25 `MUST HAVE' PORTABLE APPS
Why do you need portable
apps? Well, we're usually faced with a space crunch on our hard drives due to
the huge file sizes that result from 4K and Full HD videos, 20MP photos,
lossless audio rips, graphic-heavy games, and the sheer amount of data we store
on our PCs. Also, it doesn't make sense to install each and every software
most of which we might use occasionally on our already packed computers. In
such cases, all you need to do is use a 16GB pen drive and pack it with the
myriad software that you need. Using these is as simple as plugging the USB
stick into your machine, and clicking on the app to start. Besides, your
`cleaner' computer will boot up faster, and you can also use these software on
the go when your own PC is not at hand.
Now, portable apps can be
installed in two ways: You can download the portable installer from the
software's website and save it to your pen drive. Or, visit
http:www.portableapps.com and install its software. This allows you to use the
Portable Apps dashboard to install, launch and manage multiple apps.
PRODUCTIVITY
1 LibreOffice is a complete
office suite that allows you to edit documents, spreadsheets and presentations
from the USB drive itself. This way, you always have access to your templates,
formatting styles and settings wherever you go. It is compatible with Microsoft
Office file formats (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and it even lets you save
documents to a printable PDF .
http:www.libreoffice.org
2 Sumatra PDF is
lightweight PDF reader that comes with all the features you require: multiple
viewing modes such as facing pages, book view, the ability to rotate documents,
read in full screen or as a presentation, and more. It even supports eBook and
comic book formats like Mobi, ePub, CBZ and CBR. Sumatra PDF comes with a
clutter-free user interface. It loads documents in tabs, which can be navigated
with keyboard shortcuts.
http:www.sumatrapdfreader
.org
3 Notepad++ a souped up
version of MS Notepad lets you open multiple TXT files in tabs. It creates a
back up of unsaved files, supports bookmarks, and even allows for split-screen
editing. You can install plug-ins to add a spell checker and support for
multiple clipboards. Notepad++ also works for coding in HTML, Java, C# and CSS:
Its auto-completion feature lets you type commonly used functions quickly; its
automatic highlight feature helps you find matching tags, and you can even
scroll through a program with the help of a document map.
notepad-plus-plus.org
4 PNotes provides you with
a digital option to the sticky notes that clutter your workspace. This software
is highly configurable, yet light on system resources. It lets you configure
the note's appearance, transparency and font type. You can format text, create
bulleted lists, insert images, emoticons, and even set it to alert you of
overdue tasks. All your notes are saved in PNotes' `Control Panel' where they
can be sorted by tags and grouped by folders with assigned priority levels.
sourceforge.netprojectspnotes
MULTIMEDIA
5 VLC Media Player supports
a range of video formats MPEG, DivX, XviD, H.264, WMV and Real Video
straight out of a USB stick. It supports subtitle files, and its software-based
audio amplifier even lets you increase sound volume well beyond the system
maximum to boost weak output.
http:www.videolan.org
6 While you can use VLC as
a music player, we recommend XMPlay Portable for audio files such as MP3, Ogg
Vorbis, AAC, WAV and WMA formats.It allows for “gapless playback“ of songs; you
can listen to internet radio, create playlists, enable visualisations and even
change its UI appearance.
http:www.portableapps.com
EDITING SUITES
7 GIMP is a full-fledged
photo-editing software, much like Adobe Photoshop. You can use it to touch up
images, fix perspective and distortion caused by camera lens, create cut outs,
adjust colours, and even work with complex graphics. It supports the lossless
RAW format, and lets you save your final work as a PSD, JPG, TIFF , GIF and
PNG.
http:www.portableapps.com
8 If Gimp seems too
complicated, then check out XnView. It lets you resize, crop, rotate, adjust
brightnesscontrast, tweak colours, apply filters and even `batch process'
multiple files at once to save time and effort. It can read 500 image formats,
and you can exportconvert files to 70 formats, including PSD, GIF , PDF , PNG
and TIF .
