What is a portable program

You may have heard about portable programs or portable applications and have wondered what they are and how they differ from a normal program. Are they really portable? What does this mean exactly? Do I need to install them? Are the normal and portable versions of the same program the same or do you lose something along the way? Portable applications are quite practical in many cases, but what are they? In .com we tell you what is a portable program .

Ready to work without installation

The main feature of a portable program is that they do not need to be installed : they can work directly, just by opening them, in any compatible operating system, since they do not need additional libraries that must be installed in the system (what normal programs do need) .

They are real laptops

Since they do not need to be installed, they do not necessarily have to be stored in the internal memory of the computer. They can be stored and opened from a USB stick or any other type of external hard drive, which means that they are really portable applications.

They do not modify the system

What exactly does it mean that it does not need installation? Very simple: all the information necessary for the operation of the program is contained in your folder (that's why it's also portable). All the changes or new files that are generated will be saved there, without making modifications in the operating system, something very practical when working from a computer in which the user is not an administrator.

When to choose a portable version of a program?

Many programs have the two versions, the installable and the portable, which is better? Everything depends on the case: if you are not a team administrator and you can not install programs, a portable will facilitate the task. If it is a program that you use only on a regular basis, you usually work on other people's computers, or you have low memory on your computer, you will also need a portable application.

When to stay with the installable version of a program?

The portable ones are not always the solution, and there are cases in which an installable is the most recommended: if, for example, they are programs that make the processor work a lot, it is better to opt for the installable ones, since the portable ones tend to be less stable . If the author of the portable is not the same as the original program, it is also convenient to do an installation. And if in general it is a program that you use a lot, it is easier to have it installed.