Running programs from external hard drive

Question

I have a three year old Samsung laptop that has “Instant On” feature. It was terrifically fast when new but now its as just as slow as my old desktop. I’d like to reformat my computer so that I could have fast/“Instant On” back again, but I have things on there that I don’t want to lose.

Is there a way to run programs and files from an external backup disk without re-installing them on my laptop? I would like to just have a web browser on the computer proper and run programs from a second disk when needed. I never had any problems the first two years because I refused to install new programs, but then later, not. Now I am regretting it…

Solution

Yes, but not everything.

Look for portable versions of the programs. Do note that you might not be able to copy over the settings, as a portable version usually works quite differently. But once you use a portable version, copying/moving that version does also move the settings.

A place to find portable programs is here: www.portablefreeware.com

Google will also help. But again, not every program can be made portable. In these cases you can often find alternatives that are portable, or settle for the few programs that you have to install on a fresh install.

Comments

[sawdust]

You would have to actually install each program on the alternate (or external HDD), assuming that the application's install procedure permits it (some still force installation on the C: drive). But the apps will still use the registry on the C: drive, which is probably a source of the slowness. If you can afford it, consider purchasing a replacement HDD. Then you can reinstall everything without having to first wipe clean the original drive.