http:www.portableapps.com
9 WAV Audacity is an audio
editor that lets you record your voice; import music and special effects in ,
AIFF, FLAC and Ogg Vorbis formats. You can work with multiple tracks in a
single project, adjust volume levels for each track, crossfade songs, adjust
bass and treble, change pitch and tempo, and you even get a range of effects
and filters to reduce noise. Your final output can then be saved as a single
mix or exported as separate tracks in WAV , FLAC, Ogg Vorbis and MP3 formats.
http:www.portableapps.com
10 Avidemux is a
video-editing software that lets you trim, crop and resize movie footage. It
also lets you re-encode a video file from one format AVI, MP4, Matroska,
MPEG-2, H.264 and H.265 to another to cut down on file size. With Avidemux,
you can apply basic visual effects such as rotate, flip, add borders and grain
to the video.
http:www.portableapps.com
11 Krita Desktop is a feature-packed
painting application that lets you work in layers, saves your final work as a
vector file and also supports Photoshop's PSD format. You get “drawing
assistants“ and brush stabilisers to offset a user's shaky hands while
sketching shapes. Its built-in brush engines allow you to apply special
effects, create your own custom brushes and import other users' texture packs
from its website's Resources page.
krita.org
12 Blender 3D is a robust
open source software for 3D modelling, rendering, animation, compositing,
motion tracking and editing videos. Here, you can render photorealistic objects
with detailed textures and HDR lighting. It comes with 20 brush types for
sculpting 3D objects and characters, a builtin library of camera effects, and
realistic simulations for objects like fluid, smoke, hair and cloth.You also
get access to graphic extensions created by other animators. This software is
resource intensive and should be used on a PC with a 64-bit quad-core processor
and at least 8GB RAM.
http:www.blender .org
INTERNET
13 If your job requires you
to work off different PCs, then use portable browser versions of Chrome, Opera
and Firefox to surf the internet. This ensures that you do not leave a `cookie'
trail of your browsing history on the host PC. Using these, you can also save
your bookmarks on the USB stick.
http:www.portableapps.com
14 The Mozilla Thunderbird
email client lets you carry your inbox with you and draft messages in “offline“
mode for times when you don't have an internet connection. Setting up multiple
accounts is simple: Provide your name, ID and password and Thunderbird will
automatically load mail server settings for you. It allows you to view emails
in tabs; you get a built-in calendar, as well as a safeguard that warns you
about suspicious web links in an email.
http:www.portableapps.com
15 TeamViewer is a remote
access and collabora tion app with cross-platform support. This means you can
use it to initiate a remote session between multiple PCs and smartphones that
also have the software installed. Once you register with the service, you can
configure it for data compression and lower video quality to conserve
bandwidth.All remote sessions and communication via its whiteboard and
messenger feature are secured with AES 256-bit encryption.
http:www.teamviewer .com
16 With portable Skype you
get the same features as the full-fledged desktop version: you can send instant
messages, make voice and video calls (provided you have a webcam), initiate
group conversations, transfer files and even share your screen
for remote assistance.
http:www.portableapps.com
17 Telegram Desktop is a
secure instant mes senger. You can be logged in to multiple devices
(smartphones and tablets), and on different platforms (Android, iOS, Win Phone,
Windows, Mac OS, Linux) at the same time. Plus, you can share an unlimited
number of files (JPG, MP3, DOC, ZIP , etc.) of up to 1.5GB each. So the
messages you sent from your smartphone along with the files you have shared
will be visible in the Telegram Desktop window too. You can configure the app
to save shared files to a specific folder on the pen drive; automatically clear
cache when you log out and enable two-factor authentication for enchanced
security . On the down side, the desktop version does not support the secret
chat function that's available on its mobile app.
http:www.portableapps.com
UTILITIES
18 In situations when you
have to work with spotty internet bandwidth, use Free Download Manager. It splits
files into “sections“ and downloads them simultaneously to save time. It allows
you to resume downloads after broken connections, and even includes a
scheduler. Besides, FDM lets you preview videos before they are downloaded
completely; it supports BitTorrent, a popular peer-to-peer file sharing
protocol and automatically organises files by their type.
http:www.freedownloadmanager
.org
19 7-Zip is an efficient
file archivalcompression tool. You can use it to extract compressed files from
formats such as ZIP , RAR, TAR, CAB and ISO to a folder of your choice.
