Category Archives: Portable Apps

Post related to portable applications.

Freeware – Foxit Reader 2.0

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I ended up with a problem while I was away. I did not take my laptop, only my 1 GB USB Drive loaded with portable versions of Firefox, Thunderbird and OpenOffice.org.

The problem was that the computers available in the business center wher I was staying did not have Adobe Reader, in any version, installed. I was therefore unable to open any PDF files.

I went looking around and found Foxit Reader 2.0 for Windows from Foxit Software http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/reader_2/down_reader.htm.

I downloaded it to my USB drive, double clicked on the FoxitReader.exe file and was able to access PDF files to my heart’s content and even fill in interactive forms, without having to install anything. On top of that it is much faster loading than Adobe Reader, in my experience.

Note: The paid version with enhanced capabilities does have an installer and writes to the registry, at least that is my understanding.

The free version does not have all the capabilities of Adobe Reader, but for the price and my uses, it is very adequate. I must say that I also have the full Adobe Acrobat 7 application on my main computer, with which I can generate PDFs and manipulate them, as well as just read or fill in interactive PDFs.

If I keep having no problems opening and reading PDF files in the next few weeks, Foxit Reader will become my default PDF reader.

Give this a try and you might be using it as your default PDF reader as well.

Portable Apps – Firefox and Firefox Portable Settings Part 3

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This is a follow up of my 31AUG06 Portable Apps – Firefox and Firefox Portable Settings Part 1 and
07SEP06 Portable Apps – Firefox and Firefox Portable Settings Part 2
postings, in which items in the General, Privacy and Content settings
were discussed.

Part 4 will be concerned with the Advanced settings, and will be the final posting regarding the Firefox settings.

The version of Firefox being used at the time of this entry is 1.5.0.7.

Tabs

The Tabs tab, appropriately is where what the tabs do or don’t do, when using the tabbed browsing feature in Firefox. The following is a table, showing the different options and my preferences, which are the same whether using the standard or portable version of Firefox.

Firefox and Portable Firefox Tabs Tab
Option Secondary Comments My Preferences
Open links from other applications in:
Radio Buttons:
a new window
a new tab
in the most recent window
the most recent
window
A new tab in the most recent window.
Force links that
open new windows to open in:
Radio Buttons:
the same tab/window
as the link
a new tab
A new tab.
Hide the tab bar
when only one web site is open
Check Box:
Checked: Hidden
Unchecked: Showing
Checked.
Select new tabs
opened from links
Check Box:
Checked: Selected
Unchecked: Not Selected
Unchecked.
Warn when closing multiple
tabs
Check Box:
Checked: Warned
Unchecked: Not Warned
Checked.
I am reminded that I have more than one tab open, so that I can
Bookmark what I want to get back to, in case I have not already
done so.

Downloads

The Downloads tab contains controls for the handling of where the files are downloaded
and what can be done with them automatically.

Downloading a file and then finding it later is a problem for a lot of the users I know, so
I recommend that a specific folder be created and all downloads, of whatever nature, be set to download to that folder. Personally that is what I do and going even further, once my downloading is complete, I set up sub-folders within that download folder to organize and make
them easier to locate months or years down the line.

Firefox and Portable Firefox Downloads Tab
Option Secondary Comments My Preferences
Download Folder
Radio Buttons:
Ask me where to save
every file
Save all files to
this folder: (Offers a Browse
button to select a folder in Windows Explorer
Desktop and Laptop –
I set to save all downloads to a folder named Downloads on my
partition, to make easier to find after download.
USB Drives – Ask where to save every time, as I don’t know
what computer I will be using or what the USB drive letter will
be, usually have saved to the USB Drive for portability.

Show Download Manager
when a download begins
Check Box:
Checked: Shows
Unchecked: Does not Show
Checked.
Close the Download
Manager when all downloads are complete
Check Box:
Checked: Closes Download Manager upon completion of download
session.
Unchecked: Leaves Download Manager open until Firefox is closed.
Checked.
Download Actions
(Set to automatically download or open
files of certain types.)
View & Edit
Actions Button
Whatever the default for the extension is.
Change Action Options When downloading files.
Radio Buttons:
Open them with the
default application (Shows what the default option is)
Open them with this application: (Provides a Browse
button)
Save them on my
computer.
Use this Plugin
Whatever the default for the extension is.

If you have any questions or ideas for a better way to set up the options, please
leave a comment with this post.

Portable Apps – Firefox and Firefox Portable Settings Part 2

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This is a follow up of my 31AUG06 Portable Apps – Firefox and Firefox Portable Settings Part 1 posting, in which items in the General and Privacy settings were discussed.

Part 2 is concerning Content settings, subsequent postings will contain the information for the Tabs, Downloads and Advanced settings.

I use the same settings for both the local and portable versions, for the most part. See the tables below:

Firefox and Portable Firefox Contents Tab
Option Secondary Comments My Preferences
Block Popup Windows
Checked: Popup windows blocked.
Unchecked: Popup windows not blocked
Checked.
Allowed Sites
A section to list exceptions to the above.
A very few sites, that use Popups are set up in both local
and portable versions I use.
Warn me when web sites try to install extensions or
themes
Checked: Warning given if website tries to install
extensions or themes.
Unchecked: No warning.
At the time of the warning you can give permission or not.
Checked.
Exceptions
A section to list exceptions to the above.
None, I always want to know what extensions or themes are
being installed.
Load Images.
Checked: Images loaded..
Unchecked: Images not loaded.
Checked, but if using Portable Firefox somewhere with only
dial up access I change this before accessing the Internet.
Exceptions
A section to list exceptions to the above.
None.
For the originating web site only
Checked: Images will only be loaded for the originating web
site.
Unchecked, not sure what the advantages or disadvantages
would be.
Enable Java
Checked: Java enabled.
Unchecked: Java disabled.
Checked.
Enable JavaScript
Checked: JavaScript enabled.
Unchecked: JavaScript disabled.
Checked.
Advanced
More detailed JavaScript options.
Allow:
Move or resize existing windows.
Raise or lower windows.
Fonts & Colors
Control default fonts and colors.
 
Default Font
Drop down of available fonts.
Times New Roman.
Size
Drop down of available point sizes.
12 points.
Advanced
More detailed font option controls.
Proportional: Serif: – 12 points.
Serif: Times New Roman.
Sans-serif: Arial.
Monospace: Courier New – 13 points.
Display resolution: 96 dpi.
Minimum font size: None.
Allow pages to choose their own fonts, instead of my selections
above: – Checked.
Default Character Encoding: Western (ISO-8859-1).
Colors
Controls default colors.
Text: Black.
Background: Light Grey.
Use system colors: Unchecked.
Unvisited Links: Blue.
Visited Links: Violet.
Underline links: Checked.
Allow pages to choose their own colors, instead of my selections
above: Checked.

As you can see the Content settings, are rather involved and give you quite a bit of control. Try out different settings for yourself, to see what works for you; you can always put it back the way you had it.

Let me know what works for you that is different from my preferences, maybe it will work better for me also.