sc0rpio said:Elric428 said:Anyone know if there is a DVD software decoder that I can run off a flash drive? My office did not install the decoder and I would like to be able to watch DVD's on my computer.
Have you tried VLC Media Player? It supports viewing DVDs.

That worked great. Thanks so much sc0rpio

Try Mp3 Tag Tools. It is portable according to PortableFreeware.com.

Let me know how it works out and I'll add it to the list!

May already have been mentioned but WinRar can be installed directly to a USB drive and used. Just did it and it worked fine.

Added Skype

Download the installer and install to the default folder C:\\Program Files\\Skype\\Phone. Then copy Skype.exe to a folder of your choice. Finally, uninstall the program. Create a subfolder called Data. Then launch the program by using:

Skype.exe /datapath:"Data" /removable

Requires 18MB of memory.

Source: PortableFreeware.com

UPDATE 1: Use PStart to launch Skype with the datapath parameter. Screenshot coming soon.

UPDATE 2: Or create a batch file called Skype.bat in Notepad with the following to simplify launching the app:
@echo off
start \\Skype\\Skype.exe /datapath:"\\Skype\\Data" /removable
- Change '\\Skype\\Skype.exe' to the actual location of the file on your USB drive
- Note that folder names must not contain spaces!
- In Notepad, click File > Save As > Save in: [Choose a location on your USB drive] > Save as type: All Files > File name: PStart.bat

Done!

This batch file works like a shortcut. Since the drive letter may change whenever you plug your USB drive into a different PC, creating a simple shortcut does not work. This is the workaround.

I'm pretty certain that WMP writes to the registry which makes it non-portable.

NY153 said:If i run Mozilla Firefox web browser from portable drive do i leave any traces on the computer?It doesn't store any long-term data on the machine.or is it completely untraceable?What do you really need? It is traceable--any programs can use your swapfile as memory. And it will, of course, show up in the process list, etc.

This is one of the most helpful threads in the Computers forum. Having your data on a USB Stick is very useful. Just make sure to practice safe security. I would also add some encryption of the drive/app/data if possible.

dumpav said:regarding "window in your pocket"

Can you make the drive like a bootable Window xp installer? so instead of carrying the cd around, i can just hook this baby up and reboot to new copy of window?

I want to do this too. I followed window in your pocket directions and got it working, but it's a stripped down version of XP like it said. Is there any way to boot into a full blown XP pro from it? I tried installing to it but XP won't recognize the drive under set up. I tried imaging from an existing install then booting from the usb (this time an external laptop HD on an USB converter) but I just get a blinking cursor. Has anyone had success with intalling a full blown XP onto a usb flash drive (or laptop drive in enclsoure, usb micro drive etc) and boot from it?

sc0rpio said:Try this tutorial

I haven't tested it personally. It's just an article I was able to find. Let me know if it works out for you.

Took a quick glance, looks very promising. I will give it a try.

SeriusBlack said:sc0rpio said:Try this tutorial

I haven't tested it personally. It's just an article I was able to find. Let me know if it works out for you.
OMG it works! Hahaha...that's awesome. So you can take your Windows with you wherever you go, store downloads, and sync @your house/office. It works, I printed the pages out & followed the steps with XP Home. I wonder about XP Corporate. Did this on a 2GB Sandisk flashdrive.

It didn't work for me. After selecting the flash drive to install to, it complained of not being able to access the drive. What version of XP did you use? What laptop?
I was missing this line:
"usbehci = usbehci.sys"
in all of my inf files from my XP pro. (no sp1 or sp2)