As mentioned in the introductory section, Windows machines run on NTFS (New Technology File System).
Using the tools that we will discuss in this chapter, you will be able to uncover information not only about the files, but also about the layout of the disk itself, including deleted files and unallocated space. This can be of the utmost importance in a forensic investigation, particularly in cases where a user may have tried to cover up their actions using anti-forensic methods.
Some tools allow you to undelete files as well, thus restoring them, in whole or in part, to how they looked before they were deleted. This does, of course, depend on the extent to which a file has been overwritten, however it can be a useful way to find out about things a suspect doesn't want you to see.
In cases where the metadata about the files has been deleted, file carving is employed...
