I just installed the PortableApps.com Platform on one of my 2 Flash Drives this afternoon.
The genuine tailor-made PortableApps.com Apps were of course easy to install.
The NON-PortableApps.com Apps on the other hand, were a different story.
Those were kicking my ass for quite a while.
CCleaner Portable, FastStone Image Viewer Portable and Revo Uninstaller Portable seriously worked me over :o before I eventually figured things out.
I have some questions.
(1) Is there any way of adding Folders there on the Right besides the default: Documents … Music … Pictures … Videos
I’d ideally like to add 3 more Folders on there. But, I haven’t read anything at the PortableApps.com site that indicates that this can be done … unless I missed it somewhere. So, far I just inserted those additional Folders in the Documents Folder.
(2) Okay, with the installations of Piriform Recuva and Speccy, 2 Apps for each were installed. There was Recuva and Recuva 64 … Speccy and Speccy 64. Are those with the “64” suffixes versions for 64-bit computers or something? For now I just hid those Apps so that I wouldn’t inadvertently click on them.
Usually this is quite simple, just place the folder for the app in the portableapps folder, so like this:
x:\portableapps\speccy\speccy.exe
And it will work
I have some questions.
(1) Is there any way of adding Folders there on the Right besides the default: Documents … Music … Pictures … Videos
I’d ideally like to add 3 more Folders on there. But, I haven’t read anything at the PortableApps.com site that indicates that this can be done … unless I missed it somewhere. So, far I just inserted those additional Folders in the Documents Folder.
This cannot be done without rewriting the platform. Whether you will be able to change the folder locations or not at some point in the future I am not too sure, I’ll have a look in the forums…
(2) Okay, with the installations of Piriform Recuva and Speccy, 2 Apps for each were installed. There was Recuva and Recuva 64 ... Speccy and Speccy 64. Are those with the "64" suffixes versions for 64-bit computers or something? For now I just hid those Apps so that I wouldn't inadvertently click on them.
This is the way that piriform forvide their programs. There is a 32 bit and 64 bit version. The PA.c Menu will look for, and show executables in the portable apps folder on the drive.
Scott, I had read the instructions on how to install the NON-PortableApps.com Apps and thought I was following them, but apparently I kept missing some detail.
The different Apps kept unpacking differently.
And then I kept trying to make custom-named Folders and I guess that was throwing things off.
Then I’d manually add the .exe File in the Path and it would make a Folder named like that. DOH! ;D I kept changing details in the Paths’ syntax until it finally worked. I’ll find out today if I really understand it now because I have to do my 2nd Flash Drive today.
Okay, since we cannot add custom Folders to the Platform, what about this?
It seems so easy, but I get the feeling it probably won’t work.
I’ll have no use for the Music Folder and the Videos Folder.
Can I RENAME those 2 Folders? It’d be Cool and help out a lot if I could.
I Right Clicked on them yesterday and it appears like I can.
The option certainly seems to be there. But, I don’t know if the Platform would ultimately have a safeguard and pop up a message, “Default Folders cannot be renamed.”
Have you ever had any problems with the Platform?
Especially something serious like one day you just plain ole have NO ACCESS to your Apps and Files?
I presume that you mean that you want to remame the folder from within explorer.
This wont work, I tried it just now and all it does is cause the buttons to not work…
I know this has been mentioned on the forum, and it may possibly be on the cards for later versions, but I wouldn’t hold me to that.
Problems? No.
All it does is provide you with easier access to the apps/files, and I have never had any problems with it.
Yep, I guess renaming it from within Explorer is what I wanted to do.
Because yesterday I opened up the Documents Folder from within Explorer so that I could put my other stuff in there. Then droolingly, ;D it dawned on me, “Heyyy! Why can’t I just simply rename the Music and Videos Folders since I’m not going to be using them?” But, even then, it also immediately popped into my mind, “Nah! That’s too easy. There’s gotta be a catch. It probably won’t work.”
You’re right. It makes sense. No doubt behind the scenes, the Platform is set up to where if those 3 Folders – Music, Pictures and Videos are renamed, the Path to those Icons will be broken, rendering them nonfunctional.
Okay, No Biggie. I’ll just toss my other stuff in the Documents Folder in the appropriate Sub Folders.
I’m getting ready to go transform my other Flash Drive.
Theoretically, this one should go a lot faster than the 1st one. ;D
Yay! I’m done.
I was right. With the experience I gained yesterday and now knowing what I was doing ;D … transforming my 2nd Flash Drive to the PortableApps.com Platform went MUCH more smoothly and quickly. In 30 minutes I was done. And with no mistakes, no having to delete anything and no redos. I did everything correctly on the 1st shot every step of the way this 2nd time around.
30 minutes today vs. a whole freakin’ afternoon and part of prime time yesterday. :o ;D
I’ll still have to add 2 more Folders to both my Flash Drives later on today after I make sure those 2 Folders are meticulously organized. But, that’ll be a piece of cake now.
