This is great, as it means you’re less likely to ever run out of room. As you’ll be aware, a device that’s close to full capacity will be much slower and more sluggish than before. But all this extra space means it’s difficult to keep track of everything installed on your PC. Clearing up File Explorer is always worth doing, but that also includes programs and apps you’ve downloaded. In Settings you’ll find a list of everything installed, but this is no use if you’re planning to reinstall the whole operating system. Rather than worrying about trying to remember everything, there’s a much easier solution. With one simple command, Windows can produce a text file containing all the programs you have installed. This can then be shared with another device, ensuring nothing important is forgotten. The method below works for all recent versions of Windows, including Windows 10 and Windows 11.
How to create a list of everything you have installed on Windows 10 or 11
This tutorial uses the Windows PowerShell tool that’s pre-installed on all devices. It can be used to make permanent changes to your device, but carefully following the steps below will avoid any harm being done. If you’re planning to reinstall the operating system soon, there’s nothing to worry about: The final stage involves exporting to a text file. Scroll to the bottom of the list until you see ‘PS C: ’ followed by your username (‘anyro’ in the example below) Navigate to the specified area of File Explorer and it should now be there. It’ll open in the Notepad app by default, but you can share it just like any other file.
If you create a version of the file before and after you reinstall Windows on some devices, there’s a way to compare the two side by side: This doesn’t work on all devices, but it’s a useful way to ensure you haven’t missed anything. If you’d rather not execute commands in Windows PowerShell, there is another method.. Just download the free version of CCleaner and set it up. From the main home screen, choose ‘Tools’, then make sure the ‘Uninstall’ tab is selected. From there, just click ‘Save to text file…’ from the bottom-right corner.
Related articles for further reading
How to archive apps on Windows 11 How to downgrade from Windows 11 to Windows 10 How to make Windows 11 more like Windows 10
As the resident expert on Windows, Senior Staff Writer Anyron’s main focus is PCs and laptops. Much of the rest of his time is split between smartphones, tablets and audio, with a particular focus on Android devices.