Conversely , it can be used to create a compressed file by selecting the files
folders and then clicking its “ Add“ button. It lets you select the compression
level (Normal, Fast, Ultra...); split the final file into multiple manageable
blocks (CD, DVD...) and encrypt the archive with an AES 256-bit cipher.
http:www.portableapps.com
20 If your PC seems
sluggish, it's probably be cause of the temporary files created by the software
you use. Enter CCleaner, a tool that purges your system of this junk. The app
first analyses your system to give you a break up by software of all the
residual files on your computer along with the amount of space they occupy .
Select what you want to remove and click the “Run Cleaner“ button to start the
process.
http:www.piriform.com
21 Uninstalled software
leaves residual files and Registry entries. Revo Uninstaller saves you the
trouble of manually clearing these files by thoroughly uninstalling a program.
You can even use this utility to remove those stubborn toolbars that refuse to
go away . And if you cannot find the offending software, then enable Revo's
“Hunter Mode“ and click on the unwanted application's shortcut to start the
uninstall procedure.
http:www.revouninstaller
.com
22 Recuva lets you retrieve
files that you might have permanently deleted from your PC. It uses a
wizard-driven interface to list deleted files in a searchable format, along
with the option to preview them if they are images. Now, there is no guarantee
that you will always be able to recover deleted data, but it is a useful
utility to have on hand in an emergency . That said, in case you need to
retrieve critical files, it is best to get pro fessional companies who do this
for a fee.
http:www.piriform.com
SECURITY
23 KeePass gives you an
easier and secure way to remember your passwords. All your logins are stored in
one database and locked with a “master“ password. The entire database includ
ing usernames is encrypted using AES and Twofish cipher algorithms. You can
securely copy-paste sign-in details into the browser or use “auto-type“ to do
it for you. Credentials stay encrypted even when KeePass runs in the background
to prevent in-memory hacking attempts.
keepass.info
24 Use ClamWin to scan your
PC for viruses.
This is extremely useful
because malware can sometimes disable the antivirus software installed on your
PC. With ClamWin on your flash drive, you will be able to identify and remove
infections. Just make sure you have the updated version at all times.
http:www.clamwin.com
25 Along with a portable
antivirus, you should also scan your system for spyware and adware. These are
pesky programs that usually get installed along with certain free software, or
when you might have clicked on an unknown web link in an email. To take care of
these malicious programs, keep an updated copy of SpyBot Search & Destroy
at hand.
http:www.portableapps.com
Can't decide which gizmo is
right for you? Looking for buying suggestions? Write to
techtonic@timesgroup.com
For more tech stories,
visit toitech.com
PREP YOUR USB FLASH DRIVE
You will need a pen drive
with 16GB capacity. Invest in one that supports USB 3.0 this will guarantee
faster read-write speeds on newer PCs that support the standard. Format your
drive: Double-click My Computer and right-click the external drive icon that
appears under Devices with Removable Storage. Click on Format and select NTFS
from the drop-down list as the file system of choice. Check the Quick Format
box and click Start to initiate the process. Your USB flash drive is now ready
to be filled with portable apps. It is recommended that you regularly replace
the software on the flash drive with latest revisions.Note: Before removing the
USB drive from your computer, exit all portable apps and wait for the activity
light on your removable drive to stop flashing. This may take a minute or so.
Select the Safely remove... option from the icon in the system tray. If you remove
the drive while it is writing, you may lose data.
