I have about a 260GB external harddrive which is for storage so I don’t lose documents. It seems somewhat possible that one could actually install programs directly on there and still be able to access them. Is there any truth to this?
Yes you can but the registry mods many of them put in place would make them not work if attached to a different computer…at least in windows.
If the external drive is only going to be attached to one computer, than it’s not trouble at all, just install them on the external drive as if it were not external. However, if you want the programs installed to be able to “travel” with the external drive to other computers, then you need to find programs specifically designed to be installed on portable/flash drives.
There was a program posted on here a few days ago that lets you turn a program into a stand alone program. You could run them on the hard drive and not have to worry about reinstalling when you put it on another computer.
If it’s a Mac you can have apps on an external FAT HD, you just can’t boot from that drive.
That was me, the process is called application virtualization, the software to do it is like $500 at the moment.
BufferZone is an application virtualizer that costs only $30 (currently on sale). TrustWare also offers free downoadable virtualizers for web browsers (IE, Firefox, Download Accellerator Plus), P2P programs (LimeWire, Kazaa, eMule, BitComet, Morpheus) and IM/VoIP clients (AOL, Yahoo, MSN, ICQ, Skype, GoogleTalk, PalTalk, CamFrog and Trillian)
I probably sound like an ad, but I just wanted to point out that virtualization is starting to take off as a means to augment virus protection and firewalls against system infection by viruses, worms, and other malware. The downside is that it does reduce system performance due to the way in which virtualization works, but for many this may be an acceptable tradeoff for greatly enhanced system security. As a result, it’s starting to hit the consumer level at a good price point. It’s not for the computer noviate, mind you, but slightly more advanced users can probably appreciate the benefits.
As for the OP, there are sites out there that specialize in open-source portable apps. PortableApps.com is one such place and they have a pretty good selection available. Put 'em on any removable device and run them from any (Windows) system.
Why are u playing for a $500 program. There are plenty of torrent and warez sites around to get it off.
(Of course this is only to see if you like the program and you should buy it and support the people who made it)
Or I am a business that people would actually bother to sue for trademark infringement.
In addition, when you use things to make money with, paying for the materials is a little less of a big deal. Example, I paid $75 for a boot disk utility package recently. Sure I could go grab a copy of UBCD for free, but the package I got works very very well. If it makes something I do on a daily basis an easier task, its worth paying for.
In addition I can virtualize customer apps as needed in many cases. Even licenced ones.