Storage forum: Could I put programs on external hard drives?

I don't recommend it.

Is this for a laptop or desktop ?

Regards,
VAPCMD

Why not get a bigger laptop hard drive ?

I thought I can use the Licensed software in single HDD external so that when I keep moving to office and home the same OS can be used.
Besides it offers security and no one else can use my lap top or desktops.
What do you think can be the drawback?

not all of the program will go on the external. Some will be in Windows folders anyway. You will not be able to run these program on another PC if that's what you have in mind. Also, if the external is turned off or unplugged, you might experience some error when Windows starts or searches for data. Not a good idea IMO.

...that work well when operated from external media:

(1) Freestanding Windows programs (i.e., those which need no *installation* or *uninstallation* rocedures...usually these will be small utility programs, and often they will be freeware).

(2) Well-behaved DOS programs (i.e., those which use the DOS services to access hardware functions) also still run under Windows. However, they may not have originally included mouse support and/or support for printers that require API access (i.e, the printers sold today).

I keep a number of these on a USB flash drive, ready to use on whatever computer I am using at the time.

If it's MS Office for Macintosh, the answer = YES. There's no installer needed; just move the MS Office folder found in the Applications folder to your external hard drive.

Agree. Not the OS, but any other software can be installed in an external hard drive. One thing must be know is every time you disconnect and connect the USB drive you take a risk. Windows can give you a different letter to your drive and this can ruin your life!!!

For example, if you have a pc with a C hard drive and D cdrom drive. You add an external hard drive. Windows assign the E letter.

If later you remove the E drive, insert an USB drive and later the USB hard drive, windows can provide the USB drive letter to your memory instead of your hard disk, and this can be a big problem.

umm thats not always true my windows xp laptop if theres a program on a usb drive or a usb hard drive my laptop forces the name

That might depend on the game and the way they programmed it. Why not try it with the games you're interested in?

eduardo01usa,

I want to add similar programs so that I can essentially have a mobile desktop when i travel from office to office. what has been your experience with intensive programs like Autocad 2004, Adobe Photoshop, Microstation XM running via an external hard drive? what is the process for loading these types of programs? Is there a need to load an OS as well?

@dangre, that is probably the best answer I have seen to this post. Put all your programs that you can't fit on a virtual drive, no problem, then to take it a step further you can put the virtual machine on the external drive. (Unless you can access your virtual machine on any computer with internet.)
Yes you can put programs on External Hard Drives but you have to carefully put the program on there and some folders go certain places whether its a internal or external but this saves space. Sometimes you may have a program starting a file, it may say it can't find a certain folder, file or the program. Be sure when downloading or installing programs to change the folder given.