An Updated Directory Of Programs Designed For USB Drives

By | April 5, 2005
29 Comments

Update Nov 6 2006: To avoid confusion I’ve moved all this back to the original page.

Here’s a directory of applications designed to run on USB drives, a subject I wrote about in the AWSJ and WSJ.com (subscription required; sorry). This list includes those suggestions kindly sent in by readers from the last posting. Please keep them coming (I haven’t checked to see whether those suggested run without hacks off USB drives, and I have left off some of the more sysadmin type tools the general reader might not have much appetite for.)

Then there are all the applications designed to run on Iomega’s proprietary Active Disk, some of which also come in non-Active Disk versions. There are also some other sites that have collected these kind of applications:

29 thoughts on “An Updated Directory Of Programs Designed For USB Drives”

  10. airWRX

    airWRX is an application framework that runs from a USB flash drive, and turns its PC host and other nearby PCs into a multi-screen, web-like work environment. airWRX makes a flash drive into a mobile application server, and any available PCs into your personal workspace.

    The airWRX framework is lightweight, extensible, and includes full source code. airWRX enables developers to create sophisticated mobile and collaborative applications that unify PCs and data like no tools before it.

    Reply ↓
  12. JW

    I’m told by Eyal Kaplan of Inmatrix that “Zoom Player is a powerful Media Player, with playback abilities ranging from MP3’s, through a wide range of Media formats, including video. Zoom Player Professional can also be used to view DVD’s and is the most powerful DVD front-end on the market today. Therefore it is clear that Zoom Player should be added or moved to the Media Players, or Video Players categories, rather than remain under Music, its current placing.”

    Reply ↓

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  15. La peste

    1 very good email client to be added: Foxmail
    It allows you to send emails from any connected computer running Windows and it has also a remote administration module for you accounts.
    http://fox.foxmail.com.cn/english/
    1 remark for VLC mentionned by gadgetboy: This very good program doesn’t need any codec installed to read a Divx… I have few movies on my USB drive and I can watch them on any Windows PC.
    http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

    Reply ↓
  17. Derek

    A program that I like is Mike Lin’s Startup Control Panel. It allows you to stop programs that automatically startup with the computer and does a better job than MSCONFIG. And it’s on 76Kb in size.

    Get it at http://www.mlin.net/

    Autoruns 8.0 also does the same but it is a little bit more complicated but has a few more features. http://www.sysinternals.com

    Derek

    Reply ↓
  18. kost

    I installed Opera on my USB Flash-drive. Works fine as browser/mailer/rss-reader.

    Just install anywhere you want, while installing remove “different profiles foe differenrt users” and edit some lines in opera6.ini.

    http://reg.kost.ru/02.09.2005/1

    In Russian… But you can which see lines to change.

    Reply ↓
  20. Fausto Di-Trapani

    Hi, great forum

    Being an extensive traveller, a portable computing environment is a MUST. A great little program I came across is Runit (http://magister-lex.at/RUNit/). It is a little program launcher with all its settings stored in an ini file (portable). I wrote a little batch file to edit the ini file to refer to new locations of programs when the drive letter changes, so far this little program has been the most useful of the lot for me as it allows me to easily access all my portable apps without having to browse through folders. Here is the batch file:
    **********START BATCH FILE***************
    @echo off
    echo @echo off> volume.bat
    echo set getdrv_=%%3>> volume.bat
    dir | find “Volume” > go.bat
    Call go
    if exist volume.bat del volume.bat
    if exist go.bat del go.bat
    echo.
    echo.
    echo.
    for /F “tokens=1” %%o in (.olddrv.drv) do if %%o==%getdrv_% (
    echo Current drive is %getdrv_%, INI drive reference is %%o. INI file references OK!
    start runit.exe %getdrv_%:USBAPPSRUNITrunit.ini
    exit
    ) ELSE (echo Current drive is %getdrv_%, INI drive reference is %%o updating INI drive references!
    echo %getdrv_% > olddrv.drv
    sed “s/%%o:\/%getdrv_%:\/g” runit.ini > runit.inz
    echo y | del runit.ini
    ren runit.inz runit.ini
    start runit.exe %getdrv_%:USBAPPSRUNITrunit.ini
    )
    exit
    ***********END BATCH FILE*****************

    Effectively the script looks for the old drive letter (this will have to be set up manually at first in a file called olddrv.drv in the program directory – create with notepad) compares it to the current drive letter and if it is different, updates all the references to programs in the ini file.

    You will need to have sed (Google search) in the same directory as Runit.

    My directory structure is as follows
    ROOT
    USBAPPS
    RUNIT

    With this little program I am able to plug in my USB drive into almost any windows PC and have all my programs available through one small floating menu.

    Active programs on USB drive now
    Ad-Aware
    Archive Pass Cracker
    BatchCompiler
    BSZipper
    Cryptainer
    Crypto Anywhere
    DSCrypt
    Edit Pad
    Encryption
    Essential PIM
    EXEDepend
    Foxit PDF Reader
    HandySafe
    HashCalc
    Hex Editor
    Internet
    IrfanView
    KeePass
    LeechFTP
    ListNetIP
    Miranda IM
    Office
    Office Pass Cracker
    OpenOffice
    PicoPhone
    Pop3 Server
    PrcView
    Private Disk
    ProxoMitron
    Putty
    QZip
    RecoverMyFiles
    ResourceHacker
    RightFTP
    SecEXmail
    Servers
    Spider
    Splitter
    SSFTransfer
    s-t-i-n-g-e-r
    Sunbird Calendar
    SuperScan4
    Thunderbird Mail
    UniServer
    Unzipper
    Utils
    VisitURL
    VNC Server
    VNC Viewer
    WackGet
    Web Server
    Win PW Crack
    WinMX P2P
    WinRAR
    Winsin
    xmplay

    Any problems mail me.

    Reply ↓
  23. PJ Daniels

    AT Notes don’t exist any more – it’s been discontinued.

    I’d luv a stickynote applet that’s truly portable.

    I use the portable version of Essential PIM (Free Version) – I’m happy with it, but I’ll have a look at ToDoList app you use

    In one your weekly BBC-WS sessions you mentioned web based word processor, any chance I sending the URL

    Suprised that Mr Postman isn’t mentioned. I use it in conjunction with Thunderbird Portable to access 4 mail accounts, include my home ISP.

    I use the FTP extension to Firefox – excellent, as is the latest Tab Mix – it’s Session Manager is excellent for Road Warriors

    Reply ↓
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  26. flowers

    flowers,1800 Flowers ,a collection of flowerWedding Flowers,wide selection of uniquePictures Of Flowers, the best online photo management Send Flowers,gifts for delivery all overPerennial Flowers,includes related articlesPro Flowers, the best place to compare productsSilk Flowers,in your office environmentHawaiian Flowers,your favorite photos to the worldFtd Flowers,florist gift selectionsWholesale Flowers,more detail on yahooTypes Of Flowers,more information ingoogleAnnual Flowers,contains a wealth of background informationPlanting Flowers,plantings plans Garden Flowers,gardening information and resourcesFlowers Online,more detail on msnOrigami Flowers,With detailed photographicFuneral Flowers,show you care with freshFlowers Picture,more on googleWholesale Fresh Cut Flowers,Conroys Flowers,Information Vacuum

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  29. Luke - Software Recovery Reviewer

    thank you for giving us this directory of applications designed to run on USB drives. That’s what I need. I deeply appreciate everything you do for us. Because you make our life easier by giving us the opportunity to use all these innovations.

    Reply ↓

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