Portable Apps Every PC Technician Should Carry on a USB Stick
Keep a small USB stick loaded with these tools and you can handle most on-site jobs without hunting for software or waiting for downloads. The best choices run without installation, leave almost no trace, and cover the tasks that come up every week.
Hardware checks that take minutes
Start every visit by confirming what the machine actually contains. CPU-Z shows CPU, motherboard, and RAM details in one window. HWMonitor tracks temperatures and voltages while you stress the system. CrystalDiskInfo reads drive health SMART data so you know if a disk is about to fail before you start copying files.
- Run CPU-Z first when a customer says the PC feels slow.
- Check drive temperature in HWMonitor if the case feels unusually warm.
- Save the CrystalDiskInfo report to the same USB stick for your records.
Fixes that work from the stick
Once you know the hardware, move to the problems you can solve on the spot. 7-Zip opens every archive format you will meet. Notepad++ edits config files and logs without the limitations of the built-in editor. Recuva recovers deleted user files when the customer swears they were not backed up.
| Task | App | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Extract archives | 7-Zip | Driver packs, client data |
| Edit text files | Notepad++ | .ini, logs, hosts file |
| Recover deleted data | Recuva | Accidental deletions |
Network and remote tools
Many jobs end with a remote session or a quick network test. PuTTY handles SSH and Telnet when you need console access to a router or server. AnyDesk portable lets you hand the machine back to the owner and finish the work from your own laptop. Wireshark portable captures traffic when you need to prove where the slowdown actually sits.
- Plug the stick in and launch AnyDesk so the customer can watch.
- Use PuTTY to check switch logs if the office network is the issue.
- Keep a copy of the latest Wireshark on the stick for the rare packet-level case.
Update the stick every couple of months so the versions stay current. One reliable drive with these eight or nine programs covers the majority of calls without extra software or internet access.