Unfortunately, the entire situation isn’t full of win and efficiency. Specifically, file type associations with applications is quite a mess. Opening a JPG through Windows Explorer will launch whatever locally installed application that it’s been associated with – ignoring your portable GIMP or Paint.NET on your thumb drive. Likewise, MP3 files would also bypass your portable VLC application.
One solution to this problem is to first open the portable application and then use its browse or open dialog to interact with the files. This isn’t ideal for most as it involves a bit of a mind shift in the normal PC user behavior of working with your data.
eXpresso is a portable application that can act as an application launcher proxy – intercepting Windows system calls and redirecting the requests to the appropriately pre-defined portable application. Confusing? While eXpresso is running from the system tray – after being launched from your portable USB thumb drive, applications and file types are configured within the application. Now when opening a JPG or MP3 file, the correct application off your thumb drive is called; by-passing any association already assigned by Windows and the locally installed applications. Most importantly, eXpresso makes no changes to the host Windows and application behavior returns to normal when it isn’t open.
eXpresso is a free application that is compatible with all versions of Windows, both 32 and 64 bit.
