Windows forensics essentials encompass the critical artifacts and analysis techniques unique to Microsoft Windows systems, enabling investigators to reconstruct user activities, system events, and malicious behaviors from registry hives, event logs, prefetch files, and other persistent structures.
These components provide detailed timelines of logons, program executions, network connections, and configuration changes, forming the backbone of digital investigations in enterprise environments where Windows dominates.
Windows Registry Analysis
The Windows Registry serves as a hierarchical database storing system configurations, user preferences, and execution histories across multiple hives loaded from disk into memory.
Key hives and their forensic value include:
1. SYSTEM hive: Tracks hardware, services, USB connections (USBSTOR), and mounted devices.
2. SOFTWARE hive: Records installed applications, network settings, and compatibility caches (ShimCache/AppCompatCache).
3. NTUSER.DAT/SAM: User-specific data like UserAssist (ROT13-encoded execution counts/times), Run/RunOnce keys, and account details.
4. SECURITY hive: Audit policies and logon attempts.
Tools like Registry Explorer and RegRipper parse hives efficiently; ShimCache proves file execution even post-deletion.
Event Logs (.evtx Files)
Windows Event Logs capture system, security, and application events in structured XML format, located in C:\Windows\System32\winevt\Logs.
Critical logs for forensics:
1. Security.evtx: Logon events (4624/4625), process creation (4688), policy changes (4719).
2. System.evtx: Service installs (7045), boot sequences.
3. Application.evtx: Software crashes, PowerShell script blocks (4104).
Analysis reveals unauthorized access, lateral movement, and persistence; tools like Event Log Explorer correlate with timelines.
Prefetch and Execution Artifacts
Prefetch files in C:\Windows\Prefetch track application launches, providing execution counts, timestamps, and loaded DLLs.
These artifacts prove malware or tool usage even if originals deleted.
File System and User Activity Traces
Windows NTFS structures yield behavioral evidence beyond registry/logs.
1. LNK/Shortcut files: Embed original paths, volumes, MACB timestamps.
2. Shellbags: Registry-based folder navigation history (BagMRU/Bags).
3. Thumbcache/Thumbs.db: Image previews from Explorer.
4. SRUM (Extensible Storage): App usage statistics in Windows 8+.
USB history (MountedDevices) links external media to users.
Network and Service Persistence Indicators
Windows artifacts expose connectivity and scheduled activities.
1. WLAN profiles: Network SSIDs/profiles in registry.
2. Scheduled Tasks: TaskScheduler\Operational log (4698 creation), XML files in C:\Windows\System32\Tasks.
3. Services: Security/7045 events, services registry keys.
PowerShell Operational (4103/4104) logs script execution.
Analysis Workflow and Tools
Integrated analysis combines artifacts into timelines.
Workflow detects APT persistence (e.g., scheduled tasks + service installs) or insider actions (shellbags + MRU lists).