Ashutosh Desai tells you about - 25 `MUST HAVE' PORTABLE APPS
Why do you need portable
apps? Well, we're usually faced with a space crunch on our hard drives due to
the huge file sizes that result from 4K and Full HD videos, 20MP photos,
lossless audio rips, graphic-heavy games, and the sheer amount of data we store
on our PCs. Also, it doesn't make sense to install each and every software
most of which we might use occasionally on our already packed computers. In
such cases, all you need to do is use a 16GB pen drive and pack it with the
myriad software that you need. Using these is as simple as plugging the USB
stick into your machine, and clicking on the app to start. Besides, your
`cleaner' computer will boot up faster, and you can also use these software on
the go when your own PC is not at hand.
Now, portable apps can be
installed in two ways: You can download the portable installer from the
software's website and save it to your pen drive. Or, visit
http:www.portableapps.com and install its software. This allows you to use the
Portable Apps dashboard to install, launch and manage multiple apps.
PRODUCTIVITY
1 LibreOffice is a complete
office suite that allows you to edit documents, spreadsheets and presentations
from the USB drive itself. This way, you always have access to your templates,
formatting styles and settings wherever you go. It is compatible with Microsoft
Office file formats (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and it even lets you save
documents to a printable PDF .
http:www.libreoffice.org
2 Sumatra PDF is
lightweight PDF reader that comes with all the features you require: multiple
viewing modes such as facing pages, book view, the ability to rotate documents,
read in full screen or as a presentation, and more. It even supports eBook and
comic book formats like Mobi, ePub, CBZ and CBR. Sumatra PDF comes with a
clutter-free user interface. It loads documents in tabs, which can be navigated
with keyboard shortcuts.
http:www.sumatrapdfreader
.org
3 Notepad++ a souped up
version of MS Notepad lets you open multiple TXT files in tabs. It creates a
back up of unsaved files, supports bookmarks, and even allows for split-screen
editing. You can install plug-ins to add a spell checker and support for
multiple clipboards. Notepad++ also works for coding in HTML, Java, C# and CSS:
Its auto-completion feature lets you type commonly used functions quickly; its
automatic highlight feature helps you find matching tags, and you can even
scroll through a program with the help of a document map.
notepad-plus-plus.org
4 PNotes provides you with
a digital option to the sticky notes that clutter your workspace. This software
is highly configurable, yet light on system resources. It lets you configure
the note's appearance, transparency and font type. You can format text, create
bulleted lists, insert images, emoticons, and even set it to alert you of
overdue tasks. All your notes are saved in PNotes' `Control Panel' where they
can be sorted by tags and grouped by folders with assigned priority levels.
sourceforge.netprojectspnotes
MULTIMEDIA
5 VLC Media Player supports
a range of video formats MPEG, DivX, XviD, H.264, WMV and Real Video
straight out of a USB stick. It supports subtitle files, and its software-based
audio amplifier even lets you increase sound volume well beyond the system
maximum to boost weak output.
http:www.videolan.org
6 While you can use VLC as
a music player, we recommend XMPlay Portable for audio files such as MP3, Ogg
Vorbis, AAC, WAV and WMA formats.It allows for “gapless playback“ of songs; you
can listen to internet radio, create playlists, enable visualisations and even
change its UI appearance.
http:www.portableapps.com
EDITING SUITES
7 GIMP is a full-fledged
photo-editing software, much like Adobe Photoshop. You can use it to touch up
images, fix perspective and distortion caused by camera lens, create cut outs,
adjust colours, and even work with complex graphics. It supports the lossless
RAW format, and lets you save your final work as a PSD, JPG, TIFF , GIF and
PNG.
http:www.portableapps.com
8 If Gimp seems too
complicated, then check out XnView. It lets you resize, crop, rotate, adjust
brightnesscontrast, tweak colours, apply filters and even `batch process'
multiple files at once to save time and effort. It can read 500 image formats,
and you can exportconvert files to 70 formats, including PSD, GIF , PDF , PNG
and TIF .
