"Dick Watson" wrote:

- quote -

I would not say significant compromises.

- quote -

I had already been using Firefox and Thunderbird for email before moving to
the USB Key. I had been using a 512MB key for the last six months until I
filled it up with some pictures from my camera. So I recently purchased a
2GB key for $55 on sale a Best Buy.

My previous SanDisk USB drive was quite durable and I dropped it several
times down flights of stairs. And it made it through several cycles of the
clothes washer and dryer without loosing a byte of data. So not being able
to access the data in my experience shouldn't be a problem.

- quote -

Most virus scanners are set to scan on open/read or any access to the
individual files. So that really isn't much of an issue.

- quote -

USB 2.0 is quite speedy in native form. My setup is slightly slower because
the data is encrypted and decrypted on the fly which takes some CPU but it's
certainly acceptable.

- quote -

GNUCash isn't up my alley, I'll probably end up with MoneyDance but I don't
like the Java requirement. People on the Quicken forums are trying to get
the same thing out of Quicken without any luck. Don't get me wrong I enjoy
Microsoft products and I think Microsoft products are good products. Heck I
run a MS Active Directory Domain with 15,000 users. It's just that Microsoft
doesn't have a setup that fits my needs/wants/desires at the moment.

- quote -

Unfortunately 4 years from now doesn't do me much good today. However, I am
optimistic and my expectations aren't low as they should be.

Some other types of applications I've been running from the USB key include
a spyware/malware scanner and keylogger detector which scan the local
computer for these types of software. I've got to add a virus scanner then I
should be set.

OK. I get it. Some, ahem, **significant** compromises most all of us just
can't make had to be made along the way.

You have OpenOffice, a mutant Firefox, a mutant Thunderbird, Miranda and
Remora all installed on your USB key and still have room for data? That must
be one BIG key. I'd be worried about what happened if I lost it not because
somebody could get at my data but because I couldn't.

Don't a lot of PCs you plug this whole shebang into go nuts with virus scan
panic?

How's performance?

Have you checked up on GNUcash? Besides not working on Windows, it seems
like it'd be up your alley.

You say that your issue is the dependencies of MS applications. No app is
more dependent on other components in the Microsoft goodie box than Money.
Can't render a UI without IE. Can't store a byte without Jet. I suspect it
would be the most difficult of the lot to get to work your way. I'm not
knocking your requirement; just trying to set expectations low. Four or five
years from now I suspect what you are trying to do will be much more widely
supported. I wonder if Microsoft is already looking at co-opting all of
these initiatives to put an entire user environment on a USB key into some
ActiveThumbDrive scheme?

"Shawn" <Shawn[at]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:81A01876-0657-4F07-B072-1BCA0A8018D9[at]microsoft.com...
- quote -

Dick,
Yes I have been working on this some number of months, (mostly reasearch).
You can doubt if you like, but it is a reality. However, I have had to leave
many of microsoft's programs behind in favor of smaller applications that
don't have all of MS app's dependencies. I have switched to OpenOffice for
productivity, a secure version of Firefox for browsing, a secured Thunderbird
for Email, Miranda Instant Messenger (trillian works too) to communicate on
any messaging platform. I use a program manager called Remora to lauch
these apps.

All of this is double encrypted using AES and Blowfish so if I loose my usb
drive, the information can not be accessed, using a special encryption
utility.

I own a license of MS Money 2003 and since the field of Personal Finance
Manager's is so small, I was hoping to get MS Money to work. However I have
found alternatives called Money Dance or Ace Money Manager. But I didnt want
to spend the money if I didnt need to do so.

"Dick Watson" wrote:

- quote -

Are you saying that you are presently able to go to any machine, anywhere,
and have your personalized setup of web browsing, instant messaging, email,
personal contacts, productivity software, etc. at your fingertips and ready
to use just via a USB drive and Money is the ONLY exception? Permit me to
doubt.

"Shawn" <Shawn[at]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:5051BFD1-E35F-4F3A-BDA5-749D76F1F4C4[at]microsoft.com...
- quote -

- quote -

nearly everywhere I go there is idle cpu cycles waiting to be used. This is
the last type of application I need to have my own setup of web browsing,
instant messaging, email, personal contacts, productivity software, etc. All
of which at my fingertips and ready to use.

- quote -

It almost makes me long for the Windows 3.1 days. LOL!

- quote -

I really don't want to put my private and personal information out on
someone else's server/computer. I've already spent a considerable amount of
time having other companies remove their information about me from their
systems.

In microsoft.public.money, Shawn wrote:

- quote -

True.


- quote -

You don't want to hear any suggestion that you get a laptop.

Money, like most Windows programs today, are set up to require
installation into the Registry. Even if the program files could
reside in the other storage, you would still need an installation.

However there is one more possibility: Money 2006 has the ability to
make much of your information accessible via https to a Microsoft
server, if you put a Passport on your file. You would then sync up
with the home computer on occasion.

Unfortunately, I do not have the same PC available to me at all times. So
without the program the .mny file becomes useless to me.

I haven't read the Money 2003 EULA in sometime but most microsoft apps allow
the install of an application on a desktop and laptop, but may not be used at
same time.

Any further advice?


"Bob Peel, MVP" wrote:

- quote -

You could install the Money program on the PC and keep the .mny file on the
USB drive, but watch the licensing.

--
Regards
Bob Peel,
Microsoft MVP - Money

For UK tips & fixes see
http://support.microsoft.com/default...d=fh;EN-GB;mny.


I do not respond to any emails that I have not specifically asked for.

"Shawn" <Shawn[at]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:3553E266-30B8-4AB5-9B6F-D06D2513B589[at]microsoft.com...
- quote -

I have to use several PCs through out my normal day and often travel. I run
everything from my USB Flash drive, web browsing, email, productivity apps
etc. However I don't have personal finance program, which is essential.

Has anyone accomplished running MS Money 2003 or a newer version from a USB
Drive? If so, what did you do?

I tried installing it to the flash drive but when I try to run it at
different computers I get the following error message:
---------------------------
msmoney
---------------------------
Installation of the Money System Pack was not successful. Please install it
manually by double-clicking syspack.msi on your original product CD.
---------------------------
OK
---------------------------