Difference between Installer and Portable Editions

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Last updated 9 months ago

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Difference between Installer and Portable Editions Image

Most of our software products are offered in two editions: Installer and Portable

What is Installer?

Installer is an application packaged into an installation program (setup wizard). The installer places the application into a specific folder, customarily into "Program Files (x86)", creates shortcuts and adds an uninstaller. The installer may also register file associations and extra components in the system to enable additional functionality of the application. Installer usually requires administrator privileges.

Vovsoft installers are created using Inno Setup. It is an open-source setup creator for Windows programs. NSIS (Nullsoft Scriptable Install System) is also a good alternative.

How to Run a Silent Install using Command Line

What is Portable?

Portable application can be placed in any folder on your computer, a USB flash drive or other removable media and launched from there. Portable software creates configuration files in its folder and generally doesn’t change anything in the system it runs on. If you copy the configuration files together with the executable file to another media, all your settings will be carried across too.

Vovsoft Portable Apps

Unless you have specific reasons to use the portable edition, it is best to use the installer to get the best of what the software has to offer.

Which folder do programs store their settings in?

Installed applications don't have access to write in the Program Files directory. So, they usually store their settings and temporary files in the AppData folder.

Example:

C:\Users\John\AppData\Roaming\VOVSOFT\Text to MP3 Converter

Portable programs, on the other hand, don't use the AppData folder. They use the folder of the main executable file.

⚠️ An important detail to note here is that if you run an installed program with administrator privileges, it gains the ability to write to the Program Files folder. Therefore, when run as administrator, it can write its settings and temporary files to its folder inside Program Files.

About Author
Fatih Ramazan Çıkan

Software development enthusiast | Electronics engineer

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Responses (9)

Jan 8, 2023 at 08:36 am (PST) | Reply

Activation state of the portable editions is stored in the host systems registry, therefore the statement "Portable software creates configuration files in its folder and generally doesn’t change anything in the system it runs on."
When one takes the portable edition to a new computer it has to be re-activated on that new machine and if the license was a giveaway license and some time had passed since the giveaway ended then the process will report an error that the license is not allowing new activations or words to that effect. The portable AND installer editions SHARE the same registry locations so if the portable edition is a different version number to the installed version on that machine, use of the portable edition can break license activation the previously installed and activated other version giveaway|!

hal davis

Mar 2, 2023 at 05:31 pm (PST) | Reply

If you use a portable utility key like I do, you know that most software, even in portable form, still place a registry value into the system you are running on. Some titles also keep several values that define the originally licensed computer online, so that the license is locked to the computer. In the first case, you can get around the licensing issue by creating a registry template txt file. This txt file should hold the entire registry entry as a copy, and be read only. You can then use the file, edit a copy of that file, save as a .reg, install it, then run the program, which will look for the registry key, and not need a rehash of the license. You can then remove the registry key afterward.
In the next case, there is little you can do. You might try contacting support and asking if they have a method to create a "Floating" license for utility use from a portable utility key. This usually has a slightly different pricing, and may require a specific hardware or software keying method. Some usb keys have an encryption function that allows software to be keyed in this manor, locking it to the hardware, requiring you to key the software once to lock it. If you copy that partition before keying it, you should be able to rekey another hardware utility, but you'll have to let the software company know, and the old hardware key will no longer be useable. Many small utility programmers don't build this into their software because it is a costly addition.

imo

May 23, 2022 at 08:27 am (PST) | Reply

Keystroke Visualizer is a very low-level alternative to KeyCastr, since it won't allow you to customize the look or the behaviour of the app:
- select font => not possible
- get rid of those stupid square brackets that are displayed on screen with every stroke => not possible
- special characters display => not possible
- display more than 1 stroke at a time => not possible

What a pitty!

Cedrik

Dec 22, 2021 at 03:57 am (PST) | Reply

Hi Is-it possible to launch windowresizer and load memory in command line to integreted it in existing apps launcher ?

Thks C.

Dodaj notatkę do pliku, folderu

Oct 7, 2021 at 09:59 am (PST) | Reply

Dodaj notatkę do pliku, folderu.Funkcja ta by była SUPER!!!.Na przykład:klikam na folder lub plik prawym przyciskiem myszy i w menu kontekstowym wybieram funcję DODAJ NOTATKĘ TO BY BYŁ SZAŁ-BARDZO PRZYDATNA FUNKCJA.

Christina D Anderson

Jun 2, 2021 at 07:12 am (PST) | Reply

I keep getting an error External exception C0000006 when I try to saved the available list.

john

Mar 16, 2021 at 02:44 pm (PST) | Reply

hi, how often does it sync with the net server and is it always syncing in the background even when x ing off

Pavel

Mar 4, 2021 at 12:59 am (PST) | Reply

To: Copy Files Into Multiple Folders
Do You have in plan verifying of files after copying? (Checksums)
Versioning, not only overwriting? (A.txt, A (1).txt, A (2).txt)

I think Your program is very interesting :-)

Have a nice day,
P.

Vovsoft Support

Mar 4, 2021 at 01:52 am (PST) | Reply

Hi Pavel,
Thank you for your message. Although we try to keep our programs as simple as possible, we are open to suggestions for new features. We will consider your suggestions in future versions.

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