It seems best to download portable programs (such as Tor, for example) rather than the usual program if trying to remain anonymous - such as if using a VM or an OS on a flash drive that you’d be willing to format over or even delete if need be. I am fairly sure proprietary software sites log your IP, date, usage when you download so that it can give you a test period of 2 weeks, so I’d guess other software could do the same when it is downloaded. I’d think portable apps might be safer.

How off am I on this and would a portable downloaded Tor or other program be able to show the original download info such as OS, PC, date, time, ISP, geolacation, etc. (metadata?) even after I transferred or cloned/copied it onto, say, an external drive with a new OS or onto a VM or where ever?