Hi,
I've been using portable apps at work quite a bit and I opened a few documents in notepad++ so anyway turns out that documents you open (documents on your usb key) with notepad++ apear in Windows' recently used documents list.
The question is, is that normal ( or desirable) behaviour? I was under the impression that portable apps didn't leave stuff on the host computer. Or is that just installation files and configuration settings?
I guess what I'm really asking is this likely (or even possible) to change or should I just be more careful about what I get up to at work? Sarcastic responses need not apply - seriously don't you have better uses for your time?
Thanks,
J
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well portableapps only makes sure that the data the application makes are redirected now stuff like the windows mru will no matter what record the app you use. but everything else is yes redirected.
your friendly neighbourhood moderator Zach Thibeau
You could use something like CleanAfterMe when unplugging before unplugging your usb to clear things like the recently used caches and lists.
PortableApps.com Advocate
Doesn't Cleanafterme remove all MRU and IE history and etc not just those entries produced by portable apps? If so it still disrupts the host machine.
Portable apps are meant to be movable not stealth. PortableApps.com's apps are also meant to ensure no personal data is left behind. But stealth is not one of their design objectives either.
If you have permission to use a machine there should be no concern about traces being left behind. If you don't have permission then you need to find another hobby.
Ed
There are times when you have permission to use a pc but don't want to leave traces behind of what you were working on.
Eg. Using Money Manager EX at work/library/internet cafe. Also in certain competitive workplaces, you cannot afford to let your competition know what your working on. Maybe during my work break I want to play a quick level of a game or listen to an audio file without raising any eye brows from those who would snoop through the MUI or pre-fetch caches. Maybe its a really restrictive workplace IT setup and rather than use Roxio I'd rather use InfraRecorder.
As many negative possibilities there are for wanting to clean the caches there are legitimate, constructive reasons.
Also with CleanAfterMe you can select options for what you do and don't want to clean.
PortableApps.com Advocate
At one place that I sometimes work at, there are some people who have some files they use on daily basis. These are always on top places on the recent files list. Whenever somebody else uses those computers these lists get clustered with other links and the main users complain, that they have to search for their files. Yes a lot of people do not like using file managers and they have only little knowledge of the file and folder organisation on their network. Just like a lot of people use cars but avoid opening the hood to do something directly with the motor or even hate reading maps to find some place.
If my portable apps make Windows change the recent files list because I did some admin jobs on the workstation, then I better leave it so that the normal workflow is not disrupted. I guess it wouldn't be that usefull if every single app I use would investigate the recent files list when it closes down. What I would like is an app that starts automaticly with the PortableApps menu and records a time stamp of the host system somewhere. Then when I want to leave the system I can choose to press a button on the menu that delets all linkfiles in the recent files list folder of the host system. Of course this only works if I dont crash the system while using the portable apps, any cleaner for such a problem around?
I am not aware of an app that does that but an idea might be to copy the MUI or recent documents list when you plug in the USB than simply copy that section of the registry back when your finished. Not sure but think you would need admin rights to do this.
PortableApps.com Advocate
I found the following bits of info in a thread on a program called EjectUSB:
and from Rev 7:
The program is up to Rev 14. Oh, and it works on Vista, too.
Jim
neutron1132 (at) usa (dot) com
Okay, but what if someone else uses the computer before you're done running your portable stuff and their MRUs change because they ran some local stuff while your portable apps were still running? Those changes would be wiped out by your method, as well...
As for the admin rights, MRUs shouldn't require admin rights to modify, since they're stored in the user area of the registry (HKEY_CURRENT_USER). Cleaning prefetch files, however, does, since those are in \Windows\Prefetch, and the Windows directory can't be modified by non-admins.