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Tip: Install Portable Apps in Dropbox

Now you have several Windows computers (for example, home PC, work PC, laptop) and should actually install each software on each computer individually, set up individually and update again and again individually? That must be easier to do.

... Image By Markus Fleschutz 🕓 December 27, 2018

The solution is Portable Apps (Portable Applications), but they are installed into Dropbox. Normally, Portable Apps are installed on a USB stick (or any other portable storage device) so that they can be launched from any Windows PC. By using Dropbox instead of a USB stick, the application is available immediately without unplugging/plugging in.

What are the benefits of Portable Apps?

👍 Portable Apps only need to be installed once.

👍 Every configuration change and every update automatically affects every computer.

👍 Portable Apps can be removed quickly and guaranteed to leave no residue - you simply delete the directory. Thus, the computer is neither cluttered nor slowed down.

👍 Portable Apps can also be easily copied to USB sticks and used from there.

How do I install Portable Apps?

  1. download the "Portable Version" of the desired software (often a .ZIP archive).
  2. in the Downloads folder, unpack the downloaded software package into a subdirectory. 3. Now move this subdirectory into the Dropbox. 4.
  3. in the Dropbox subdirectory, right-click on the corresponding .exe program and select "Pin to taskbar". Now the program can be started from the taskbar at any time.

Where can I find Portable Apps?

Wikipedia maintains a list of portable software - without claiming to be complete. Well known examples are Calibre, CCleaner Portable, CrystalDiskInfo, Firefox Portable, Gimp, Greenshot, IrfanView, LibreOffice Portable, Portable SmartTTY, Mp3Tag, Notepad++ and Visual Studio Code.

If in doubt, just search the Internet for the software you want. Sometimes the portable version is simply called "install package without installer" or "portable installation".

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