http:www.portableapps.com
9 WAV Audacity is an audio
editor that lets you record your voice; import music and special effects in ,
AIFF, FLAC and Ogg Vorbis formats. You can work with multiple tracks in a
single project, adjust volume levels for each track, crossfade songs, adjust
bass and treble, change pitch and tempo, and you even get a range of effects
and filters to reduce noise. Your final output can then be saved as a single
mix or exported as separate tracks in WAV , FLAC, Ogg Vorbis and MP3 formats.
http:www.portableapps.com
10 Avidemux is a
video-editing software that lets you trim, crop and resize movie footage. It
also lets you re-encode a video file from one format AVI, MP4, Matroska,
MPEG-2, H.264 and H.265 to another to cut down on file size. With Avidemux,
you can apply basic visual effects such as rotate, flip, add borders and grain
to the video.
http:www.portableapps.com
11 Krita Desktop is a
feature-packed painting application that lets you work in layers, saves your
final work as a vector file and also supports Photoshop's PSD format. You get
“drawing assistants“ and brush stabilisers to offset a user's shaky hands while
sketching shapes. Its built-in brush engines allow you to apply special
effects, create your own custom brushes and import other users' texture packs
from its website's Resources page.
krita.org
12 Blender 3D is a robust
open source software for 3D modelling, rendering, animation, compositing,
motion tracking and editing videos. Here, you can render photorealistic objects
with detailed textures and HDR lighting. It comes with 20 brush types for
sculpting 3D objects and characters, a builtin library of camera effects, and
realistic simulations for objects like fluid, smoke, hair and cloth.You also
get access to graphic extensions created by other animators. This software is
resource intensive and should be used on a PC with a 64-bit quad-core processor
and at least 8GB RAM.
http:www.blender .org
INTERNET
13 If your job requires you
to work off different PCs, then use portable browser versions of Chrome, Opera
and Firefox to surf the internet. This ensures that you do not leave a `cookie'
trail of your browsing history on the host PC. Using these, you can also save
your bookmarks on the USB stick.
http:www.portableapps.com
14 The Mozilla Thunderbird
email client lets you carry your inbox with you and draft messages in “offline“
mode for times when you don't have an internet connection. Setting up multiple
accounts is simple: Provide your name, ID and password and Thunderbird will
automatically load mail server settings for you. It allows you to view emails
in tabs; you get a built-in calendar, as well as a safeguard that warns you
about suspicious web links in an email.
http:www.portableapps.com
15 TeamViewer is a remote
access and collabora tion app with cross-platform support. This means you can
use it to initiate a remote session between multiple PCs and smartphones that
also have the software installed. Once you register with the service, you can
configure it for data compression and lower video quality to conserve
bandwidth.All remote sessions and communication via its whiteboard and
messenger feature are secured with AES 256-bit encryption.
http:www.teamviewer .com
16 With portable Skype you
get the same features as the full-fledged desktop version: you can send instant
messages, make voice and video calls (provided you have a webcam), initiate
group conversations, transfer files and even share your screen
for remote assistance.
http:www.portableapps.com
17 Telegram Desktop is a
secure instant mes senger. You can be logged in to multiple devices
(smartphones and tablets), and on different platforms (Android, iOS, Win Phone,
Windows, Mac OS, Linux) at the same time. Plus, you can share an unlimited
number of files (JPG, MP3, DOC, ZIP , etc.) of up to 1.5GB each. So the
messages you sent from your smartphone along with the files you have shared
will be visible in the Telegram Desktop window too. You can configure the app
to save shared files to a specific folder on the pen drive; automatically clear
cache when you log out and enable two-factor authentication for enchanced
security . On the down side, the desktop version does not support the secret
chat function that's available on its mobile app.
http:www.portableapps.com
UTILITIES
18 In situations when you
have to work with spotty internet bandwidth, use Free Download Manager. It
splits files into “sections“ and downloads them simultaneously to save time. It
allows you to resume downloads after broken connections, and even includes a
scheduler. Besides, FDM lets you preview videos before they are downloaded
completely; it supports BitTorrent, a popular peer-to-peer file sharing
protocol and automatically organises files by their type.
http:www.freedownloadmanager
.org
19 7-Zip is an efficient
file archivalcompression tool. You can use it to extract compressed files from
formats such as ZIP , RAR, TAR, CAB and ISO to a folder of your choice.
