Jarte as a Portable Word Processor

When Jarte runs from a USB flash drive, CD, or DropBox folder it automatically runs in "portable mode". When Jarte runs in portable mode it stores all of its settings and other program data (e.g., custom spelling dictionaries, Clip List clips, backup document files, etc) in a subfolder named "Data" within the Jarte program folder.

When Jarte is running in "normal mode" (i.e., it is installed on the main Windows drive or a network drive) it stores its settings and program data in a folder location designated by Microsoft's programming guidelines. That location varies according the version of Windows being used. Access to Jarte's data folder can be gained by clicking the Data Folder button on Jarte's System Information window.

Jarte runs in normal mode whenever it is run from the same drive on which Windows is installed or when it is run from a network drive. In all other cases (e.g., Jarte is run from a flash drive, secondary hard drive, CD, etc) Jarte runs in portable mode. However, this behavior can be overridden by placing a file named Portable.ini in the Jarte program folder. The Portable.ini file must contain the two following lines:

Warning: Forcing Jarte to run in portable mode when it is running from the Windows drive is not recommended unless you are sure of what you are doing. Some computers are set up to protect certain folders, such as the Program Files folder. If Jarte is run in portable mode from a protected folder the results will be unpredictable! In particular, Windows Vista and above protect the Program Files folder by default.

The Jarte word processor is small and easily fits on a USB flash drive. Jarte can be run directly from a USB flash drive so you can physically carry it with you, along with your documents, and plug it into any available Windows computer. When Jarte is run from a flash drive it keeps all of its program settings on the flash drive. Jarte does not change any settings, or leave any files, on the host computer when it runs from a flash drive.

Download the Jarte "Portable Install" zip file from the Jarte download page (if you are using Jarte Plus then contact Support or use method two below). Create an empty folder on the flash drive to hold the Jarte program and its files. Extract the zip file contents to the new folder. Be sure to turn on your zip program's Use folder names setting before unzipping!

2.	Use Jarte's Install to USB Drive feature to direct Jarte to install a copy of itself on a flash drive.

Jarte can be run from a CD just as it can be run from a flash drive. Follow the same basic instructions given above in "Installing Jarte to a USB Flash Drive" to create the Jarte program folder to be burned to the CD. Of course, when Jarte is run from a CD it will not remember any changes made to its settings since the modified settings can not be written back to the CD.

DropBox is a popular, free web service that automatically stores files online and syncs them between your computers. When you install DropBox it creates a "DropBox" folder on your computer. Any files you store in the DropBox folder are also automatically stored online. DropBox will ensure the files in your DropBox folder are automatically synchronized to the DropBox folders on your other computers.

Jarte can be installed to your DropBox folder where it will run in portable mode. That means Jarte will then be available on all of your computers that have a DropBox folder. In addition, if you make changes to Jarte's settings on one computer then DropBox will automatically synchronize those settings changes to your other computers. In effect, running Jarte from a DropBox folder gives you the advantages of a web based word processor without any of the disadvantages.

Tip: Almost any portable app can be successfully run from a USB flash drive, CD, or DropBox folder. The Portable Freeware Collection is a great place to find other portable apps.

Running Jarte from a netbook is also mentioned here because of the rising popularity of netbooks for portable computing:

"Netbook" is a colloquial term referring to small, inexpensive notebook computers that are very easy to carry around. Netbooks have small hard drives, small screens, and less CPU processing power when compared to their larger notebook cousins. However, netbooks are very popular because their small size makes them convenient for travel, and they are less expensive than notebooks.

Jarte is an excellent word processor choice for netbooks because Jarte's compact interface leaves plenty of room for editing on small screens, Jarte needs very little hard drive space, and Jarte runs quickly and efficiently on low power CPUs. On the other hand, the big office word processors are designed for large screens and leave little room for the editing pane on netbooks, they require an enormous amount of hard drive space, and they can be balky when running on low power CPUs, making them poorly suited for use with netbooks.