> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/opentrack/opentrack/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Portable Mode

> Create a truly portable OpenTrack installation on a USB stick or external drive

OpenTrack supports **portable mode**, allowing you to run the application from a USB stick or external drive without installation. This is perfect for using OpenTrack on multiple computers or at LAN parties without needing administrator rights.

## What is Portable Mode?

Portable mode means:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="No Installation Required" icon="ban">
    Run OpenTrack directly from a USB drive without installing on the host system
  </Card>

  <Card title="Self-Contained" icon="box">
    All settings, profiles, and configuration files are stored on the USB drive
  </Card>

  <Card title="No Registry Changes" icon="shield">
    Leaves no traces on the host computer's registry or system folders
  </Card>

  <Card title="Multiple Computers" icon="laptop">
    Use the same OpenTrack installation and profiles across different computers
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Creating a Portable Installation

<Steps>
  <Step title="Download OpenTrack">
    Download the latest Windows release from the [OpenTrack releases page](https://github.com/opentrack/opentrack/releases).

    Choose either:

    * **`.7z` archive** (recommended for portable use)
    * **`.exe` installer** (you'll extract files after installation)

    <Note>
      Both installers and portable versions support USB stick "truly portable" installations.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Prepare Your USB Drive">
    Format your USB drive with:

    * **File System:** NTFS (recommended) or FAT32
    * **Size:** At least 500 MB free space
    * **Label:** Optional (e.g., "OpenTrack")

    Create a folder for OpenTrack:

    ```
    E:\OpenTrack\       (or any drive letter/path)
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Extract OpenTrack Files">
    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="From .7z Archive">
        Extract the archive contents directly to your USB drive folder:

        ```
        E:\OpenTrack\opentrack.exe
        E:\OpenTrack\platforms\qwindows.dll
        E:\OpenTrack\opencv_world*.dll
        E:\OpenTrack\Qt*.dll
        ...
        ```
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="From .exe Installer">
        1. Install OpenTrack normally on your computer
        2. Navigate to the installation directory (e.g., `C:\Program Files\opentrack`)
        3. Copy all files and folders to your USB drive:

        ```
        E:\OpenTrack\opentrack.exe
        E:\OpenTrack\platforms\qwindows.dll
        ...
        ```
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create Portable Flag File">
    Create an empty file named `portable.txt` in the OpenTrack directory:

    <CodeGroup>
      ```batch Windows (Command Prompt) theme={null}
      cd /d E:\OpenTrack
      type nul > portable.txt
      ```

      ```powershell Windows (PowerShell) theme={null}
      cd E:\OpenTrack
      New-Item -ItemType File -Name "portable.txt"
      ```

      ```bash Linux theme={null}
      cd /media/usb/OpenTrack
      touch portable.txt
      ```
    </CodeGroup>

    <Note>
      The presence of `portable.txt` tells OpenTrack to store all settings and profiles in the current directory instead of system folders.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify Portable Mode">
    Run `opentrack.exe` from the USB drive. Verify portable mode is active:

    1. Launch OpenTrack
    2. Change a setting or create a profile
    3. Close OpenTrack
    4. Check for new files in the USB directory:

    ```
    E:\OpenTrack\settings\       (configuration files)
    E:\OpenTrack\profiles\       (tracking profiles)
    ```

    If these folders appear on the USB drive, portable mode is working correctly.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Directory Structure

A complete portable OpenTrack installation looks like:

```
E:\OpenTrack\
├── portable.txt              # Enables portable mode
├── opentrack.exe             # Main executable
├── opencv_world*.dll         # OpenCV libraries
├── Qt*.dll                   # Qt libraries
├── platforms/
│   └── qwindows.dll          # Qt platform plugin
├── settings/                 # Created on first run
│   └── opentrack.ini         # Main settings
├── profiles/                 # Created when saving profiles
│   ├── default.ini
│   └── my-profile.ini
└── modules/                  # Plugin modules
    ├── opentrack-tracker-*.dll
    ├── opentrack-filter-*.dll
    └── opentrack-proto-*.dll
```

## Configuration Files

### Settings Location

In portable mode, all configuration is stored locally:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Portable Mode">
    ```
    E:\OpenTrack\settings\opentrack.ini
    E:\OpenTrack\profiles\*.ini
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Normal Installation">
    ```
    C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Local\opentrack\settings\
    C:\Users\<Username>\Documents\opentrack\profiles\
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

### Backup Your Configuration

With portable mode, backing up is simple:

```batch theme={null}
# Copy entire directory
xcopy E:\OpenTrack D:\Backup\OpenTrack\ /E /I /H

# Or just copy settings and profiles
xcopy E:\OpenTrack\settings D:\Backup\settings\ /E /I
xcopy E:\OpenTrack\profiles D:\Backup\profiles\ /E /I
```

## Using OpenTrack Portably

### On Multiple Computers

<Steps>
  <Step title="Plug In USB Drive">
    Insert your USB drive into the target computer.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run OpenTrack">
    Navigate to the OpenTrack folder and run `opentrack.exe`.

