Running an email client from a floppy

Security concerns

[toadhall]

I'm planning on carrying a small email client with me when travelling. It fits on a floppy and I'll run it from the floppy. All my sent and received mail will be saved in folders on the floppy.

When you run a program this way (from an external disk) is there any trace of it left on the machine when you shut down and remove it? If yes, enough to be concerned about? I'm not carrying blueprints for space modulators or anything so the fate of the free world doesn't depend on it. Just want to know my limits.

[gsx]

Generally, yes. I can't be specific, but one thing to consider is the Windows swap file (or virtual memory to any other non-windows machines). These files can have information within them and there is little you can do about it.

[richlowe]

Also temp files and such.

Richard LOwe

[DaveAtIFG]

If you're using Windows, your "history list" of recently used files may indicate that the email client was used.

[toadhall]

Thanks for your replies.

Could any of those residual traces be the actual message, sent or received? Or just indicators of usage?

[edited by: toadhall at 6:04 pm (utc) on July 25, 2002]

[akhar]

try coding and email app in either REBOL or Python ( which can be made portable with the htlp of freeze.py (included with python)) I might not leave a trace if you run it from the command line (both REBOL and Python will enable you to have a GUI but maybe a text interface would be safer)