How it differs from ordinary installation
Most Windows applications are installed directly onto your PC. RunContainer adds a managed layer between you and the application.
Side by side
| Ordinary installation | With RunContainer | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it's installed | Directly onto your system | Inside an environment managed by RunContainer |
| Where its changes go | Mixed in with everything else on the PC | Intended to stay within its environment |
| How you launch it | Start menu, desktop shortcut | From RunContainer, in the application's environment |
| Separation from other apps | None beyond what Windows normally provides | Applications can be placed in separate environments |
| Cleaning up | Depends on the application's own uninstaller | Centred on the environment |
Why it helps
Less clutter on your PC. Normally, applications leave files, settings and shortcuts in many places. Keeping them in an environment makes it clearer what belongs to what.
Freedom to experiment. If you want to try an application, you can use an environment set aside for that purpose, then reset or remove it afterwards.
Clear boundaries between uses. You can keep, for example, work tools and personal tools in different environments.
What stays the same
- An application still looks and behaves like itself. RunContainer doesn't change how the application works internally.
- You still need a legitimate copy and licence for any software you install.
- The application can still use the network and see what you type into it. Isolation isn't a privacy shield. See Privacy & credentials.
Trade-offs
Running applications in a managed environment isn't free of compromises. Some applications expect to be installed system-wide, need drivers or background services, or include protection that won't work in a managed environment. See Unsupported applications and Known limitations.