Even in portable mode, you retain access to NTLite's core power:
It works directly with Windows installation source files (ISO, WIM, ESD) and can also edit a live, running Windows installation (though with restrictions). ntlite portable
Ava suggested a third path: build a sentinel. We would reverse-engineer the modules, catalog their behaviors, and publish a small companion tool that would reveal what these portable utilities did on any system. A modest antidote, transparent and accountable. “If you create a scalpel,” she said, “give someone a mirror to see what it cuts.” Even in portable mode, you retain access to