7 Ways To Generate a List of Installed Programs in Windows

Handy if you want to know what to reinstall

If you own a Windows PC, you’ll likely have a list of go-to software that you use all the time, whether it’s Chrome, Outlook, or Steam. Outside of these favorites, there’ll be other programs you’ve forgotten about or have never even used. That can be problematic—forgotten software takes up disk space and can be a security risk.

We absolutely recommend youproperly uninstall programs on Windowsthat you don’t use, but that doesn’t help you if you don’t know what software you have installed, especially if you’re managing multiple PCs at once. Here are several ways to generate a list of installed programs in Windows 10.

Using The Windows PowerShell (Get-RemoteProgram)

If you want a list of installed programs in Windows 10 that you can export, the best solution is to use a built-in tool to create it. Few tools exist to do this, but one option is to use theWindows PowerShell(or command prompt, if you’re feeling old school).

For those who don’t know, the PowerShell has largely replaced the command prompt as the default terminal on Windows PCs. A script exists for PowerShell users to automatically list all installed programs calledGet-RemoteProgram. This queries the Windows registry for a full and complete list of installed software on your PC.

Using The Windows PowerShell (WMIC)

You can use either the PowerShell or cmd to run theWindows Management Instrumentation Command-Line Utility (WMIC)to generate a list of installed programs in Windows 10. As the PowerShell is the default command-line tool for Windows 10 users, we’ll be using that here.

Using the WMIC tool to view or export a list of your installed Windows software will create a similar list to the Get-RemoteProgram script.

Using Print Screen (Apps & Features)

If you want a visual list of your installed software, you could use the print screen key totake a screenshot in Windowsof theApps & Featuresmenu in Windows Settings, where Windows displays a list of your installed software for you to modify or remove.

It’s unlikely that your installed PC software will fit in just one screenshot. You’ll need to press thePrtScrnbutton on your keyboard (or use third-party screenshot tools like Snagit), then paste your screenshots into a third-party image editor to save (or into a Word document).

You’ll need to scroll through the list and repeat this step to make sure you save the full and complete list of installed software on your PC.

Using NirSoft UninstallView

NirSoft UninstallView is a quick, third-party alternative that can help you generate a list of installed programs in Windows 10. Like the Get-RemoteProgram script, it will query the Windows registry for a complete list of installed software.

Using Belarc Advisor

Belarc Advisor has been a must-have tool in the arsenal of local PC repair shops for years, and it remains a useful tool for Windows 10 users. It generates a breakdown of your PC software, hardware, settings, installed updates, and more to allow you to fully audit your Windows installation.

Like UninstallView, this will be visible in a formatted HTML file that you can export elsewhere.

Using Geek Uninstaller

Geek Uninstaller is a third-party tool for uninstalling software. Like UninstallView, however, it also allows you to view and export a list of your installed programs in Windows 10.

CCleaner (Last Resort Option)

There are plenty of reasons whyyou shouldn’t download CCleaner anymore. Once a go-to and essential piece of maintenance software for Windows users, many of its core features have been rendered useless or ineffective due to Windows changes, or have been incorporated into Windows itself (or into other, better third-party apps).

CCleaner also suffered a rather unfortunate incident back in 2017, when a malware-injected version of the CCleaner installer was uploaded and installed by millions of users. For most users, the trust is gone and the message is clear—avoid CCleaner.

However, CCleaner can export a list of installed programs, but we’re not going to recommend downloading it to do so.This is a last resort option, but if you already have CCleaner installed, you could use it to generate and export a list of your installed programs. That is, of course, before you rush to remove it.

This will export your installed files as a file formatted using tab delimiters. Opening the file using Microsoft Excel will allow you to view the list in a more manageable way.

Removing Or Updating Windows Software

If you prefer to stay organized, or if you have too many PCs to maintain, generating a list of installed programs in Windows 10 can help you find the software you need to remove or update to give you more disk space and improve your security.

If you don’t need to remove it, make sure you find ways tokeep your software updated automaticallyto get the latest security patches and bug fixes. You may end up with software that you just don’t want on your PC, however. If that’s the case, be sure toremove unwanted softwarefrom your PC as soon as you find it.

Ben Stockton is a freelance technology writer based in the United Kingdom. In a past life, Ben was a college lecturer in the UK, training teens and adults. Since leaving the classroom, Ben has taken his teaching experience and applied it to writing tech how-to guides and tutorials, specialising in Linux, Windows, and Android. He has a degree in History and a postgraduate qualification in Computing.Read Ben’s Full Bio

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7 Ways To Generate a List of Installed Programs in Windows#

Using The Windows PowerShell (Get-RemoteProgram)#

Using The Windows PowerShell (WMIC)#

Using Print Screen (Apps & Features)#

Using NirSoft UninstallView#

Using Belarc Advisor#

Using Geek Uninstaller#

CCleaner (Last Resort Option)#

Removing Or Updating Windows Software#