Installed Application Inventory for Windows Endpoints

Good For

• software audits

• migration prep

• support handoff

• baseline documentation

How to Use It

1. Run from an elevated PowerShell session only if your environment requires registry access elevation.

2. Collect both 64-bit and 32-bit uninstall registry views.

3. Filter out blank DisplayName values before exporting results.

4. Use the local mode first to confirm output shape on one machine.

5. Use remote single-host mode for support triage, then host-list mode for audits.

6. Export to CSV when comparing systems or attaching evidence to a ticket.

Execution Modes

• local
• remote-single-host
• remote-host-list

Inputs and Outputs

Inputs

• local computer
• single hostname
• CSV host list
• TXT host list
• future Active Directory query

Outputs

• verbose-console
• csv

Command Starter

# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
# Operator inputs
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
$ComputerNames = @('localhost')
$OutputPath = '.\windows-software-inventory.csv'
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
# Read machine-level uninstall registry views from each endpoint
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
$Results = foreach ($ComputerName in $ComputerNames) {
Invoke-Command -ComputerName $ComputerName -ScriptBlock {
$UninstallRoots = @(
'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*',
'HKLM:\Software\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*'
)
foreach ($Root in $UninstallRoots) {
Get-ItemProperty -Path $Root -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
Where-Object { $_.DisplayName } |
ForEach-Object {
[pscustomobject]@{
ComputerName  = $env:COMPUTERNAME
DisplayName   = $_.DisplayName
DisplayVersion = $_.DisplayVersion
Publisher      = $_.Publisher
InstallDate    = $_.InstallDate
RegistrySource = $Root
}
}
}
}
}
$Results | Export-Csv -Path $OutputPath -NoTypeInformation -Encoding UTF8
$Results | Sort-Object ComputerName, DisplayName | Format-Table -AutoSize

Validation

• The CSV contains app names, versions, publishers, and install dates where available.

• Known installed applications appear in the export.

• Blank registry entries are filtered out before review.

Reporting

• Use the CSV as the starter inventory artifact for support, migration, or baseline documentation.

• Machine-level uninstall keys are the deliberate starter scope; per-user installs, Store apps, and package-manager sources belong in an expanded report pack.

Safety Notes

• Keep the default inventory mode read-only.

• Avoid Win32_Product inventory because it can trigger MSI repair behavior.