Well now, if you’re sittin’ there wonderin’ how to check what software’s installed on your computer using PowerShell, let me tell ya, it’s not that hard. I’ve been around the block a few times, and I know a thing or two about makin’ things work without fuss. You just need to run a simple command, and you’ll be lookin’ at a list of all them programs sittin’ on your system.
First things first, let me tell ya this here thing about PowerShell. It’s a tool that comes with Windows, and it lets ya do all sorts of things with your computer. Now, if you wanna see a list of all the software that’s installed, you need to use something called the “Get-WmiObject” command. Sounds fancy, but it’s real simple, trust me. This command is gonna go into your computer and pull out all the info about the programs installed on it.
So here’s what you gotta do. Open up PowerShell, which is easy to find by searchin’ for it in the Start menu. Then, type in the command like this:
Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product
What this does is it tells PowerShell to go look at all them software bits and pieces that your computer’s got. Once you hit “Enter,” PowerShell will start runnin’ and pullin’ up a list of installed programs. You’ll see the names, versions, and some other info. Ain’t that somethin’?
But now, let me tell ya—this command don’t always show everything, especially for software that wasn’t installed through the usual methods. Some programs don’t show up here, but don’t go worryin’. I got another trick up my sleeve for you.
Another way to see the software installed on your machine is by takin’ a look at your computer’s registry. Yep, I know it sounds like something only tech folks mess with, but it ain’t too hard. If you look in the registry at this spot:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionUninstall
You can find a whole mess of stuff about your installed programs. This here path holds the uninstall info, which means it’ll show up even them programs you didn’t install using an installer. But be careful though—don’t go messin’ around in that registry too much, or you might find yourself in a real pickle.
If you’re tryin’ to get a more complete list and your PowerShell command don’t show everything, I got one more thing to suggest. You can use another command to pull out a more detailed list, like this one:
Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Reg_AddRemovePrograms
That’s another way to find software, and it can grab things that PowerShell’s basic command might miss. It works a treat for all them programs installed through Windows Installer. Just be sure to double-check, ‘cause no method’s perfect.
Now, if you’re a beginner, don’t let all this scare ya. It’s just a few simple commands and a little patience. If you’re sittin’ there wonderin’ if you’ll mess it all up—don’t worry, you won’t. PowerShell’s a tool, and tools are meant to help you out. Just take your time and you’ll be lookin’ at everything that’s been installed on your computer in no time.
And that’s about all there is to it, really. Ain’t no need to get too worked up about it. Just open up PowerShell, type in one of them commands, and you’ll be good to go. You might need to do a little fiddlin’ here and there, but before long, you’ll be the one showin’ other folks how it’s done.
Hope this helps ya out. If you have any more questions or need a hand, just holler at me. I’m always happy to help, whether it’s with computers or anything else.
Tags：[PowerShell, Windows, Get-WmiObject, installed software, computer commands, registry, Windows PowerShell, software inventory]
