How to Export an Installed Software List from Windows Registry to CSV Using PowerShell

Learn how to easily export your installed software list from the Windows registry into a CSV file using PowerShell with this step-by-step guide.
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How to Export an Installed Software List from Windows Registry to CSV Using PowerShell

If you have ever wanted to retrieve a list of installed software on your Windows machine, perhaps for documentation or inventory management, PowerShell provides a powerful solution. A common hurdle when attempting to export this list into a CSV file is the use of Write-Host, which does not send output to the pipeline. In this guide, we’ll walk through a systematic approach to fetching this information from the Windows registry and exporting it effectively into a CSV format.

The Problem with Traditional Methods

Many users initially try using the Write-Host cmdlet to display information in PowerShell. While it serves a purpose for displaying output in the console, it does not allow for further manipulation or exporting of data. This results in a null pipeline error when attempts are made to pipe that output into a CSV or any other command.

Crafting a Solution

To overcome this limitation, we create a structured approach that involves:

Retrieving Installed Software Information: Accessing the relevant registry path to get the software list.

Creating Objects for Each Software Item: Storing the necessary attributes (like name and version) in a structured way.

Exporting to CSV: Utilizing Export-Csv to generate a clean CSV file from our collected data.

Step 1: Retrieve Installed Software Information

First, we use Get-ChildItem to fetch entries from the Windows registry where installed applications are listed:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 2: Create a Collection for the Software Information

Next, we need to initialize an array object to hold the software details before exporting:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Now, we loop through each retrieved object, creating a new PSObject for each entry and adding the desired properties:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 3: Export the Data to CSV

Finally, we use the Export-Csv cmdlet to output our software list into a CSV file. Replace "SomePath" with your desired file path:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Conclusion

With this method, you can easily generate a CSV file containing the Display Name and Version of installed software on your Windows machine. By circumventing the limitations of Write-Host and tapping into the power of PSObjects, you ensure that your data is both retrievable and exportable with ease.

This approach not only gives you a method to document installed applications but also serves as a handy script to reuse in the future. Now, next time you need to compile a list of your installed software, you have a straightforward PowerShell solution at your disposal!