A flash drive isn’t any different than a regular drive.
If you can do it on a regular drive, you can also do it on the flash drive.
You’re limited by the size of the drive.
Bob, with the Portable Apps that had Installers, especially the genuine PortableApps.com Apps, there was no problem. With those, it was just BAMM! They were installed.
Heck, even IZArc2Go, which isn’t a genuine PortableApps.com App … that one also installed with no problem because it had an Installer.
The problems I initially had was with the various Portable Apps that did NOT have Installers, but rather, came Zipped. Before I used to use the PortableApps.com Platform, I had no problems with those Portable Apps that came zipped because I would simply extract them onto my Flash Drives … create a Shortcut to the Desktop and I’d be good to go. With using the PortableApps.com Platform on the other hand, I encountered a different situation. Oh sure, I had no problem extracting the Apps into the PortableApps Folder in the PortableApps.com Platform. The problem I was having was getting the PortableApps.com Platform GUI to acknowledge and display the Apps on its Menu. I kept missing the correct syntax of the Paths initially.
WHY? Because the various Apps would unzip differently and were throwing me off.
For example, FastStone Image Viewer would unzip with its stuff in an FSViewer42 Folder.
The same with Revo Uninstaller. It would unzip with its stuff in a revouninstaller-portable Folder. When I’d add those Folders to the Path after E:\PortableApps … another Folder of each would be created. Thus, there’d be an FSViewer42 Folder with an FSViewer42 Sub Folder. Likewise, there’d be a revouninstaller-portable Folder with a revouninstaller-portable Sub Folder. These would of course throw off the Path and the Platform couldn’t find the Apps’ .exe Files.
Then the other Apps — CCleaner, Recuva and Speccy did NOT unzip with a Main Folder.
So, I had the brilliant idea of putting for example: \CCleaner Portable 2.36.1233\CCleaner.exe after PortableApps. Well, a “CCleaner.exe” Folder was also created in addition to the Main Folder. Of course, that didn’t work. I just kept missing and missing. I did who knows how many deletions of Folders and performed who knows how many Redos. But, I eventually figured it out.
Of course, NOW it makes sense. NOW it is simple. ;D
For some reason it wasn’t yesterday. DOH!
My thinking was just temporarily off yesterday. ;D
I just downloaded SAS Portable.
For now I just stuck it in a SAS Folder in the PortableApps Folder in the PortableApps.com Platform.
Since it is a DOS Application, would it be safe to say that SAS Portable cannot be set up to display in the PortableApps.com Apps Menu? I mean, it’s not like I can install it since there’s no Installer File or a Zip File.
It isn’t a doss application, it is just that it has a .com file type, this is used as in cases where malware is redirecting/blocking calls to run .exe files, a .com file type gets past that little hiccup. That is also why it has a randomly created file name to avoid the ones looking for security application file names.
This file can be run in windows by double clicking on it.
The Portable SAS is more of a specific tool to be used when others are being blocked, it is more a fire and forget as there is no way to download and retain signature updates (SAS has multiple daily updates). Though I believe it is able to update prior to a scan, but this aspect I haven’t tested.
Since I downloaded SAS Portable today, I’ll be running a Scan later on this even while the signatures are current. After that, I’d just leave it in my Flash Drive for an emergency. While it would be outdated as days went by, it would be better than nothing. I only run SAS once or twice a month … because the Updates take a couple of forevers on the Desktop version. When those future Scan come around, I’ll just download a fresh new SAS Portable and replace the old one. Either way, SAS would stay out of my Hard Drive and NOT take up space.
Okay, regarding that so-called randomly-created File Name.
Nnnnggg, I’m not so certain it is as foolproof stealthy as its intention might be.
After all … the randomly-created File Name DOES have “SAS” in it. :o
Yes but SASxxxxxxxxxxx.com isn’t SUPERAntiSpyware.exe, which is a world away from that, when malware is looking for security applications simple file name searching is the likely measure when you then introduce searching for possible permutation it becomes more complex added to the use of the .com file type makes it more complex still and that may defeat many malware versions that are actually searching for them or blocking .exe files.
It isn’t designed to be full-proof (the SAS in it helps you identify what it is), just a simple measure that makes life harder for the malware. There is nothing to stop you further enhancing this measure and change the name S_A_Sxxxxxxxxx.com or SxAxSxxxxxxxxx.com or S9A9S9xxxxxxxxx.com
Or I could change the name to ChuckNorrisAntiSpyware.com and it would still work, right?
As long as I knew what it was, right?
Anyway, David, the previous time that I messed around with SAS Portable (Last year or so), I did try updating the signatures even though I had read that each download comes with the latest signatures. Well, I mean, the Update Button WAS there. I was curious. As it was, in MY case, a disaster ensued. I ended up having to get Task Manager to get me out of a nonstop Hard Drive churning. Actually, I think I might have ended up requiring an outright Reboot. It got that bad. I’m not saying that would happen if everyone else tried updating the signatures. But, that’s what happened in my case.
