Decide whether the setup should be portable
A portable application arrangement aims to keep the intended state with its application files. Before using it, identify who controls the folder and whether it will move between computers. A USB drive containing an executable is not by itself proof that every preference travels with it.
Preserve the current working configuration and choose one harmless visible setting for the test. Do not move unique media or credentials into an application directory merely to see whether a preference persists. Keep the package and source files distinguishable.
Use the project’s documented marker
QMPlay2’s README describes an empty portable control file in its share location, the executable folder on Windows, to store settings with the application. Use the actual documented name and location for the installed build. Check the complete filename so a hidden text extension does not change it.
Confirm the intended folder is writable by the authorized user. A protected installation directory can have different access behavior from a personally controlled portable folder. Do not broadly change system-directory permissions to make a convenience test succeed.
Verify a real setting write and reopen
Apply the harmless preference, close the player normally and inspect the intended configuration location. Reopen the same executable and confirm the choice persists. A marker file existing and a successful settings write are separate results.
If another copy of the player is installed, confirm which executable was launched. A desktop shortcut can target the ordinary installation instead of the portable copy. Keep the actual path private but clear in the notes before concluding that portable mode failed.
Keep portability and compatibility separate
If the setup will move to another computer, verify that system’s actual package requirements and one known media sample. A preference folder travelling successfully does not guarantee the same GPU, decoder or audio device is available at the destination.
The expected outcome is an identified configuration location with a checked save-and-reopen result. It does not encrypt saved accounts, create a media backup or certify universal hardware portability. Preserve the original working setup until the receiving workflow is understood.
Questions answered
Does copying an executable to USB prove settings are portable?
No. Use the project’s documented mode and verify the actual write and reopen result.
Why check which executable the shortcut launches?
Another installed copy can read a different configuration. Application identity is part of the persistence test.
Sources & further reading
Official references for the subjects discussed. Service terms and device software can change.