The company I work for is VERY strict about installing/running software on thir PC's so any apps I use MUST not alter anything at all on the host PC, below is the list of Apps I currently have, cast your eyes over them and let me know if any write to the registry or do anything to the host PC.
PStart
Portable Firefox
YadaDisk encryption
Portable Thunderbird
Portable Sunbird
Portable FileZilla
Portable NVU
Trillian anywhere (as specified on the website)
xops096 game
FS Viewer (Image viewer)
PhotoFiltre (Image editor)
CDex CD-Ripper
Portable VLC media player
Open Office suite
Portable ClamWin AV
CyberShredder (file shredder)
dscrypt (encrypter)
File Sync
Foxit PDF (I know this writes to the registry)
Restoration (file undeleter)
UPXshell (exe packer)
7zFM Zipper
MiniUp (file backup software)
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When you have an employer like that, if they even see you running one... or if it shows up in the logs... you can get fired. So, my advice is simply don't use any portable apps at work.
Personally, I made the choice a while back not to work for employers like that, but not everyone is in a position to do that.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Like John said, some corps use so called "Nice" software, they make logs off what you are doing at that moment with your pc. So using portable apps without leaving traces wouldn't help you...
These things are forbidden in The Netherlands and Belgium (don't know for the rest of the EU) but this is come practice at some larger corps in the US. so watch your back I would suggest.
Bas
It's actually common practice at nearly all US corporations. The courts here have determined that since the PCs are owned by the company, they can watch every single thing you do with them. The difference is that some companies watch these logs like a hawk and nail anyone that strays outside the lines whereas others let an employee do whatever they'd like online and on the PCs as long as they get all their work done, don't break their PC (or anyone else's with a worm/virus) and don't do anything illegal.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
and just use the flash stick for data storage (I'm ok to do that)
Thanks for the advice guys.
I've worked at a company like John described at the end of his comment, and the only thing they added was that you could spend up to 20 minutes per day on non work related internet browsing, allowing you to quickly catch up on personal e-mail, news, that kind of thing, which seemed reasonable enough, though determining which was personal and which wasn't would obviously take some effort...