Get Around Admin Privileges With Portable Apps

Joe works around his work computer's limitations: My company was recently acquired by another firm. The new company has much tighter IT policies, and as a result, I no longer have administrative privileges on my computer. This is frustrating when you can't access your must-have apps. There is an easy workaround. You can access many of your favorite applications that you thought were off limits by using portable versions. Portable apps are standalone executables that do not require installation. They're designed so that you could carry them with you on a USB stick and use them on any machine. You can also just store them on your local drive. There are lots of sources for portable apps and it is easy to find free, legal copies. This has been a lifesaver for me, as I can now use Google Chrome, Dropbox, and my favorite password manager- all without the need to officially install anything. Admittedly, you should check your IT policy first to make sure you don't break any rules.