    ```batch theme={null}
    E:\OpenTrack\opentrack.exe
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install Required Drivers">
    Some trackers require drivers:

    * **Webcam trackers:** Usually work with built-in drivers
    * **TrackIR emulation:** May require freetrack drivers
    * **Oculus Rift:** Requires Oculus runtime installation

    <Warning>
      Driver installation typically requires administrator privileges.
    </Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure for Host System">
    Adjust settings for the host computer:

    * Select appropriate camera device
    * Update output protocol if needed
    * Test tracking before gaming
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Creating Shortcuts

Create a batch file for quick launching:

<CodeGroup>
  ```batch launch.bat theme={null}
  @echo off
  cd /d "%~dp0"
  start "" opentrack.exe
  ```

  ```batch launch-minimized.bat theme={null}
  @echo off
  cd /d "%~dp0"
  start "" /min opentrack.exe
  ```
</CodeGroup>

Place `launch.bat` in the OpenTrack directory.

## Portable Mode on Linux

OpenTrack portable mode also works on Linux:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Extract or Build OpenTrack">
    Extract a portable build or install locally:

    ```bash theme={null}
    mkdir -p /media/usb/OpenTrack
    cd /media/usb/OpenTrack
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create Portable Flag">
    ```bash theme={null}
    touch portable.txt
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run from USB">
    ```bash theme={null}
    cd /media/usb/OpenTrack
    ./opentrack
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  On Linux, you may need to mark `opentrack` as executable:

  ```bash theme={null}
  chmod +x opentrack
  ```
</Note>

## Troubleshooting Portable Mode

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Settings Not Saving to USB Drive">
    **Problem:** Settings are still being saved to system folders.

    **Solutions:**

    1. Verify `portable.txt` exists in the OpenTrack directory:
       ```batch theme={null}
       dir E:\OpenTrack\portable.txt
       ```

    2. Ensure the USB drive is writable (not write-protected)

    3. Check file permissions on Linux:
       ```bash theme={null}
       ls -la portable.txt
       chmod 644 portable.txt
       ```

    4. Run OpenTrack as administrator (Windows) if permission errors occur
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Missing DLL Errors">
    **Problem:** Application fails to start with "missing DLL" errors.

    **Solutions:**

    1. Ensure all files were extracted/copied:
       * `Qt*.dll` files
       * `opencv_world*.dll`
       * `platforms/qwindows.dll`
    2. Install Visual C++ Redistributables on the host computer:
       * [Download VC++ 2015-2022 Redistributable](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/windows/latest-supported-vc-redist)
    3. Check USB drive for file corruption:
       ```batch theme={null}
       chkdsk E: /F
       ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Camera Not Detected">
    **Problem:** OpenTrack can't find the webcam on the host computer.

    **Solutions:**

    1. Check camera permissions in Windows Settings:
       * Settings → Privacy → Camera

    2. Try a different camera if available

    3. Update camera drivers on the host system

    4. Select the correct camera in OpenTrack:
       * Options → Camera → Device
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Slow Performance from USB Drive">
    **Problem:** OpenTrack runs slowly when launched from USB.

    **Solutions:**

    1. Use a **USB 3.0** drive and port for better read speeds

    2. Use **NTFS** instead of FAT32 for better performance

    3. Consider using an **SSD-based USB drive** for best performance

    4. Defragment the USB drive (NTFS only):
       ```batch theme={null}
       defrag E: /O
       ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can't Run on Different Windows Versions">
    **Problem:** OpenTrack works on one computer but not another.

    **Solutions:**

    1. Ensure the host has compatible Windows version:
       * Windows 7 SP1 or later

    2. Install required Visual C++ runtimes

    3. Use the same architecture (32-bit vs 64-bit)
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Best Practices

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Use Quality USB Drives" icon="usb-drive">
    Invest in a reliable USB 3.0 drive with good read speeds (100+ MB/s)
  </Card>

  <Card title="Backup Regularly" icon="floppy-disk">
    Copy your settings and profiles to a backup location periodically
  </Card>

  <Card title="Test Before Gaming" icon="vial">
    Always test tracking on a new computer before launching games
  </Card>

  <Card title="Keep Updated" icon="arrow-up">
    Update your portable installation when new OpenTrack versions are released
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Advantages and Limitations

### Advantages

<Check>No installation required on host computer</Check>
<Check>Settings and profiles travel with you</Check>
<Check>No traces left on host system</Check>
<Check>Quick setup on new computers</Check>
<Check>Easy backup and restore</Check>

### Limitations

<Warning>Some trackers require driver installation (needs admin rights)</Warning>
<Warning>USB 2.0 drives may have slower load times</Warning>
<Warning>Host computer must have compatible hardware (webcam, etc.)</Warning>
<Warning>Visual C++ runtime may need installation on some systems</Warning>

## See Also

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Building from Source" icon="hammer" href="/advanced/building-from-source">
    Build your own portable version from source
  </Card>

  <Card title="Troubleshooting" icon="wrench" href="/advanced/troubleshooting">
    Resolve common issues
  </Card>

  <Card title="Quick Start Guide" icon="rocket" href="/getting-started/quick-start">
    Learn how to use OpenTrack
  </Card>

  <Card title="Configuration" icon="sliders" href="/guides/configuration">
    Configure tracking and output settings
  </Card>
</CardGroup>