any software that can be installed on an external hard-drive or USB stick?

[lee09]

I tried installing software on the fast desktops PC's at work, but unfortunately I don't have administrator rights, so I can't seem to do that.

However I have successfully run the USB-stick version of Firefox browser, it works great.

Is there anything similar for video editing?

[guns1inger]

Virtualdub doesn't require an install. Don't know of there is a portable version of AVI Demux.
XMediaRecode has a portable version. You can do basic edits with it if necessary.

There aren't many free editors beyond virtualdub and avi demux, so your choices are limited even without the restriction of portability.

[jagabo]

TsMuxer, TsSniper, Mpeg2Cut2, MkvToolNix, Yamb, AviDemux.

[jan5678]

There is portableapps. It's website contains a ton of all portable applications including some for video editing.
If you can't find what you need do a search on the page and maybe there is some unofficially made applications that might work.
These programs are all with a installer that find your usb drive letter.
They also make a portableapps suite that looks like a u3 usb stick and works like a charm.

Good luck

[jagabo]

More video related portable software:

Bitrate Viewer, AVS2DVD, CCE, DVD Fab, DVD Decrypter, GraphEdt, GraphStudio, h264tscutter, HandBrake, HcEnc, MakeMKV, VLC, MPCHC, KMPlayer, Mpeg4Modifier, Nero CDSpeed, Nero Disc Speed, TMPGEnc Plus, Subtitle Workshop, TSPacketEditor, x264gui, xvid4psp, megui...

Some have to be installed to a hard drive first but you can just copy the installed folder to the portable drive and run it from there (you can uninstall from the hard drive afterward if you want).

I have all of these on a network share (mapped as a drive letter on each computer) and any computer on the network can run them.