Run Apps from iPod, Flash Drive & MP3 Player - Portable App Guide

Carry Your Applications with PortableApps

If you frequently utilize highly customized software through extensions and scripts, or simply desire the convenience of having numerous applications readily available, PortableApps offers an ideal solution.

This software allows installation on various flash storage devices, including iPods, flash drives, MP3 players, and portable media players. Once installed, you can then install and execute other programs – such as OpenOffice, Firefox, and VLC Player – directly from your portable drive.

A key benefit is that these applications function identically to their desktop counterparts, preserving all your individual settings and preferences.

Setting Up PortableApps

The following steps detail the installation of PortableApps onto your external storage, followed by instructions for installing additional applications using the platform.

First, download the PortableApps application. Then, execute the downloaded file to begin the installation process.

Click "Next..." to proceed.

Select your desired destination by clicking "Browse".

In this example, PortableApps is being installed on an Archos portable media device within a directory named "Data". The installation path is F:/Data/. After selecting the directory, click "OK" and then "Install".

Once the installation on your external storage is complete, click "Finish" to launch the application directly from the drive.

The interface will appear as shown. The right-hand side features directories like Documents, Music, and Pictures, functioning similarly to those found in a standard Windows environment.

To install a new application onto your external storage, click "Options" and then "Install a New App".

For demonstration, the Portable Version of Firefox will be installed, available for download here. Note that applications must have the ".paf.exe" extension to be compatible with PortableApps. You can view a list of compatible applications here.

After selecting the installation executable (.paf.exe), click "next" and choose the destination directory.

Ensure the installation directory is located on your external storage drive (F: in this case). Installation was performed within the PortableApps directory. Click "Install" and then "Finish" to finalize the installation.

Re-launch the PortableApps menu; the new application's icon will appear on the taskbar.

As illustrated, "Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition" is now visible.

OpenOffice and VLC Media Player portable versions have also been installed on this portable media player.

This process is remarkably straightforward. PortableApps provides a convenient way to carry essential applications without the need for a laptop or similar device.

Download Portableapps from portableapps.com