Finally a Portable TWS At Last!

In the past, I ran into many snags when installing TWS on a removable drive. This was largely because Java is so damn un-portable. In order to install TWS, you first need to install Java Runtime Environment (JRE). Fortunately, with a little tweaking here and there, you can set up shop indefinitely on your external drive.

• First, download and install the portable version of JRE as outlined in the following link:
  
  http://www.pendriveapps.com/portable-java-run-java-from-a-flashdrive/
  
• Once the portable JRE is installed on the USB drive, you may proceed in one of two steps:
  
  1. If TWS is already installed on the main computer:
     You need only move the "Jts" folder (usually found in the C: folder) and the TWS shortcut (found in the Start Menu folder) to the USB drive.
  2. If TWS is NOT installed on your computer (or you wish to clean-install):
     It gets pretty messy at this point. The reason is that TWS does not recognize the portable JRE. Therefore, you will need to install the latest Java (http://www.java.com/en/download/). Once Java is installed, proceed by installing TWS. Both applications should be installed on the C: drive. When finished, drag both "Jts" folder and the TWS shortcut to the USB drive.
• You should now have the TWS shortcut and both the "Jts" and "PortableApps" folders in the root directory of your USB drive. Inside the PortableApp, you should find Common Files folder that has the Java folder (..\PortableApps\CommonFiles\Java).
• Now we need to change the parameters for the TWS shortcut so that it may be redirected to the new parent folder. Right-click on the shortcut and choose Properties (or press Alt-Enter).
  
  In the Target box, enter the following parameters, paying special attention to the drive path (I suggest you copy/paste):
  
  In the "Start in" box:
  
  (Note - Replace X: with the letter of your USB drive.)

That's it. From here on out, you can run the TWS directly from any removable/external drives or from another partition by double-clicking on the shortcut. The path variable changes automatically as the drive letter is assigned dynamically when you plug your drive from one computer to another.

BONUS!

For the lazy soul, I've packaged together both Java and TWS in a binary format using VMWare ThinApp (formerly known as Thinstall). Just run it like any executable file from ANY drive and you're ready to go. No installation required ever!

Here's the download link (note that you'll need WinRar to grab the binary from the archive):

http://flameupload.com/files/5MTSF1MP/TWS.rar

 

so could I simply stick these files on a usb 2gb key and run it on any laptop?

 

Why would you want to? Wouldn't the TWS run slower from a USB key?

 

Yes. It doesn't matter what it is, be it 2 GB flash drive or 2 TB external hard drive. Of course, practice caution when running the program from unknown computers.

 

I didn't notice any lag while trading via USB. Even if that were the case, you merely need to copy the files to the C: drive while trading and then move them back to the USB afterwards.

It's all about portability. If you hate installing anything (unless you actually like carrying your laptops everywhere), you would know what I'm talking about.