8 Ways to Get List of Installed Programs For Backup in Windows

Saving the list of installed programs is an important part of the backup strategy. If your system suddenly crashes and you have to redo your OS, then you will have a complete list of the apps and programs you work with and can reinstall them in one go.

This post discusses different ways you can obtain and save a list of the installed programs. Although the screenshots and the methods focus on Windows 11, they are also valid for Windows 10 and earlier Microsoft operating systems.

Getting The List Of Installed Programs

Using Windows PowerShell

Windows PowerShell lets you get a complete list of the installed programs on your computer. There are several ways to do so using PowerShell alone.

Get-ItemProperty

Perform the following steps to obtain a complete list of installed programs using the Get-ItemProperty cmdlet:

1. Open PowerShell with administrative privileges.
2. Now paste the following command which will enable you to run scripts in PowerShell:
   Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted
3. To confirm the command, enter “A” for Yes to All.
   
4. Now run the following command to obtain a list of the installed programs:
   Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion, Publisher, InstallDate |Format-Table -AutoSize
   

You can now use your mouse pointer to highlight and copy this data and save it locally on your PC.

WMIC

Windows Management Instrumentation Command-Line Utility (WMIC) is a command-line utility integrated into Windows which can be used to perform Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) operations. Here is how to use it to obtain a complete list of the installed programs:

1. Open Windows PowerShell with administrative rights.
2. Type in the following to enter WMIC prompt:
   wmic
   
3. Now paste the following command to generate a text file in the root C drive which will contain the list of all the intalled programs on your PC:
   /output:C:\list.txt product get name, version
   

You will now find a text file named “list” in your C drive containing the complete list of the installed programs, which will look something like the image below.

Using Command Prompt

You can also obtain a list of the installed programs using Command Prompt. Here is how:

1. Launch Command Prompt with administrative rights.
2. Paste the following command to get a detailed list of the installed programs.
   wmic product get name,version
   

Alternatively, you can also enter the WMIC prompt and export the list in a text file, as we did in Windows PowerShell in the section above. Enter the following commands one after the other to export the list of installed programs to the root of the C drive:

WMIC
/output:C:\list.txt product get name, version

You can now find the text file named “list” in the root of the C drive.

From Settings App

Since Microsoft has been shifting most of the controls to the Settings app from the Control Panel, they have also made a list of the installed apps and programs available in the app. Navigate to the following to see the list of installed programs on your computer:

Settings app >> Apps >> Apps and features

Here, you will see all the installed apps under App list.

You may now take a screenshot of the page using the Print Screen button on your keyboard (or any third-party tool) and save the complete list of installed programs.

Through Control Panel

You can also view all of your Installed programs easily through the Control Panel. You can open up the Programs and Features page within the Control Panel directly by typing in the following in Run.

appwiz.cpl

Now you can take a screenshot of the page using the Print Screen button on your keyboard (or any third-party tool) and save the list so that you can later get a view of your installed program in a time of need.

Through CCleaner

CCleaner is a small tool that helps you to make your PC’s performance better by removing unnecessary and temporary files. The utility can also give you a list of all installed programs on your computer.

Follow the guide below to obtain a list of the installed programs:

1. Download CCleaner (Free) and then install it on your system
2. When installed, switch to the Tools tab.
   
3. Here, in the Uninstall sub-tab, click Save to text file in the bottom-right corner of the utility.
   
4. You will now be asked where to install the text file. Browse to a location and click Save.
   

You will now find a text file at the preferred location containing a detailed list of the installed programs. However, this list will also include the apps that are pre-installed in Windows by Microsoft, such as Solitaire, Photos app, etc.

Using NirSoft UninstallView

UninstallView is another lightweight third-party utility that can be used to view and import a complete list of the installed programs on your PC. Perform the following steps to do so:

1. Download UninstallView and extract the contents of the downloaded zip file.
2. Navigate to the extracted folder and run the UninstallView application.
   
3. As soon as you run the tool, it will scan your PC and display the installed programs. From the tool, click View from the top menu and then click HTML Report – All items.
   

You will now see an HTML file open in your default web browser containing a detailed list of the installed programs. This list will also be saved in the extracted folder from where you launched the UninstallView application, which you can open at any time.

Using Belarc Advisor

Belarc Advisor scans your PC and forms a detailed report on its specifications and other elements. This includes the complete list of the installed programs. Perform the following steps to generate a list of installed programs using Belarc Advisor.

1. Download Belarc Advisor and install the tool.
2. As it is installing, it will scan your PC automatically. This can take a few moments. When the scan completes, the tool will open a detailed report in your default web browser containing the list of all installed apps and programs.
   
   Now navigate to the following location using File Explorer to retrieve this report and save it:
   C:\Program Files (x86)\Belarc\BelarcAdvisor\System\tmp
3. Now copy the HTML file saved with your computer’s name and move to any location where you want to view it later if required.
   

Closing Words

The internet is filled with other tiny tools that will generate an HTML file for you with the installed applications and programs listed. However, we have discussed above the most convenient tools to use for the purpose, as well as the native methods to obtain the said list.

So these all are easy and handy ways to have a view of all installed programs on your computer and save them locally in either text files or images via screenshots. What do you do to save the list of installed programs in Windows?