Can Portable Apps programs be run from Local Disk (C:) in Program Files?
I've been running the Portable Apps Maxthon browser for a couple of days. So I decided to download the regular Maxthon browser so I could spend more time to get familiar with it without turning my thumbdrives into toast due to excessive use. Everything was fine on the first day, the second day I ran the portable to change some settings I had learned & after removing it from the computer I started the standard Maxthon.
It opened to be basically the vanilla uncustomised version, all of my bookmarks & settings had gone. After re-booting the PC & re-installing Maxthon from its installer, with the same problem & no success, I decided to uninstall it. At first I thought it may be something to do with the portable being run. Although I have a feeling this happened to me with Maxthon once before, a long time ago, & also before I ever used portable apps. The portable versions still run perfectly fine.
Could I run the Portable Apps Maxthon browser from my C-Drive by just copying my portable version into Program Files?
That way I could familiarise myself with the browser without frying my flasdrive/USB sticks.
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PortableApps can be run from the C: drive but not the Program Files folder. It needs to be in it's own high level folder.
But I think you're being overly concerned about the durability of flash drives. New ones are very durable.
Ed
OK, thanks a lot for the information. I'll probably just stick to the flash drive version in that case.
Dave
Just create a PortableApps folder on your C drive and install it right to there. There are issues with running portable software from Program Files: UAC prevents it on Vista/7, and several apps switch to local mode when they detect they are run from ProgramFiles. So, it's best to create a nice little PortableApps directory for it. As a bonus, the PA.c installers will detect that install location automatically, just as they will for a USB drive.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Thanks a lot for the advice John, I appreciate it.
Dave
EDIT: I just tried it & it works fine. I can even put a shortcut button on the desktop.
You should add correction to this info (example is from GIMP article, but it is same for all Portable Apps):
"To install GIMP Portable, just download the portable package at the top of the GIMP Portable page and then double-click it. Select the location you wish to install to and click OK."
That second sentence should be something like this:
"Select the location (except "Program Files") you wish to install to and click OK."
One more suggestion: you can add option to make desktop (and some other?) shortcut in "install" program. This can help many new users.
:.:.: ZoNi :.:.:
Well, Maxthon is working fine, I updated (from the installer) just as I always have. Except this time I selected the folder I have designated for the C-Drive version.
The Maxthon portable has been working well on my C-Drive & updating from the installer was not a problem. However, there are two minor glitches that I have noticed. The first was an instance of Maxthon not running as it was convinced that it still was. As I couldn't open it I just deleted the file & replaced it with a safety copy that I keep (a good idea with portables). That solved that problem.
Today I opened my notebook & opened Maxthon & it was fine, but I closed it to do something else & when I tried to re-open it the UAC cut in, & wanted me to click on the Maxthon updater. As I could find no way around this I clicked the updater & when Maxthon opened it was like a clean install. I closed it & then opened it again & it was fine & back to normal. My notebook is running Windows Vista HP.
I have no idea why this behaviour is happening. *Puzzled*
Edit: I've just noticed that Maxthon has updated today to 3.3.8.3000.