How To Create Portable Version Of Any Software In Windows

A portable software means you can run the software without actually installing the software. In simple words, portable version of a program doesn’t require an installation. Portable programs can be launched from USB storage devices as well as internal drives.

Although some developers offer a portable version of their applications, the percentage is very low. However, there are websites distributing portable version of popular free applications. For instance, the official TeamViewer website doesn’t offer portable version of the software but the same can be downloaded by visiting portableapps.com website.

But if your favorite program is not available as a portable program and you don’t prefer downloading the portable version from the unofficial website, you can easily create a portable version of your favorite program with a few mouse clicks. All you need is a free program called Cameyo.

Cameyo is a free application designed to create portable applications to run programs from anywhere. Upon launching Cameyo, it takes a snapshot of your system, asks you to install the application that you want to see as portable, and then takes the snapshot of the system to create portable applications. Once the portable version of the app is ready, you can uninstall the installed application and move the portable program to a USB drive or run on any computer running Windows operating system.

Creating portable apps with Cameyo

Although, Cameyo is fairly easy-to-use, novice users can follow the given below instructions to create portable applications using Cameyo.

Step 1: Visit this page and download Cameyo application. Cameyo is compatible with both x86 and x64 versions of Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10.

Step 2: Run Cameyo application to see the following dialog:

Select Capture an installation option and click the OK button.

Step 3: Cameyo will begin taking snapshot of your system. If this is the first time you’re running Cameyo on your PC, it might take a few minutes to complete the snapshot process.

Step 4: Once the initial snapshot is ready, you’ll see the following dialog with “Install the software you wish to package. When the installation is done, click the Install done button. If the installation requires a reboot, simply reboot” message.

DO NOT click the Install done or Cancel button.

Step 5: Open your web browser and download the application that you want to make portable. Install the application by running its installer. If you’re interested in creating portable version of multiple applications, please install all the applications you would like to see as portable. Please close the installed application if it’s running.

Once the installation is done, you need to click the Install Done button appearing on the Cameyo dialog.

NOTE: If the program that you would like to make portable is already installed on your PC, you need to uninstall the program from your PC and then run the Cameyo application all over again. For instance, if you want to create a portable CCleaner but it’s already installed on your PC, you need to uninstall CCleaner from your PC first, run Cameyo, and then install it again when you reach this step.

Step 6: Once you click the Install done button, Cameyo starts taking the snapshot of your system again, and the portable version of the application that you just installed will be ready in a few minutes.

Once your portable application is ready, you’ll see the following message.

You can find your portable application by navigating to Documents\Cameyo apps folder.

That’s it!

The downside of this program is that it can’t create a portable version of already installed applications on your PC. Since Cameyo uses a snapshot method to create portable applications, you need to install the application that you would like to make portable after running the Cameyo program.

This means that if you want to create a portable version of the application already installed on your PC, you need to uninstall the same and install the same after running the Cameyo program.

Make portable programs using P-Apps

P-Apps is another free program out there for the same job. Although the official website is down while writing this article, it can be downloaded from many download directory websites.

If you’re interested in creating portable apps using P-Apps, here is how to do it.

Step 1: Visit this page of Softpedia and download P-Apps software.

Step 2: Run the P-Apps application. It’s compatible with all recent versions of Windows, from Windows Vista to Windows 10.

Step 3: On the home screen, click the PreScan button to begin taking the snapshot the registry and file system.

Step 4: Once the snapshot is taken, you’ll see the following screen:

Simply click Next button.

Step 5: Here, you’ll be asked to minimize P-Apps and install the application that you want to make portable.

Download the application you want to make portable and install the same. For instance, if you want to create a portable version of FileZilla, you will need to download and install the same.

Step 6: Once your application is installed, restore (if P-Apps is minimized), and then click the Next button to begin taking the snapshot of the system to acquire the changes made to the system.

Step 7: Next, you’ll see the following screen where you need to click the Next button to see the app(s) you just installed.

Step 8: Select the application that you just installed and want to make portable before clicking the Next button.

Step 9: Select High Secured as the default file system modes, click Next, select a location to save your portable application, click Next button again, and finally, click Finish button to save the your newly created portable application.

Open up the folder that you had selected in Step 9 to see your portable app. Good luck!