Artificial Academy — 2 Install Guide Portable
| Software | Purpose | |----------|---------| | or WinRAR | To extract the AA2Mini archive (which is in .7z format). | | DirectX 9.0c | The game requires legacy DirectX libraries. If you are missing them, the launcher will warn you. | | Visual C++ Redistributables | Some mods and the launcher itself may require these. Install the latest all‑in‑one package from Microsoft. |
Check the box labeled or "Portable Mode" (depending on your build version). This tells the software to create a dummy registry file inside your folder rather than writing to your actual Windows Registry.
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Even a portable version needs a few supporting components to run correctly on Windows 10/11.
extract directly into the Program Files or Program Files (x86) folders, as these require administrator rights and may cause issues with saving files. Step 3: Initial Setup and Running the Game | Software | Purpose | |----------|---------| | or
A portable version of any application is one that does require a formal installation process. Instead, all game files are contained within a single folder, ready to run directly. Portable builds eliminate the need for:
To create or edit student characters, you need AA2Edit.exe in the same portable folder. Run it as the main game. Any character cards (saved as .png files) you create will be saved in the data folder and automatically appear in your free‑roam roster. | | Visual C++ Redistributables | Some mods
Traditional installation writes to the Windows Registry. To make it truly portable: Direct Directory Install
Install both x86 and x64 versions from 2005 through 2022.
Artificial Academy 2 : The Definitive Portable Installation Guide