Diagnostics, an archiver and a browser on one stick, working on any Windows machine without installing anything. The trick is relative paths and local settings.
Use **exFAT** for large files, keep every tool in its own folder, redirect **APPDATA and LOCALAPPDATA** in a launcher script and always call tools through **%~dp0** so a different drive letter changes nothing.
exFAT handles files over 4 GB and works on every Windows version; NTFS adds permissions and is slower to mount on some machines. A stick that must also work on a Mac or a TV is exFAT by default.
Format-Volume -DriveLetter E -FileSystem exFAT -NewFileSystemLabel ToolkitA flat pile of executables becomes unusable after ten tools. One folder each, with its config next to it, means a tool can be removed by deleting one directory.
E:\ools\zip\nE:\ools\WiNFO\nE:\ools\irefoxPortablePortable builds differ: some keep an ini next to the executable, some honour a flag, and some write to the user profile regardless. Start each tool, change one setting and look for the file.
A small batch file can point APPDATA and LOCALAPPDATA at folders on the stick for the duration of the tool. The host profile is untouched and the settings travel with you.
set APPDATA=%~dp0profile\oaming
set LOCALAPPDATA=%~dp0profile\ocal
start "" Tools\irefoxPortable\irefoxPortable.exePlug the stick into a second PC and launch everything once. Missing runtimes, a blocked executable and a path that only works on your drive all show up in the first minute there.
A stick in a bag gets lost. Keep a zipped copy on a drive at home, and note the tool versions so you can tell whether the stick is stale when a diagnosis fails.
It ignores the redirected variables. Look for its own config option or use a build that keeps an ini next to the exe.
Blocked by policy, or missing a runtime. Test the same exe from a local folder to separate the two.
A USB 2.0 stick on a 3.0 port, or small random reads. Diagnostics tools are fine; a browser profile is not.
The stick was pulled without ejecting. Run a repair once, and eject properly from then on.
It runs with that user's rights. For anything sensitive, boot your own system instead.
32 GB is plenty for tools. Add a rescue image and 64 GB is the practical size.
Nothing is installed, so there is nothing to uninstall. Delete the folder on the stick or format it, and remove the profile directory the launcher created if you want a clean start.
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