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Understanding Chrome Portable

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PortableGood
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Understanding Chrome Portable

I tried installing Chrome Portable via the PortableApps Platform, and during install it presented a dialog box talking about pros and cons of using a Google account with it.

The text presented wasn't clear to me, so I cancelled the installation and decided I would ask for some clarification here.

1. If you install Chrome Portable via the PortableApps Platform, then use it WITHOUT a Google account, and then uninstall it, is anything left behind anywhere?

2. If you install Chrome Portable via the PortableApps Platform, then use it WITH a Google account, and then uninstall it, is anything left behind anywhere?

John T. Haller
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Usable

Without logging into Google, I would not recommend using Chrome Portable. You'll lose stuff as you move around, making using a portable browser kinda pointless. That's what the message says.

No personal data is left behind on a PC in either case with or without an account.

Traces are always left behind in any app you run on any PC that would require admin rights to remove. Anyone who says otherwise is lying.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

PortableGood
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Follow-up

Thanks John. Happy New Year.

Here's my use case... I'm curious if it changes your mind.

I don't trust Google, and therefore I never install any of their software on any systems. For example, I don't trust their ability to perform a clean uninstall without leaving tracking ID's (or code) on systems.

But I do trust you and PortableApps. I trust that you and your team have the skills to perform clean uninstalls for Portable Apps.

My only use for Chrome Portable is to occasionally go to websites that my normal browser is having trouble loading (to determine if it is a browser incompatibility or just an error in a website). I don't need (or want) any data carried over from one session to another.

Given that use, would you recommend using Chrome Portable?

I just want to use it as a test browser that, when I eventually uninstall it, has NOTHING Google-related (advertising ID's, UUID's, tracking ID's, tracking code, etc.) left behind.

John T. Haller
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Chrome Portable

In that case I think you're good not logging in. I believe Chrome removed unique IDs but there are likely some advanced settings you can change to make it more secure with a quick search.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

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