system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: If games partly install by putting all the necessary files onto your computer, why can't one just email someone the entire folder and all the associated files to another person so they could have it for free?

I don't condone pirating I was just curious about why I have never heard of people doing such a thing.
gpt
This is true of most installed Windows applications. The installation process adds an entry to your Windows Registry and puts other files in other places besides the root install folder. 

These folders won't run when shared, but the **installer** will run just fine. 

Applications that are completely contained in one folder are called **portable** applications. This folder can be shared, including preferences and saved data. *Risk of Rain* is one example of a portable game.