Installing Beyond Compare on a U3 USB Flash Drive

You can create a U3 installer by using the Template .zip file from this page, and copying your install and license key inside of it.  This install requires a registered version of Beyond Compare.  A trial version of Beyond Compare is not U3 compatible.  Please follow these step by step instructions to create your .u3p installer.

Windows logo BC3 logo BC Version 3 or 4, Windows only

  1. Download and extract U3 BC3 Template.zip.  Inside are four folders: data, device, host, and manifest.
  2. Download and run the latest version of the BC Installer.  (Requires BC 3.1.4 or above.)  Perform a Portable Install into the "device" folder (unzippedLocation\device\BCompare.exe)
  3. Open your Beyond Compare key file (ex. BC3key.txt) in the "device" folder with a text editor, and paste your Beyond Compare key inside.
  4. Select and re-zip the four folders, so that when you open your zip you see: data, device, host, and manifest.
  5. Rename the extension of the ".zip" file you just created to ".u3p".

BC2 logo BC version 2

  1. Download and extract U3 BC2 Template.zip.  Inside are four folders: data, device, host, and manifest.
  2. Copy the contents of your Beyond Compare install folder (ex. C:\Program Files\Beyond Compare 2\BC2.exe) into the "device" folder (unzippedLocation\device\BC2.exe).
  3. Open your Beyond Compare key file (ex. BC2.key) in the "device" folder with a text editor, and paste your Beyond Compare key inside.
  4. Select and re-zip the four folders, so that when you open your zip you see: data, device, host, and manifest.
  5. Rename the extension of the ".zip" file you just created to ".u3p".

To install the Beyond Compare to your U3 drive, open the U3 Launchpad and select Add Programs | Install from my Computer, then select your newly created ".u3p" file.

To install Beyond Compare on a non U3 USB flash drive, refer to Running Beyond Compare from Removeable Media.

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