Run programs from external drive

  • Thread starter Thread starter hmm
  • Start date Start date
H

hmm

I want to run a program (specifically, Palm Desktop) from an external USB
drive, and store all data on the same drive. I managed to install the
program successfully, and ran it once. But when I try to reconnect the drive
and run the program again, Windows tries to reinstall it (unsuccessfully).
Can anyone help me solve this problem?
 
yep. don't install a program from a removable drive, using that drive as data
storage for that program and then remove the drive.
bad idea, if you want more room get a bigger drive, cheap these days.
 
in further research, I found once a program is installed, upon windows
loading, drivers and .dll files are also loaded for this program, if you
install a program to a removable drive and remove the drive and boot windows,
these drivers will not have a valid link to your program and an error will be
generated (look in event viewer) and .dll files will be looked for and also
no valid link to an installed program, thus when you attach the hd and
attempt to run the software you get an error, an install attempt due to
broken links.

It's a bad idea, use only a perm attached hd to install programs to. Data
however, can safely be written to a removable drive, it only accesses that
data when the software is running and data is needed, thus the drive is
attached.
 
in further research, I found once a program is installed, upon windows
loading, drivers and .dll files are also loaded for this program, if you
install a program to a removable drive and remove the drive and boot windows,
these drivers will not have a valid link to your program and an error will be
generated (look in event viewer) and .dll files will be looked for and also
no valid link to an installed program, thus when you attach the hd and
attempt to run the software you get an error, an install attempt due to
broken links.

It's a bad idea, use only a perm attached hd to install programs to. Data
however, can safely be written to a removable drive, it only accesses that
data when the software is running and data is needed, thus the drive is
attached.
Click to expand...

You can use a program such as thinstall to make the software
portable. It basically runs it in a VM so all the dlls and drivers
get included.
 
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