Windows Inventory Utility
Installed Apps is a free PowerShell utility that creates a portable inventory of software on a Windows PC. It combines traditional installed programs with current-user Appx packages and saves the results into both CSV and Excel formats on the Desktop.
Overview
The script builds one combined software list from two Windows sources: the machine-level uninstall registry and the current user's Appx package inventory.
The script reads HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall and collects Display Name, Display Version, Publisher/Vendor, Install Date, and Install Location. Entries without both a program name and vendor are filtered out.
It also runs Get-AppxPackage for the current user and records Name, Version, Publisher, Install Date, and Install Location.
Traditional programs are sorted by name before being combined with the sorted Appx package list, providing a convenient reference when rebuilding or auditing a PC.
The current script reads Windows registry/package information and writes local files. It does not contain code that uploads the inventory to a website or cloud service.
Output
The script creates an Installed Apps folder on the current user's Desktop and separates its two output formats into clearly named subfolders.
Desktop\Installed Apps\Open with Notepad\InstalledApps.csv
Desktop\Installed Apps\Open with Excel\InstalledApps.xlsx
Excel Requirement
After the CSV is written, the script creates an Excel.Application COM object, opens a new workbook, writes the collected software information into worksheet cells, auto-fits the used columns, and saves the workbook as an XLSX file.
Because the script automates the desktop Excel application through COM, Microsoft Excel must be installed and available for the XLSX creation step to work.
The script exports InstalledApps.csv before it attempts to start Excel, so the CSV output is not dependent on Excel being installed.
After filling the worksheet, the script uses Excel's UsedRange and AutoFit functionality so the exported columns are easier to read.
The workbook is saved in XLSX format, closed, and the Excel application is quit. The script then explicitly releases the worksheet, workbook, and Excel COM objects from memory.
How It Works
-ExecutionPolicy Bypass and requests administrator elevation through UAC.Get-AppxPackage.Use Cases
Save a reference of installed software before resetting, replacing, or reinstalling a Windows PC.
Keep a software checklist while moving from an older computer to a new Windows system.
Create a quick local snapshot of application names, versions, vendors, dates, and install locations before service work.
Use the CSV or workbook as a convenient reference when reviewing what software is present on a PC.
FAQ
Inside an Installed Apps folder on the current user's Desktop.
The script collects software name, version, publisher/vendor, install date, and install location when those values are available.
Yes. The current script creates the workbook by automating Excel.Application, so the desktop Microsoft Excel application is required for that step.
Yes. The CSV is created before the Excel automation step and can be opened with a text editor or another application that supports CSV files.
No. The current script uses Get-AppxPackage without -AllUsers, so the Appx portion reflects the current user's package inventory.
No. The current script contains no upload or web-request code. Its output is written locally to the Desktop.