As you use your system, you install many programs, with some used on a daily basis and some just occasionally. If you ever need to reinstall software or switch to a new PC, having a list of all the installed software on your Windows system makes things much easier.
There are multiple ways to get a list of all the installed software. Pick the method you are comfortable with and generate the list. As a side note, these methods usually won’t pick up portable software and apps since it’s not technically installed. You’ll need to write these down manually.
Also read: What Is TrustedInstaller and Should You Delete It?
Using Command Prompt
The first and easiest way to get a list of all the installed software on your system is by using the Command Prompt. To do that, press Win + R, type cmd, then press the Enter button.
The above action will open the Command Prompt window. Here, copy and paste the below command and press the Enter button. Don’t forget to change the file path nest to “/output” to suit your needs.
wmic /output:C:\InstalledSoftwareList.txt product get name,version
As soon as you press the Enter button, Windows scans your system and saves the list in the form of a text file. You can find the text file in the location you entered above. If you get an error, try running Command Prompt as an administrator. Go to Start, search for “cmd,” and select “Run as administrator” under Command Prompt.
Alternatively, you can use the following command to generate a CSV file of all your installed software:
wmic product get name,version /format:csv > C:\Computername%.csv
It’ll include your PC name as well. This works well if you’re keeping track of software installed on multiple PCs.
Using PowerShell
If you’ve made a habit of using PowerShell, then you can also use it to get the list of all the installed software. To do that, press Win + R, type powershell, then press the Enter button, or use Win + X and select “Windows PowerShell (Admin).”
Now, enter the below command and press the Enter button. Don’t forget to change the file path as required.
Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product | Select-Object -Property Name > C:\InstalledSoftwareList.txt
As you can see from the above command, we are still using WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) to get the list of all software installed on a Windows system. If you didn’t see all of the installed software on your system, then try the below command. Again, customize the file path as needed.
Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion, Publisher, InstallDate | Format-Table -AutoSize > C:\InstalledSoftwareList.txt
Using CCleaner
If you don’t like to use the Command Prompt or PowerShell, then you can use the popular system cleaning utility CCleaner to get the list of all the installed software on your Windows system. To start, install CCleaner, if you haven’t already, and open it from the Start menu.
Once CCleaner is open, navigate to the “Uninstall” tab from the “Tools” menu appearing on the left pane.
This window will show you all the installed software on your system. To get a list, simply click on the “Save to text file” button appearing in the bottom-right corner.
The above action will open the Save As window. Simply select the destination and name of the file and click the “Save” button.
You will have your list in an instant at the selected destination.
Using GeekUninstaller
You can also get the installed software list using the GeekUninstaller, a free and portable Windows uninstaller. To start, download the GeekUninstaller, extract it and execute the application.
Being a portable application, you don’t have to install it. Once the application is open, select all the programs in the window, then select the option “Save as HTML.”
You will be asked to select a destination. Select a location to save the file and click on the “Save” button to complete the procedure.
If you also need license keys to go along with your list of software, try one of these solutions. Some only list software with license keys, while others list everything installed.
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