I want to be able to surf the internet without worry about the webpages downloading information onto my hard drive. I was wondering I using PortableApps could keep that from happening. My thought is that all the webpage information should be downloaded onto my flash drive rather than my hard drive. Am I understanding correctly how this works.
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yes firefox portable is designed to download all temporary files to the location it is installed on (the flash drive)
if by protect you mean protect it from viruses and spyware and the like, then the answer is a definite no.
If you go to a malicious page that manages to exploit a security issue, or you click in the wrong place to launch some page with malicious content, then there is absolutely nothing to stop that malware from writing anywhere it likes, including your main hard drive.
If you want to protect a system
Alternatively, you should look at using a livecd linux distribution to boot from to surf to wherever you want. That can be made to be totally isolated from your HDD, but it is not really for the technically faint-hearted.
>be careful where you browse
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
Be careful what you install. There is also malware that goes by the name Brain.exe, so if you absolutely trust the people on the security forum, be sure which program you're installing is the correct brain.exe. I'd be leery of any claims that any software could "cure all problems."
...use brain.exe... and use the latest version of it! it is great! LOL!
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
You might consider installing Sandboxie (which is not portable, but does allow for portable sandboxes). The combination of portable Firefox combined with a sandbox might provide an extra layer of protection. Remember nothing is guaranteed these days as there is always the chance that a sandbox or virtual machine could leak to the host machine. Use all the protection you can if you're concerned.
If you're just concerned about cache, bookmarks, and other web page information being saved on the flash drive instead of the main hard drive, Firefox portable should be enough assuming that it is working correctly. I think there was an issue a while back where if you allowed it to perform automatic updates would start saving certain things to the hard drive, though (someone correct me if I'm wrong). I don't know if this is still the case in the current version, but I would turn off automatic updates in Firefox Portable and update manually, if you're really concerned.
TOO EVERY ONE CONCERNED ABOUT EVIL ON COMPUTERS!
1. READ the bloody manual
2. read THE bl**** manual
3. read the bl**** MANUAL
If you had read and searched you would know that:
1.Firefox with WOT, Ad Blocker Plus, NoScript, Cookie Safe and JSView will give you a safe browsing environment Providing YOU READ THE MANUAL.
2.You don't need this rubbish shareware "anti virus" just Spy Bot - Search and destroy and ClamWin will keep you clean.
3.What Java Script (JS), CSS, HTML, DLL, EXE and Autorun stuff are and how they work!
Do note:
1.Enable JS and Cookies on good sites EVEN if you are not going to bookmark them because then webmasters will then have reliable stats.
2.THERE IS LOADS OF GOOD OPEN SOURCE AND FREEWARE OUT THERE!
As for your Qu, No If you can run apps off a flash drive so can a evil exe