How to Check Installed App Sizes and Install Dates in Windows 11 Settings

Using the Settings App

The Settings ⚙️ app is the quickest way to see app sizes and install dates in Windows 11. It works the same on Home and Pro. It covers Microsoft Store apps and most regular desktop programs.

1. Press the Win+I together to open Settings ⚙️.

   

2. Select Apps from the left sidebar.
3. Click Installed apps.

   

   You should now see the full list of software on your machine.
4. Read the list. Each entry shows the app name, its file size and its install date. Windows sorts the list alphabetically by default.
5. Use the Sort by drop-down above the list to reorder it. Sorting by size puts the biggest apps at the top, and sorting by install date shows your newest installs first.
6. Type an app name in the search 🔍 bar at the top of the page to find a specific application instantly.

Some apps show no size, or show a date that looks wrong. This usually happens when a program’s installer did not report that information to Windows. If you need to check one of those, try the Control Panel 🎛️ method below.

Using the Control Panel

The classic Control Panel 🎛️ is useful for older desktop software and system components that may not show up in the modern Settings menu. It also lets you sort by install date and size with one click on a column header.

1. Open the Start menu ⊞ search bar 🔍, type Control Panel, and press Enter.

   

   The Control Panel 🎛️ window opens.
2. Click Programs and Features. In the default category view it sits under the Programs heading. If your view is set to large or small icons, select Programs and Features directly.
3. Look at the list that loads.

   

   It displays program names, publishers, installation dates and file sizes.
4. Click any column header, such as Name, Installed On or Size, to sort the list. Click the same header again to reverse the order.

If you cannot see the Size or Installed On column, right-click a column header and tick the missing column. Some programs leave the Size field blank. That is normal and does not mean the program is empty.

Using PowerShell

You can use it to pull a complete record of every modern package and hidden system component on your computer. Standard users can run these commands, so you do not need administrator rights for this section.

1. Right-click the Start button and select Terminal or PowerShell. A window opens with a command prompt waiting for input.
2. Type the following command to retrieve all modern packages, then press Enter: Get-AppxPackage | Select-Object Name
3. To export a text file containing every traditional desktop application installed via the registry, type Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion, Publisher, InstallDate | Format-Table -AutoSize and press Enter.

The first command prints its results straight into the window, so the list may be long. Scroll up in the window to read it. The registry-based command is the one to use for classic desktop programs, which the modern package list does not cover.

Using Command Prompt

Command Prompt can query your operating system and show a text list of installed programs. This method needs administrator rights, so you will see a User Account Control prompt along the way.

1. Open the Start menu search bar and type cmd.
2. Right-click Command Prompt in the results and select Run as administrator. [Requires administrator privileges] If a User Account Control prompt appears, click Yes.
3. Type Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_Product | Select-Object Name, Version and press Enter.
4. Wait while the system queries its database. The list of installed software then appears directly inside your command window.

If Run as administrator is missing, you are probably signed in with a standard account. Sign in with an administrator account, or ask the person who manages the PC. Querying can take a little while, so give it time before you close the window.

Auditing Hidden and Background Applications

Task Manager is not a size list, but it helps you find background services and helper tools that do not appear in standard software lists. Startup apps are programs that run automatically when your computer turns on.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc together to open Task Manager.
2. Click the Startup apps icon in the left sidebar. You should see the applications configured to run automatically when Windows boots.
3. Examine the Publisher and Status columns to identify unknown background utilities running on your device.
4. Switch to the Processes tab and expand any running application to view its associated background helper tasks and helper executables.

If Task Manager opens in a compact view, click More details first. To stop a startup app launching at boot, right-click it and choose Disable. You can undo that later by right-clicking it and choosing Enable. Disabling does not uninstall anything.

Exporting Your Installed Apps List

Exporting your installed apps list to a text file is a good habit before troubleshooting performance problems or reinstalling Windows. You end up with a record of what to put back afterwards.

1. Right-click the Start button and select Terminal (Admin). [Requires administrator privileges] Click Yes if a User Account Control prompt appears.
2. Type the export command with a destination path, such as Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Select-Object DisplayName | Out-File -FilePath C:\installed-apps.txt, and press Enter.
3. Open your C drive in File Explorer to verify that the text file was created. It should contain your complete application inventory.

Also check that the path in your command points to a folder you can write to. Save the file to a USB drive or cloud folder before reinstalling Windows, because a clean install may wipe the C drive.

What to do next

Once you know which programs are large or unused, the next step is clearing them out. Use Storage Sense to reclaim disk space on your device. You can find it in Settings under System, then Storage.