Put too much software on your computer, and you run the risk of slowing it down. That's especially annoying if the problem is caused by rarely used programmes. But there's a solution: start such programmes up from a USB stick. Such portable apps don't need to be installed and interact only minimally with the operating system. Although they don't have to be on a stick, it's a logical place to carry them.
Portable apps don't take up much in the way of computing resources since they aren't registered with the operating system. They leave no trace. And, since they're portable, they can be used on any computer.
"Portable apps are most often used during service by administrators," explains Joerg Wirtgen of German computer magazine c't. But they're a good way to carry the programmes you need with you, especially if you use computers at internet cafes, libraries or universities that might not have them installed.
Candidates for carrying around include applications that compress files (7-Zip), photo editing (Gimp) or a basic suite of office programmes (OpenOffice or LibreOffice).
It might even make sense to carry around an application commonly found on just about every machine. Bringing your own Tor Browser Bundle with integrated Firefox means you can surf anonymously from any computer.
Another plus: carrying around an email reader programme means it's not necessary to set up a new client on each machine. Thunderbird Portable lets a person have his mailbox anywhere. The mobile version even supports the Enigmail expansion, for encrypted messages.
"That solution is much more secure than calling up web-client emails on someone else's computer," says Michael Lamberty from the Institute for Internet Security. "You never know if spyware is active on strange computers.
He also recommends KeePass Portable, which manages access data like passwords and stores them in an encrypted file that can only be opened with a master password.
Portable apps also have an important role to play when it's time to fix a computer. Diagnostic programmes, tools for cleaning up a registry or restoring data are all handy to have on a separate stick: keeping them there can spare a user a lot of problems when a computer crashes.
There are a lot of places to go to find all manner of portable programmes. "Portableapps.com probably has the biggest and best maintained selection," says Wirtgen. It usually has the portable version of the most popular programmes as individual downloads. Other options are Lupo PenSuite or LiberKey.
If you have a favourite programme, just perform an internet search under its name along with the words "portable" or "stick" to see if you find something useful.
"It's astounding how many applications have this kind of option," says Wirtgen. Experienced computer users can probably create their own portable apps, though not every programme lends itself to this approach. Anti-virus software has to be able to work its way well into the system if it's to do its job properly. That's not an option with a stick.
Other applications might not work as portable apps due to licensing issues, which require a close connection to the system. Anyone who wants to try to see if their favourite programme works as a portable app should go to Cameyo. The free service scans the installation of a programme and tries to create a virtual environment which mimics a portable version of the programme. However, there are no guarantees here.
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