"Some programs are written in such a way that they need certain operating system files to run correctly.  They may even modify specific operating system files during the installation process.  Also, programs for modern computers can store a user's options and preferences in a number of different places.  The place where most programs store these settings is in the Windows Registry.  Programs that do this are not considered portable because they must be able to find the needed files and/or registry settings in order to run properly.

Portable applications get around this by making sure that all files and settings necessary to run, are stored locally in the same directory (USB flash drive) as the application.  They still use operating system files, but only those that are common to every computer.  This means that, in order to run properly, they don't have to look in a directory on the hard drive or find a system registry entry."

Still learning

Ebony

@Locutus

I am giving mailwasher a test run. So far so good.

@Grantwhy

Excellent info on the port apps. This is something totally new to me and I am enjoying trying them out.

Great info all.

Ebony

go to their download page
http://www.revouninstaller.com/revo_uninstaller_free_download.html
and at the bottom of that page there is a link to a portable version of their freeware program (it is in ZIP format so you just have to uncompress it and you are ready to go).

and going off topic (seriously, this should probably be a separate post or even an article *nudge nudge wink wink for the people that write them*)

if you are interested in portable (run without installing) programs, I recommend having a look at PortableApps.com
http://portableapps.com/)

the really fun thing is, it's all FREE

the Portable Apps platform is free (and you can run the programs without it, just remember to run the ****Portable.exe file to launch a program so it will clean up anything that could be left behind when you close the program. eg: run FirefoxPortable.exe instead of firefox.exe.)

all the programs are free (because they are free to begin with), and the people behind Portable Apps make sure they have permission before they include programs into Portable Apps (yes, even though a program is free [like Firefox] you still need permission to do stuff like that, which is why they don't have a portable version of IE).

If you see a portable apps version of a paid program (like Photoshop) it's been done illegally and not by them.

ps: don't put portable programs in Windows Programs folder. Apparently Windows does things to programs in that folder (and sub folders) that can cause problems with portableapps versions of programs.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled topic

@Locutus

Thanks for the responses

What I think I am trying to ask is about this program called

"IObit Uninstaller .....  it is a free Uninstaller without installation."

How is that possible, am I missing something?  It has a tool bar uninstall feature that I would like to use.

I use outlook for email.

EBONY

On a different subject, I am looking for a "free" program that I can use to filter out spam emails. I spend so much time deleting email and I am sick and tired to the "ups" email. I get it for a while and then they leave me alone, only to start again.

What email program/site do you use? As a general case, that MailWasher program Mags posted seems good. Another option is to switch to Gmail, which has a really great web interface, great spam prevention, and best of all is entirely portable!

I have seen programs that state they do not have to be installed, and I am curious as to what is different about a program that has to be install vs. one that does not.

Programs that have to be installed, like Microsoft Office or your antivirus, generally require administrative access to set up and leave behind permanent junk if/when you uninstall them.

Portable programs, on the other hand, do not leave anything anywhere on the computer but the folder they're installed on. This is great for, say, work computers, where you probably don't have administrative access, but still want to use Firefox instead of Internet Explorer.

One downside of portable programs is that they are slightly more time consuming to start, because they don't register themselves in the start menu.

For the free spam filter.  However it is only good for 1 email address, for more than 1 you need the pro version.

I used to use it and found it great for getting rid of spam before it gets to your computer.  However, now I need something for more than one email address.

To answer your original question, not sure what you are asking.  What I think you may be asking is what is the difference between installing software (which uses an installer and generally adds to your registry) and software that doesn't have an installer, all you need to do is just copy the file(s) to a folder and start using it.

Hope that helps.

On a different subject, I am looking for a "free" program that I can use to filter out spam emails. I spend so much time deleting email and I am sick and tired to the "ups" email. I get it for a while and then they leave me alone, only to start again.

As always, thanks for any suggestions, and this site rocks.

BTW I am running W7 64 bit

EBONY