How to Generate a Complete Windows App Inventory

Generate a comprehensive software inventory on Windows using PowerShell. Export your installed application list to a CSV file for auditing and management.

1. Open Windows Terminal as Administrator. Right-click the Start button and select Terminal (Admin). Confirm the User Account Control prompt if it appears to grant elevated privileges.
2. Query the installed application registry. Copy and paste the following command into the terminal window: Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion, Publisher | Sort-Object DisplayName. Press Enter to view the list.
3. Capture both 64-bit and 32-bit entries. Run the command: Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*, HKLM:\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion, Publisher | Where-Object {$_.DisplayName -ne $null} | Sort-Object DisplayName. This ensures your list includes both system architectures.
4. Save the inventory to a CSV file. Use the Export-Csv cmdlet to save your data. Run: Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*, HKLM:\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion, Publisher | Where-Object {$_.DisplayName -ne $null} | Sort-Object DisplayName | Export-Csv -Path "$HOME\Desktop\AppInventory.csv" -NoTypeInformation.
5. Open and format the file. Navigate to your Desktop and open AppInventory.csv using Microsoft Excel or any text editor. Verify that all columns are populated and data is accurate.