flashdrive + firefox

swinada · Post by **swinada** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 2:25 pm

I installed Firefox on to a 256MB USB flashdrive (memorystick)
If I plug this in on my work office computer and surf the web, will there be anything written to my c drive. Or in other words does my surfing leave a trace somewhere on the work computer?
:?:

Jim Z · Post by **Jim Z** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 5:03 pm

Unless this is a special build of Firefox, it'll try to create a profile directory in your /Documents and Settings/Application Data/ folder. Wherein it stores your bookmarks, history, and cache.

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 12:05 am

You want this:

http://johnhaller.com/jh/mozilla/portable_firefox/

swinada · Post by **swinada** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 1:16 am

thanks FP, I'll try that.
What is the live expectancy on a flash drive if it is used this way? Does it shorten the life span quiet a bit?

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 1:47 am

It'll shorten it some, but that particular version of Firefox is optimized to reduce wear on a USB drive.

EvilHorace · Post by **EvilHorace** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 6:57 am

No one has ever checked our work PCs for surfing evidence but isn't just clearing all cookies, temp internet files (including all off-line files) good enough?

The only thing that I'm sure would get many in trouble at work is pron or perhaps online gaming.

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 9:56 am

Well the problem is that if you want to leave absolutely no footprints, you have to do several things: clear cache, clear cookies, clear forms & passwords (otherwise someone else using the computer could log into your personal accounts).

Even then, IE has a nasty habit of leaving things behind in the cache (even after a clearing).

Plus you also have to worry about activeX controls or BHOs being loaded that your admin might not want in there, or that is spyware.

Also it may not be practical to wipe the traces on the machine - you might wipe something else you or someone else needs, like stored passwords.

For example: If I'm working on a client's computer at his office and waiting for a long procedure (like a virus or spyware scan, or a Ghost image backup) I might decide to check the forums and my mail real quick on one of his computers (maybe I don't feel like getting the laptop out of the car and hunting for a open network jack). I don't want to worry about leaving my forum password on that machine, and I may piss off my client if I wiped his stored passwords when I was done. So the USB Firefox solution is handy.

Invisible Evil · Post by **Invisible Evil** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 10:47 am

Man thats cool, thanks for the link FP.