FreeCommander Forum

Isn't the entire idea of a "portable" version of a program, one that can be simply dragged to any directory/drive you want and then run from there? Why am I seeing more and "portable" programs that need to be installed? Then you have PortableApps, which goes a step further and creates a sort of operating system that the "portable" programs need to be installed to in order to make them portable.

What happened to truly portable programs that you could just unpack to the directory/drive of your choice and double-click on the exe file to run, like you can with the Free Commander XE portable version?

The whole reason I like portable programs is that I don't have to install anything and I know exactly where the files are located. I don't have to worry that the installer is going to change my system or add unwanted shortcuts to my Desktop.

OK and where is the problem?

OK and where is the problem?

The problem is that Free Commander (the normal version) doesn't really fit the definition of portable if it has to be installed before you can use it on a removable drive.

By a "normal version" you mean non-portable version? If so, I still don't understand where is the problem, normal install version is for those who want it - and a portable version is portable, both are available for everyone to choose.

If you download the ZIP version of FreeCommander 2009 from http://www.freecommander.com/fc_u3_en.htm (almost at the bottom of the page) there is no need for any installation. Just unzip and go!

lujomu wrote:If you download the ZIP version of FreeCommander 2009 from http://www.freecommander.com/fc_u3_en.htm (almost at the bottom of the page) there is no need for any installation. Just unzip and go!

For some reason, that option didn't come up the first time I checked the download page. All I saw was the portable "installer" and the Portable Apps versions. Maybe Firefox screwed up (it wouldn't be the first time it didn't load the complete page), but I checked the entire page (what I saw of it) and there was no Zip version listed.

Hm.. perhaps it could be a bit clearer, all installations in the same table, direct downloads on the Downloads page.