On this site you will find a neatly categorized extensive selection of only the best portable software, tools, utilities, and games that are free to run from USB. Note that a program that offers no user configurable preferences might also be considered a portable standalone application, if the software doesn't write preferences back onto the host PC. In some cases a data file such as portable.dat is used to force those ini configuration file changes to remain in that local folder. Making it easy to keep your preferences the same when running the software or game between multiple computers. This config file can usually be found in the directory where the application is stored. In most cases, portable apps work by storing configuration settings and changes to a configuration file (such as an ini file) on the USB drive. They are also useful for people who need to work on multiple computers and don't have administrative rights to install software on all of them. Standalone applications are popular because they allow users to easily carry their favorite software programs with them to use on any computer without leaving any trace of their activity behind. Because they are self-contained, they can be run directly from the removable storage device, without being installed on the host computer's operating system.

Bring your favorite office applications, email, web browser, instant messaging, games, graphical editors, media player, antivirus, recovery tools, encryption utilities, P2P file sharing utilities and more with you on a removable USB drive.Ī portable application, also known as a portable app, is a stand alone software program that was designed to be used from a removable storage device, such as a USB flash drive or an external hard drive, without needing to be installed on a computer's hard drive. Here you will find the best free portable games, software and applications for Windows that can be stored and then run directly from a flash drive, pen drive, thumb drive or other removable storage device. Reviewed Free Portable Apps and Games for USB.

Best portable software