Portable mode

The portable copy of MDM runs from any folder, including a USB stick, without installing anything.

How it works

MisterDownloadManager-<version>-portable.zip holds the same programs as the setup, plus a folder named data next to misterdownloadmanager.exe. When that folder is there and MDM can write to it, MDM is in portable mode:

• The download list, settings, helpers for video (yt-dlp, ffmpeg) and torrent data are kept in data, not in your Windows profile.
• Nothing is written to the registry.

Delete the data folder (or make it read-only) and the same copy behaves like the plain zip: it keeps its data in %APPDATA%\misterdownloadmanager.

Set it up

1. Download MisterDownloadManager-<version>-portable.zip from Releases.
2. Unzip it where you want MDM to live, for example E:\MDM on a USB stick.
3. Run misterdownloadmanager.exe from there.

On the first start MDM asks for the language; see Languages.

What is different

• Downloads still go to the computer's Downloads folder unless you change it. To keep them with MDM, set each category's folder in Options → Save to. Carry MDM on a USB stick shows how.
• Launch Mister Download Manager on startup in Options → General is greyed: starting with Windows needs the registry.
• Browser integration needs the installer. The browser finds MDM's helper through the registry, so a portable copy can't take downloads from the browser. Use Add URL, the clipboard or the drop target instead (see Adding downloads).
• Tasks → Torrent settings → Open magnet links and .torrent files with Mister Download Manager does write to the registry, for your Windows account only. Leave it off to keep the portable copy registry-free.

Moving between computers

The list keeps each download's full folder path. If Windows gives the USB stick a different drive letter on another computer, check Options → Save to, and expect downloads saved under the old letter to be missing until the letter matches again. When MDM is about to save into a folder that doesn't exist, it asks whether to create it.

Quit MDM with Tasks → Exit before you unplug the stick, so it saves the list.

Next steps

• Tutorial: carry MDM on a USB stick →
• Getting started →
• Options → Save to →