In Control Panel > Programs and Features, you can see a list of the installed 3rd party programs on your computer. Does Windows maintain a list of previously installed (and uninstalled) programs that the user can access?
Note: This question is based on my PCs running Windows XP and Windows 8.1 but it may apply to multiple versions.
Best Answer
No, windows does not keep track of a list of installed programs.
The Programs and Features only list installed programs, and a program is removed when it is uninstalled.
The EventLog has a software section which list every event for software, but not every software is logged there, and the eventlog only maintains a log that goes back for x many entries. Eventually a log entry is just too old.
It is possible that there are traces of already uninstalled programs, but it is not reliable enough to be sure to get an accurate list of what software is or was present on a computer.