CyberCode Academy

Course 36 - Windows Forensics and Tools | Episode 2: Windows Forensic Imaging and Drive Nomenclature

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In this lesson, you’ll learn about: Windows forensic imaging and data structure fundamentals1. What is Forensic Imaging?
  • A bit-by-bit, sector-by-sector copy of a storage device
  • Captures everything, not just visible files
🔹 What it Includes
  • Active files and folders
  • Deleted files
  • Unallocated space
  • Slack space
👉 Key Difference:
  • Not a backup → it is an exact forensic replica
2. Why Forensic Imaging Matters
  • Preserves original evidence
  • Prevents modification of:
    • File timestamps
    • Metadata
👉 Legal Importance:
  • Required for court-admissible investigations
3. Physical vs Logical Drives (Windows Naming)🔹 Physical Drives
  • Identified as:
    • Disk 0
    • Disk 1
  • Represent actual hardware
🔹 Logical Drives
  • Represent partitions using letters:
    • C:
    • D:
    • E:
👉 Analogy:
  • Physical disk → entire cabinet
  • Logical drives → drawers inside the cabinet
🔹 Historical Note
  • A: and B: reserved for floppy disks
4. File System Hierarchy🔹 Structure Levels
  1. Volume (highest level)
  2. Partition
  3. Directory (folder)
  4. File
🔹 File Definition
  • A logical grouping of related data
👉 Key Insight:
  • Understanding hierarchy helps in locating and analyzing evidence
5. Processes and Threads (Execution Basics)
  • Process → running program
  • Thread → smallest execution unit within a process
👉 Why it matters:
  • Helps track:
    • Program execution
    • Malicious activity
6. Data Integrity & Verification🔹 Hashing Concept
  • Generate a unique fingerprint for data
🔹 Algorithm Example
  • MD5 hash
🔹 Key Properties
  • Same file → same hash
  • Rename file → hash unchanged
  • Change 1 bit → completely different hash
👉 Use Case:
  • Verify forensic image integrity
7. Chain of Trust in Forensics
  • Acquire image → generate hash
  • Analyze copy → compare hash again
👉 Goal:
  • Ensure no tampering occurred
Key Takeaways
  • Forensic imaging captures complete disk data, including hidden content
  • Physical and logical drives represent different abstraction layers
  • File systems follow a structured hierarchy
  • Hashing ensures data integrity and authenticity
  • Even a tiny change in data invalidates evidence
Big PictureForensic imaging helps you:👉 Move from raw disk → verified evidence copyMental Model
  • Disk → Image → Hash → Analyze → Verify


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CyberCode AcademyBy CyberCode Academy