I recently read about Cameyo, a free application that allows you to install other applications and have them packaged as a single, portable executable. This is awesome for IT folks, developers, etc. Unfortunately the program can’t already be installed on your system. Below I will detail the steps to setup a virtual machine to use as your environment for creating portable executables. We’ll go one step further to setup an undo disk that will allow you to have a fresh virtual machine every time you go to create a new vApp.
If you are running Windows 7 Professional and up you have the ability to setup an XP Mode virtual machine through Virtual PC at no additional charge!
Download Cameyo
1. Setup XP Mode and Virtual PC.
a. Using IE browse to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx
b. Select your Windows version and preferred language.
c. Download Virtual PC from http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx
d. Download XP Mode VM from http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx
2. Configure your XP Mode for your “golden image”.
a. Apply updates.
b. Install antivirus and antispyware software of choice.
c. Install any additional software (that you don’t wish to make portable in the future).
d. Perform any additional tweaking.
e. Shutdown the XP Mode VM.
f. Open your virtual machine directory (Start > search > type: virtual pc).
g. Select the XP Mode VM and right click and choose settings.
h. Here you can select the Undo Disk and choose enable. You’ll want to apply any changes you made when creating your golden image.

*Note: In the future after you mess up your XP Mode VM you can power it down, come back to this settings screen and choose “Discard changes”. Likewise, you can apply updates to Windows and antivirus definitions and come back to this screen and choose “Apply changes”
3. Create your portable application.
a. Using shared drives transfer the cameyo executable and the installer for the application you wish to make portable to the desktop of the XP Mode VM.
b. Run the cameyo executable and choose “Capture installation”.
c. Run the installer for the application.
d. When selecting installation option on during the install make sure to choose put a shortcut on the desktop so cameyo can use that.
e. When the install is finished click “Installation finished”

4. Clean your tracks
a. Copy the portable application back to your host via the shared drive
b. Shutdown the XP Mode VM (Start > run: shutdown -s -t 0)
c. Go to you virtual machine directory and back to settings for the XP Mode VM and select the undo disk. Now select “Discard changes”
Now your in vApp business!





