versions of the programs.
There have been some answers suggesting how people could work around these problems, often just guessing and saying that it worked for them but then it didn't work for other people.
In the world of computer nothing is impossible and especially not if you know a bit about it.
Other people have just time and time again commented that one shouldn't aspire to making Portable your default, but that isn't helpful, seeing as the reason for asking was to find a way of doing it.
I understand that Mozilla wouldn't be too happy if everyone suddenly started using their program in a portable version that they haven't made, and so I understand that PortableApps must be careful in what it can and can't say about this issue, but nevertheless I think it would be safe to provide people with the choice.
Thanks.
See also:
https://portableapps.com/node/14501
https://portableapps.com/node/18663
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What response are you looking for for this? - It seems you outlined and detailed the problem/solution very well.
I'm just trying to filter the replies like "why do you want to do this", "you're not meant to do this", "it's not recommended or supported", etc. so that people who know how this is done can reply and instruct.
I think people who asked for this have mostly given reasons as to why they desire this function, will that they really want to do this and awareness that it was maybe not made for it.
The post is just responding directly to the way in which these requests have been answered, as a clarification of why they are there.
Mozilla do not have a problem, per se, with people using the portable version in a non-portable way, they're just happy you're using their products.
John T Haller does not have a problem, per se, with you using the portable version in a non-portable way. I'd guess he is also happy that you find his work useful.
However, both Mozilla and the people here do have a problem with users who do this and need support. What you are doing is not supported. This does not mean that it will not work, or that it is difficult, or naughty, or inappropriate, or wrong, or hush-hush, just that it is not supported. i.e. nobody here is prepared to commit in advance, the time required to talk people through doing it.
To do what you need to do, there are a stack of registry keys that you will need to manually create to point to your portable app install that tell the OS what and where it is. They are all listed in other threads here, I've even provided some of the TBP ones myself in the past.
You are most welcome to do it. If you ask specific questions, people will even probably try to help. If you wish to document the process in detail, or even write an NSIS installer that automates the process for others, that would be fine, and would make many people happy.
Sadly, and I don't think this is your intention but, what you are actually seeming to do is demand that the devs here, having spent a lot of their time on creating the Portable product, now spend even more time changing it to do exactly what you want, even though it isn't what they set out to make in the first place.
You are trying to use the portable versions to do something that they were never designed to do. The fact that it can be done is great, but the people who have invested so much time so far in the Portable versions have no fundamental reason or duty to spend more time on something different. It isn't what they wanted to make a product to do, so it isn't something that they have a duty to "support" you doing. That is what unsupported means, no more, no less.
The main reason that you get so little help doing it from here is that you are basically trying to reverse the changes made to the portable version. To get a default program, you can simply install the standard application, so why use the portable one... and before you think I'm lecturing, I know there are good reasons - I use TBP as my main mail client on my home PC, my work PC, and anywhere I happen to be, and I sync it across all the places.
Fair enough. Point taken, I was just hoping there would be a fairly easy way of doing this. I've actually found a solution now that I can live with and have installed the local versions and through Run... profileManager have set them to just access the Portable profiles.
Thanks.