The only thing to watch for with portable executables is that sometimes they extract files when run.

Portable executables look just like any installer you download, except that the app or game runs when you double-click them. Sometimes they are executable (EXE) and sometimes compressed (ZIP). It almost makes you wonder why anyone would install an executable at all? Because sometimes you have no choice. Your portable apps will still be there, untouched, saving you the hassle of reinstalling all of your software.Īll these installers are often responsible for many of our computer problems. Although you can keep all of your pictures, documents, videos, and music, all installed software will be deleted. Portable software rarely contains unwanted third-party software because most PUP's come as installers.ĥ: Reset This PC Windows 10 features Reset This PC, allowing you to start fresh with Windows 10. These are called Potentially Unwanted Software, or PUP. Because of this, you can't always back up a folder and restore it later.Ĥ: Potentially Unwanted Software Many installers come bundled with third-party software that you have to watch for and opt-out.

These can range from a handful to thousands of unneeded files, wasting space and eventually fragmenting your drive.ģ: Backing Up Your Apps Installers often place files and folders in different locations. Installers were a great idea for simplicity back when we used Windows 95, but today there are numerous reasons to avoid installers, including:ġ: The Windows Registry Every app you install adds registry entries, and when you uninstall an app, rarely are all these entries removed, eventually creating a large registry.Ģ: Junk Files Like the registry, files are created and often left behind. If you want to uninstall your app, you have to go to Start > Settings > Apps and choose the app to uninstall. Typically, you install an app by double-clicking an EXE or MSI, and your app is installed. Portable files help keep your computer running better and are easier to install and uninstall. When downloading applications or games, you might see the option to download a portable version.

Best portable apps