The advantages of using portable programs are many, starting with the fact that you don’t have to install them on the system to work, meaning their operation is totally outside the system and leaves no traces of permanent files on your computer. Thanks to the free program Cameyo, you can create your own portable versions of any program, which you can use on any computer running Windows.
The way the app works is very simple. First it will do a status check on the system, then you’ll have to install the program that you want to make portable, and finally go back to analyze the changes made by the system to condense all the files necessary to its operation into a single executable file.
In a few minutes you’ll have an .exe with the virtualized, fully functional program that you can take with you anywhere. These are the steps to be followed:
- First you’ll launch Cameyo, which offers a menu where you can select whether you want to access the program’s main menu or directly create the portable version based on an installation. In all cases, you’ll tick the latter option.
- Next, you have to wait a few moments as it does a system check, and then it will request you start the installation. We’re going to make a portable version of the popular audio editor Audacity, and proceed with the installation.
- A few things to keep in mind: The program should not already be installed on your computer, it should be an installation from zero. In addition, it’s advisable not to run other tasks during the installation and disable your automatic system updates, since, as we’ve mentioned, Cameyo compares the status of the program before and after installation and memorizes the changes made, meaning any changes should be exclusively related to the program that interests you.
- Once the installation is ended, you’ll click on the ‘Install done’ button and, after a few seconds in which it does a second check, you’ll be notified whether the portable program was created successfully.
- You can later access the ‘Package Editor’ option to make internal changes to the generated .exe, although some options are reserved to more advanced users. Be that as it may, the default operation should be more than sufficient to your needs.
- Finally, you can access the /Documents/Cameyo Apps folder in your library to verify the result, which if everything’s worked properly should run independently on any computer where you run it.
