How to Create a List of All Installed Programs in Windows 10

Rather than manually writing the list of all installed programs, you can make Windows export installed programs list. Here’s how to do it.

Recently, I wanted to reinstall Windows 10 on my main machine. Though installing Windows is nothing hard, you can’t say the same for all the installed applications. The problem is, it is very easy for me to forget to install one or more applications. I can remember the most used applications but I can’t say the same for programs that I use rarely. I just don’t like it when an application I want to use is not already installed.

So, before reinstalling Windows 10, I wanted to create a list of all installed programs. Now, one way is to open the Control Panel and write down all the installed application names. However, there is a much better way to do it. Rather than you doing all the work, why not make Windows export the installed application list to a text or HTML file? That is where this article comes in to play.

If you ever want to, use one or all the methods below to create an installed programs list.

The methods shown below can also be followed on Windows 7 and 8.

1. PowerShell Command to List Installed Programs

Using PowerShell, you can list all the installed programs in your machine. If you want to, you can also make the PowerShell save the installed programs list to a text file with a single command.

1. Open the start menu, search for “PowerShell” and click on the “Run as Administrator” option. You can also select the same option by right-clicking on the result.

2. After opening the PowerShell window, execute the below command to list all the programs.

Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion, Publisher, InstallDate | Format-Table –AutoSize

3. Now, select the displayed list and right-click to copy it. Once copied, you can paste it in a text document and save the file.

4. Alternatively, execute the below command and PowerShell will create a text document with the program list for you.

Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall* | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion, Publisher, InstallDate | Format-Table –AutoSize > "C:\InstalledPrograms.txt"

5. The text file created by PowerShell can be found in the root of the C drive.

That is all. The PowerShell command to list programs is all you need for the most part. However, there will be situations where some of the programs might be missing from the list. If that’s the case, then follow the second method.

2. GeekUninstaller Method

GeekUninstaller is one of my favorite software to uninstall the programs from Windows. One of the best things about GeekUninstaller is that the interface lists all the software in a neat single table. In addition to that, it also allows you to export the installed software list. We are going to use that functionality.

1. First, go to the official developer website and download the file. Once downloaded, extract the zip file to your desktop.

2. Since Geek Uninstaller is a portable software, there is no need to install it. Just click on the EXE file and the application will open. You can see all your installed applications on the main screen itself.

3. To export the list, click “File → Export to HTML”.

4. Select where you’d like to save the file, name it and click on the “Save” button.

5. After saving the file, open the HTML file to see the list of your installed programs.

3. CCleaner Method

CCleaner is one of the most popular system cleaner software that has a lot of bell and whistles. One of those options is the ability to see and export the list of installed software. If you are a CCleaner user, follow the steps below. The good thing about this method is that it also lists the Microsoft Store apps.

1. First, open CCleaner by searching for it in the start menu. If you want to, you can download and install CCleaner from the official website.

2. In the CCleaner window, go to the “Tools → Uninstall” tab. Here, click on the “Save to text file” button.

3. Select the destination, name the file, and click on the “Save” button.

The text file with the list of installed programs will be saved instantly at your chosen location.

Hope that helps. If you are stuck or need some help, comment below and I will try to help as much as possible. If you like this article, do check out how to uninstall Microsoft Store apps in Windows 10.