I want ChromePortable.exe (which launches Chrome.exe, but uses local/portable directory for user data) to be the default app for internet browser, but Windows 10 only detects the actual Chrome.exe, which does not use the same directory as ChromePortable.exe. That causes links from other programs to open up a blank Chrome account, not something I want. How can I force Windows 10 to see ChromePortable.exe as the default app for internet browser, ASIDE from going file-type-to-file-type "Open With" and manually selecting ChromePortable.exe? I don't think "Open With" and selecting ChromePortable.exe will actually work for links from other programs, but it will work for actual file-opening...
But what's the problem? Please make it as you want, Chrome allows it great. Send Your data where ever you want and Windows 10 allows to use Chrome also as default browser well. What the problem? But what is "local portable", I don't know and as long as not possible to understand, what You want, not possible to make nothing.
Registry edit to replace the installed Chrome with ChromePortable. Tested this and able to launch chrome registered extensions (.htm, .html etc..) with Tor Browser. Also tested couple programs to launch link with alternate browser, it does pop Open-With one time, but once chosen the app it will launch the alternate browser without further question. Go to this registry path and edit program path to your ChromePortable.exe is located: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ChromeHTML\shell\open\command Easy to reverse change too.
The purpose of Portable Apps is to be portable, not require installation, allowance to be used from other media, such as USB drives, and NOT saving user data (account info, internet cache, history, etc.) to default directories, such as C:\Users\X\AppData\Roaming. After all, what is the point of using a web browser from a USB drive if it cannot save your user data onto the same USB drive? I like Portable Apps because I want my user data to be saved on a different partition other than C since I perform Windows wim image editing, installing (on drive C) and testing frequently. With Portable Apps I do not have to backup, copy and paste user data for many apps after each OS installation. I just have to copy and paste a few desktop icons, apply a few .reg files, and off I go with all my account data, passwords, scripts, etc. already there and ready. The same goes for most other type of software I use, although some simply require installation onto drive/partition C (or OS drive/partition), such as MS Office 2016. The way Portable Apps allow localized user data saving is by having a custom XXXPortable.exe that links to the actual app XXX.exe that it also launches. Windows detects only XXX.exe as a possibility for a default app for whichever purpose, but if you launch XXX.exe instead of XXXPortable.exe, then XXX app will read and write from that default directory, which is empty since I always use XXXPortable.exe that saves user data in a different location. Do you now understand my question? Keeping as much software as possible on a separate partition can be VERY handy for Windows Insider testing or for anything that requires frequent OS installation/re-installation/manipulation.
Thank you for saying that. I'm making portable apps for about 10 years. I think I know what they are and how they work. Even, if You using portableapps.com programs, may happen, that You using program, what is made by me. Anyway, thank you.
Pardon for not looking as to who you are and what you do - I don't research forum users, not unless I want to buy/sell from/to them and want to verify their credibility. Several people in this thread understood my question and provided very good replies, for which I thanked them. I thank you for making Portable Apps - they are awesome indeed, not sure where we had a miscommunication or why you expected me to know who you were or what you did or whether you understood my question or why you didn't provide an informative response, unlike other participants of this thread, especially since you know more about Portable Apps than anyone else, but please keep up the hard work - I do appreciate it. However, if you expect me to research every user who replies in my threads because that user may consider himself/herself best-informed or, like in your case, actually BE best-informed, and thus require a special approach, then I will not do so.