In Arduino IDE 1.x, you could simply create a folder named portable inside the installation directory, and the IDE would keep all sketches, libraries, and hardware cores self-contained. In Arduino IDE 2.x, the development team changed the architecture to an Electron-based framework, which changed how data folders are handled.
To achieve true portability with Arduino IDE 2.x on Windows, you must redirect the application's environment pathways. You can accomplish this by downloading the non-administrative "ZIP" version of the IDE and routing its data directories using a custom Windows Batch script ( .bat ).
The optimal method requires scripting and environment variable redirection. It is suitable for technical users but not recommended for beginners. arduino ide 2 portable
Scenario: A manufacturing technician needs to recalibrate 40 identical CNC machines across a factory floor. Each machine has an isolated PC running Windows 10 LTSC with no internet access.
The key is to edit the arduino-cli.yaml configuration file. On Windows, you can find this file at C:\Users\YourUserName\.arduinoIDE\ . In this file, modify the data path to point to your relocated folder. In Arduino IDE 1
Inside ArduinoIDE_Portable , create three new, empty folders:
with a text editor. You'll find sections like: Scenario: A manufacturing technician needs to recalibrate 40
If it points to your host computer's C: drive, manually change the path to a folder within your USB drive setup (e.g., D:\PortableArduino2\data\Sketches ).