Maximum PC

ok i tried in win forum but i figure i have a better shot in here, im coming close to finding my answers searching the net but not close enough (yet).
I want to run applications from a cd without installing them.
this is where i got the idea, you can buy a cd from system mechanic and put it into the cd rom while windows is running and use the program as if it were actually installed, i though hey this would be a cool trick for some of my other utilities if i can figure out what they did. this is NOT a boot cd.

any help, links to forums, websites etc would be greatly appreciated as i can only find links to programs for sale to help me do this so far .

Good one. I have a simple idea that may or may not work...but give it a shot.

The issue I see as to why you can't run normally from a CD is that all the info on the disc is compressed and intended to be installed. So how about putting the original install disc in one drive, then install from that disc into another drive containing a formatted CD-RW? A CD-RW may not be the answer for compatibility reasons...so bare with me.

Install it to a PC on the hard drive. Then find that install path and cut/paste or simply burn the entire folder contents to a CD-R. I don't have any spare CD-R's at the moment to try this out. But this should have all the data uncompressed and ready to run.

mmm sounds like a good experiment one i will try later. the only thing i keep reading about being a problem in this situation is the missing dll and registry entries might hold it back. the programs i read about to help you do this continually talk about "this program help you avoid the dll hell"etc

Ive posted on several forums about this but noone seems to know how they are building these cd's but alas they are doing it and not just this company but ill be damned if i pay serious amounts of money to put a free program on a cd like that lol
sooner or later I will find out how its done being the stubborn ass i am, even if i have to learn all kinds of programming to do it

im guessing at this point but im assuming they are using some kind of script or something to get it to install into memory as a virtual drive or such..................................

they probabbly just develop the system mechanic app to not need installing.

installing is not required to run an app contrary to what many might believe. it's very possible for an application developer to make a standalone program that runs without install.

it just depends on the developer. most apps load all sorts of junk into the registry and copy files to places inside the windows folder. as a result those programs probabbly won't run from a cd whatever you may try.

however with a little trickery you might be able to pull a quick on over the app.

install the program/app on one machine. copy over the folder where the program was installed to another computer. try running it. if it starts up just fine then you're in the clear and can just copy that same folder to a cd and run it.

if it throws up errors you can try some tricks. if it says some file is missing then dig it up wherever it's hidden on the original computer and copy it into the folder of the app on the second computer. (standard practice for loading DLL and other library files for windows is first check the windows folder then try the local app folder. assuming the developers are asses and don't follow standard practice that'll work). keep doing that till it runs.

if that doesn't work then you'll have to keep track of what files you copied and where you put them in the windows system folders. you'll have to write a custom script the copy those files into the appropriate places before you start your cd-based app.

same goes for registery entires. export the whole app register tree to file. you'll have to write a custom script to then copy the reg entries before the app starts up.

with some trial and error it might be possible to get the sucker to run off a cdrom.

ok im gonna try all this but how do you keep it from installing anything? this isnt the only app i have seen do this. what im most interested in is trying to figure out how it leaves nothing in the host machine after removing the disk, thats what i want to figure out as i already thought of the dll/reg.entry thing

check this site out and look at the demos it leaves nothing in your machine they can do this with any app you like but like i said im not paying to do this with free applications http://www.navicula.com/Web/Documents/T ... formOV.asp the webbased demos need a dload to run but they state they can put it on cd and nothing gets installed on the host machine

well if no suggestions on the process does anyone know of some good message boards i could try and post this on? cmon ya gotta know a few resources i can try that i prolly havent found myself yet

If the program loads a whole bunch of stuff into the registry on install, make a loader app that does the same thing and then launches the real app from the CD.

ok but the how do i get it to remove all that stuff when its done ? (reread tthe whole post) it leaves nothing in the machine......................

For everything you add, make sure you remove.

thats not what im after if i wanted all that work id just install the program in the first place I want to figure out how they are doing this and then repeat the process myself......................... like a freakin secret noone will share at this point, but im getting closer (other message boards actually have some ideas to try)