Downloading and Installing - Step By Step

If you're not as familiar with downloading software and then installing it where you need it to be, this is the guide for you. It explains in a step by step fashion, how to download an app (or the suite) and install it to the portable device of your choice.

Downloading

  1. Decide What You Want - The first step is to decide what you want to get. Do you want a copy of Firefox Portable to run by itself? Or do you want to download the full PortableApps Suite so you have a whole platform for portable apps? For most folks, getting the whole suite is recommended.
  2. Browse to the App Page - Now that you've decided what you'd like to get, browse to the app's page with its logo and the big download button. If you scroll down to the download details section of that page, it'll tell you how much space it will take up on your device.
  3. Click the Download Button - Click the big red download button
  4. Select a Mirror - The next page lets you select a mirror. This is just a technical way of saying, select a download server that's close to you geographically so your download will be faster. You'll see servers all over the world. Pick one nearby and then click the Download link in the right-hand column of the table for the server you've chosen.
  5. Save it Locally - Your browser will usually ask you where you'd like to save the file at this point. We recommend saving it right to your computer's desktop so it's easy to find.
  6. Wait for it to finish - The download will begin. After it finishes, you can move on to installing

Installing

Now, installing is a bit different depending on whether you are installing the suite, installing an app within the suite or just installing a standalone app.

Installing the PortableApps Suite

  1. Start the Installer - Find the installer you downloaded in the steps above (usually on your desktop) and double-click it to start the install process
  2. Install To - The installer will ask where you'd like to install to. It's best to select the "root directory" of your portable device. So, if your portable device is plugged in and shows up as drive E in Windows Explorer, you'd select the path E:\ You can easily just click the browse button next to the Install To line and then select your drive and click OK to fill this in.
  3. Click Ok - Once you're sure you've picked the right place to install to, just click ok.
  4. Waiting - Installation will take a while. It will take anywhere from 1 to 20 minutes depending on the speed of your drive. There will be times where the progress bar isn't moving during this time. Be patient. It's installing. If your portable device has a little light on it that lights up when it's being used, you'll see it flickering.
  5. You're done - Once the install window goes away, it's installed. You can use the suite by browsing to your portable device and double-clicking on the StartPortableApps.exe file.

Installing an App In PortableApps Suite

  1. Start Your Menu - First, be sure you've start the PortableApps Menu. Usually Windows will ask you to start it when you plug in your drive. You can also double-click on StartPortableApps.exe within the root directory of your drive.
  2. Select Install - With the menu shown (click the little PortableApps icon in the system tray if you can't see it) click the Options icon and then select Install a New App form the popup menu.
  3. Install Window - The install window that comes up just tells you that you need a file in PortableApps Format (which you downloaded earlier). Just click the Install button on this window since you have one ready.
  4. Select the Installer - In the file selection window that comes up, select the file you just downloaded (it should be on your desktop) and click ok.
  5. Waiting - Apps can take from 1 to 10 minutes to install depending on the size of the app. Sometimes the progress bar won't move for a minute or two. Your portable drive's activity light should be flickering.
  6. Done - When the app is installed, the install window will disappear and your PortableApps Menu will come back with your app's new icon on it.

Installing an App Manually

  1. Start the Installer - Find the installer you downloaded in the steps above (usually on your desktop) and double-click it to start the install process
  2. Install To - The installer will ask where you'd like to install to. It's usually recommended you keep your apps in a PortableApps directory on your portable device to keep things organized. So, if your portable device is plugged in and shows up as drive E in Windows Explorer, you'd select the path E:\PortableApps\ You can easily just click the browse button next to the Install To line and then select this directory and click OK to fill this in.
  3. Click Ok - Once you're sure you've picked the right place to install to, just click ok.
  4. Waiting - Installation will take a while. It will take anywhere from 1 to 10 minutes depending on the speed of your drive and the app you selected. There will be times where the progress bar isn't moving during this time. Be patient. It's installing. If your portable device has a little light on it that lights up when it's being used, you'll see it flickering.
  5. Install Done - Once the install window goes away, it's installed. You can use your software by browsing to the location you installed it to and double-clicking on the launcher (For Firefox Portable, for instance, it would be FirefoxPortable.exe). If you're using the PortableApps Menu and you installed manually, just click Options and then Refresh App Icons within the menu to make your new app show up.