i've finished the xfiles so i can return to fixing my laptop
found out i can get most of the apps i am reloading into my laptop from the same place - portableapps.com
i've always preferred downloading programs that don't need to "be installed". to be able to have a hard drive full of programs ready to go on any windows machine is pretty nice. there are dozens of programs that i've used over the years and dozens more to look into.
i've looked into the forums trying to figure out a portable winamp
actually the newest app they have today is Zettlr, a markdown application that is exactly what I have been looking for and what I am writing this post in now.
marble, similar to a google earth, doesn't seem to want to run the online maps. thought this might be a fix but no cigar. want this to work. an open source earth globe model is really exciting to me. will get back to this