Step 1: Install AmiBroker Normally Install AmiBroker on your local C: drive using the default installer. This writes necessary Registry keys and installs core components.
Step 2: Locate the Installation Directory
Navigate to C:\Program Files\AmiBroker (or wherever you installed it).
Step 3: Copy the Entire Folder to Your USB Drive
Copy the AmiBroker folder to E:\PortableApps\AmiBroker (where E: is your USB drive).
Step 4: Copy the Application Data
This is the critical step many miss. AmiBroker stores user data (layouts, favorites, databases) in:
%APPDATA%\Amibroker (usually C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Roaming\Amibroker) amibroker portable
Copy the contents of that Roaming folder into your USB drive’s AmiBroker folder, inside a subfolder named Data or User.
Step 5: Use Relative Paths via amibroker.reg
On your USB drive, create a text file named amibroker.reg with the following content:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Tomasz Janeczko\Amibroker]
"DataPath"=".\\Data"
This tells AmiBroker to look for user data relative to its own executable. Step 1: Install AmiBroker Normally Install AmiBroker on
Step 6: Launch Test
Double-click AmiBroker.exe from the USB drive. If it asks for registration, enter your key (it will save the license file locally in the portable folder).
Option A: Use SUBST Command
Before running portable AmiBroker, open Command Prompt and type:
SUBST X: "E:\PortableAmi\DataBases"
Then create all databases inside X:\. On any new PC, run the same SUBST command mirroring your USB path.
Option B: Relative Paths in Database Settings
In AmiBroker, go to Tools > Preferences > Data. Instead of C:\Data, type .\MyData. This forces AmiBroker to look for a MyData folder inside the portable directory. This tells AmiBroker to look for user data
Option C: Use Symbolic Links
Create a symbolic link inside the portable folder that points to a generic folder like .\DB. (Requires admin rights on the host, which defeats portability.)
AmiBroker uses a license file (Broker.lic). This file is tied to the specific machine ID (Hardware Fingerprint) of the computer it was activated on.
AmiBroker is designed to be relatively "portable-friendly" by nature. To create or use a portable version, the core program files are typically copied to a folder on the USB drive. Because AmiBroker stores its configuration (Broker.exe) and databases in its own directory structure rather than scattering them across the system, it functions independently from the host operating system.