We aren’t talking about antivirus software, but analysis tools looking in the usual places that malware hides. What they can’t do is cater for every piece of spftware out there with a portable edition.

Antivirus software scans portable applications in the same way as installed applications, after all they are only executable files.

You only have to look at the problems you have had and the inability to get directly to the cause (and we still aren’t there yet), to wonder if portability is worth the hassle.

Today’s hard disks are massive I can see the purpose of portable applications if you have them on a USB so if you are away and have access to a computer plug in USB and your portable applications with your customisations are available to you.

Since you are talking about what AVs should do, users have to do things also. The fact you are using a portable application doesn’t exclude it from being updated, it is just more hassle.

Updating all applications that access the internet is crucial (others less so but still important) and not to update your OS is madness as it leaves your system more vulnerable to exploit…