Conversely , it can be used to create a compressed file by selecting the files
folders and then clicking its “ Add“ button. It lets you select the compression
level (Normal, Fast, Ultra...); split the final file into multiple manageable
blocks (CD, DVD...) and encrypt the archive with an AES 256-bit cipher.
http:www.portableapps.com
20 If your PC seems
sluggish, it's probably be cause of the temporary files created by the software
you use. Enter CCleaner, a tool that purges your system of this junk. The app
first analyses your system to give you a break up by software of all the
residual files on your computer along with the amount of space they occupy .
Select what you want to remove and click the “Run Cleaner“ button to start the process.
http:www.piriform.com
21 Uninstalled software
leaves residual files and Registry entries. Revo Uninstaller saves you the
trouble of manually clearing these files by thoroughly uninstalling a program.
You can even use this utility to remove those stubborn toolbars that refuse to
go away . And if you cannot find the offending software, then enable Revo's
“Hunter Mode“ and click on the unwanted application's shortcut to start the
uninstall procedure.
http:www.revouninstaller
.com
22 Recuva lets you retrieve
files that you might have permanently deleted from your PC. It uses a
wizard-driven interface to list deleted files in a searchable format, along
with the option to preview them if they are images. Now, there is no guarantee
that you will always be able to recover deleted data, but it is a useful
utility to have on hand in an emergency . That said, in case you need to
retrieve critical files, it is best to get pro fessional companies who do this
for a fee.
http:www.piriform.com
SECURITY
23 KeePass gives you an
easier and secure way to remember your passwords. All your logins are stored in
one database and locked with a “master“ password. The entire database includ
ing usernames is encrypted using AES and Twofish cipher algorithms. You can
securely copy-paste sign-in details into the browser or use “auto-type“ to do
it for you. Credentials stay encrypted even when KeePass runs in the background
to prevent in-memory hacking attempts.
keepass.info
24 Use ClamWin to scan your
PC for viruses.
This is extremely useful
because malware can sometimes disable the antivirus software installed on your
PC. With ClamWin on your flash drive, you will be able to identify and remove
infections. Just make sure you have the updated version at all times.
http:www.clamwin.com
25 Along with a portable
antivirus, you should also scan your system for spyware and adware. These are
pesky programs that usually get installed along with certain free software, or
when you might have clicked on an unknown web link in an email. To take care of
these malicious programs, keep an updated copy of SpyBot Search & Destroy
at hand.
http:www.portableapps.com
Can't decide which gizmo is
right for you? Looking for buying suggestions? Write to
techtonic@timesgroup.com
For more tech stories,
visit toitech.com
PREP YOUR USB FLASH DRIVE
You will need a pen drive
with 16GB capacity. Invest in one that supports USB 3.0 this will guarantee
faster read-write speeds on newer PCs that support the standard. Format your
drive: Double-click My Computer and right-click the external drive icon that
appears under Devices with Removable Storage. Click on Format and select NTFS
from the drop-down list as the file system of choice. Check the Quick Format
box and click Start to initiate the process. Your USB flash drive is now ready
to be filled with portable apps. It is recommended that you regularly replace
the software on the flash drive with latest revisions.Note: Before removing the
USB drive from your computer, exit all portable apps and wait for the activity
light on your removable drive to stop flashing. This may take a minute or so.
Select the Safely remove... option from the icon in the system tray. If you
remove the drive while it is writing, you may lose data.
Ashutosh Desai TOI24DEC16
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