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Executed Programs List


Nirsoft has a free utility, Executed Programs List, which is designed to generate a list of all programs and batch files run on your PC, and also list the most recent date on which they were run. Executed Program List appears to do a fair job of compiling a list of a lot of the programs installed on my Windows 7 laptop, but it has some problems.

The 'Last Executed On' field is nearly worthless, apparently only showing programs which are run automatically on startup. The 'File Last Modified' field does a somewhat better job of indicating when a program was last run, but a quick review indicates that it's off by a few days in at least some instances. Disappointingly it entirely misses very common applications such as MS Excel. I also see no sign that it finds batch files I've run, either from previous login sessions, or the current one.

It's limited to these data sources:

  • Registry Key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\MuiCache

  • Registry Key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\MUICache

  • Registry Key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Compatibility Assistant\Persisted

  • Registry Key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Compatibility Assistant\Store

  • Windows Prefetch folder (C:\Windows\Prefetch)

. . .which apparently explains its failure to pick up on the activity of most programs on my PC. Executed Programs List can be a helpful tool, but it shouldn't be relied upon when conducting a serious analysis of user activity in a Windows operating system.


Sean O'Shea has more than 20 years of experience in the litigation support field with major law firms in New York and San Francisco.   He is an ACEDS Certified eDiscovery Specialist and a Relativity Certified Administrator.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the owner and do not reflect the views or opinions of the owner’s employer.

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