IT Professionals

Use A USB Drive To Run Portable Applications

Posted by on Jul 19, 2010 | One Comment

Many people only associate USB drives with folders, files and data when in fact, they can be used for far more than just storing data. For example, USB drives can be used to run applications or boost performance.

Let’s take a closer look at how you can use a USB drive to run applications. There are many applications that are considered “portable” applications. This simply means that they can be run from a USB drive. The applications are installed on your USB drive, making them available where ever you go.

If you’re looking for applications to install on your USB drive, OpenOffice offers a portable suite of office applications, which includes a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation tool, drawing package and database. Also try PortableApps.com for a variety of other portable applications.

[awsbullet:Kingston DataTraveler]

  • llsee

    I think, portable apps are great and a real convenience. Thumb drives are fantastic. They are also easy to lose. So, if you are putting anything on the thumb drive that may have proprietary information, such as a portable email program with your Email accounts, you need to protect the drive. After losing one thumb drive with some Excel spreadsheets on it that contained personnel information, my replacement drive came with pre-installed encryption. I also use Truecrypt on other drives. Fortunately, my lost thumb drive was found and returned to me a couple of weeks later. But I learned my lesson.