Start.exe - What is it? Necessary? My PA is working without it.

Hi! How do you start the PAc Platform, a shortcut? Until recently, usually run from flashdrive, I always expected a Start.exe too.

I'm quessing that you did a Local Install. Either for current user or for all users. And had the Platform create a shortcut when you installed. I was surprised when I couldn't find Start.exe after installing for all users. It appears that the Platform instead points the shortcut to PortableAppsPlatform.exe which is in C:\PortableApps\PortableApps.com.

In Windows 8.1 the shorcut, PortableApps.com Platform, itself is located in C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs, where username is your login name.

In that case the only things you would move would be Documents and PortableApps folders. You might want to change or remove the shortcut.

The locations for the folders and shortcut are more complicated if you installed for current user.

Start.exe is primarily for portable use. It will test for a working TEMP directory and supports configuring a custom TEMP directory called TempForPortableApps when it exists in the same directory as Start.exe. It is generally unnecessary when running the platform on your own PC as TEMP will be under your own control. Start.exe is not created in the root C:\ directory when you select a local install as Windows 8 and later to not permit EXE files to be created here. When used portably, Start.exe also serves as an easier to use way of starting up the platform rather than having to open up the PortableApps folder and then PortableApps.com folder and then running PortableAppsPlatform.exe.