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Don't Leave Me Behind

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cyclone3211
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Don't Leave Me Behind

When I use a portable app with a USB drive on someones computer and complete whatever I was doing and remove the drive, is anything left behind that will either change the host computer or identify my usage.

I was always a U3 user and part time portable app user. U3 programs left nothing behind on the host computer but portable not only left things behind but also changed things on the host computer.

John T. Haller
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Bit Backward

Most U3 apps left all kinds of little bits behind as there was no solid testing program in place when apps were released or updated. I know, I built Firefox, Thunderbird and OpenOffice.org for U3 on contract for them. Those apps worked right but most of the rest were just awful. Most didn't even come close to following the U3 spec.

Most apps that claim to be portable work similarly and leave things behind. In order to qualify for listing in our app directory, apps must be 'fully portable', not leaving things in the registry or TEMP directory or APPDATA on the local PC, as well as adjusting paths as you move around.

It is important to note that there is no such thing as stealth when portable software is concerned, or any software really. The OS itself will make a record of the things you run (and it can't be removed without administrative rights). And everything you do over the network is easily trackable by a network admin. Even if you use a browser or add-on that encrypts your traffic, the admins can still see you doing that and will know something is up.

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

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