U3 Smart Drive Compatbility

[qkz73]

As already being alluded to above, what you are really asking for is for a portable version of TextPad. Like my portable version of FireFox that I love from the www.portableapps.com website. I would add my voice in here, though, and encourage Helios to come up with a portable version.

I commonly clone my highly customized version of TextPad to other machines. As people have already said, it definitely requires adding those registry entries. However, the required changes are very localized in the registry, and should be utterly harmless even if, for example, you applied it to someone else's computer. Because of the fact that I am, in effect, porting around my license, it does behoove me to be honest about the fact that I am installing the software on other computers. Be assured, though, that these are only for systems that I personally use (ie: one a a time) and this is well within my legal right as a registered user.

If you wanted to accomplish this (what I already do, manually) on a USB key, you would definitely need a script or batch-file, though, because of the inconstant drive letter. The script should probably also back up the existing registry settings just in case the computer you are using already had a version of TextPad installed on there. Then, you can be responsible and undo the changes you did when you started using TextPad. But that would of course be a manual process.

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[GUYJ01]

At last I have found a viable alternative to textpad that is truly portable it is called PSPad, this will be my last post on this forum as I have given up with textpad and moved to a program that is an active project rather than an aging program that appears unsupported.

[donncon]

I also use apps from portableapps.com and portablefreeware.com, and the only thing missing is TextPad. I have started using Notepad++, but it just isn't TextPad. I'm a licensed user, but would expect an upgrade fee for a portable version....hint, hint...Helios, you could make some money here....

[onessimus]

I registered for this forum just so I could add my vote to this. I've been using TP since pre-Y2K, and I probably use it more than any other single program other than Mozilla/Firefox.

U3! YES, YES, YES!

[geoffreykidd]

Let me join the voices calling for a PortableApps-compatible version of Textpad. My employer is getting an ugly case of IT lockdown, and I seriously do not want to lose the ability to run Textpad. It's like having a magic wand for my programming problems.

I tried NotePad++, but it just, as already said, is NOT Textpad, and I'd be happy to shell out good money for a truly portable upgrade.

[geoffreykidd]

Pronked around the web and found the boxersoftware.com editor. Supports regular expressions and is both portable and has editable macros.

It will be a while before I'm as comfortable with it as I am with Textpad, but it has turned out there's more than one magic wand in the world.

IMHO, Helios is going to have to get busy if they want to keep their customer base. Not just keep them happy, but keep them ... period.

[davensjournal]

Let me add my voice. I use both TextPad and WildEdit, and find them to be tools that I live with. However, I want to have the ability to use all my Textpad stuff on my USB drive.

I found a hacked version of TextPad online that is a stand alone EXE, but it has a trojan in it so that makes it useless.

[Tomas Eklund]

Add my vote too. Some other editors (won't mention any) have the option of running them in portability mode, which means (for one thing) that nothing is written to the registry. All settings are stored in one ini-file.

Reinstalling Textpad after a fresh Windows reinstall is a PAIN. All options and settings need to be configured anew. Even if you backup your macro files and keybind-settings files and such it takes much too long to get Textpad configured the way you like it. (And I DO like it. But DANG how much my patience is being tested...)

[donncon]

I have been using PortableApps for a while, and keep checking back here for the great news that TextPad has gone portable....unfortunately it's still not here!

[3vilPrimate]

Competitor Notepad++ has a version for the opensource PortableApps framework. But I agree with others that it is not as qualified as TextPad.

Please package TextPad for install on PortableApps. Documentation on the installer format is available at http://portableapps.com/development .

I am embarrassed to say that I only recently purchased, but now I am licensed. I registered to this forum just to request TextPad for install on PortableApps.

Unlike the proprietary U3, PortableApps is a "fully open source and free platform, it works on any portable storage device (USB flash drive, iPod, memory card, portable hard drive, etc).".

[tcg]

One more vote for USB-compatible TextPad!

[oldnuke69]

One more vote for USB-compatible TextPad!

I have another commercial editor (name withheld) that installs directly on a USB flash drive, does not need to use the registry, and can edit huge (i.e., unlimited size) files rapidly that no other editor I know can touch. However, it is difficult to use by comparison to Textpad (think of the now obsolete/unavailable TECO editor on the ancient PDP machines from DEC). Plus, Textpad has the great feature of running other applications from within it that is very useful for a lot of what I do.

It is not necessary to use the registry. Please abandon its use in favor of a "textpad.ini" file that resides in the directory with the executable, and allow Textpad to be installed directly on a portable drive.

[qkz73]

Not an .ini file.. heavens no.. at least not the Windows ini format. Pretty much every app worth it's salt uses XML for these things. Makes it way easier to edit it by hand.

And, on the note of file formats, an editable ECMA script format for macros would be really nice!

[UseLess]

Greetings,

I know this topic is old but as there is still no sign of a portable version of Textpad I thought I'd add yet another request for a portable version. I've recently started using Portable Apps and would love to be able to use Textpad when I'm out and about...