Windows Registry acquisition and analysis
As we covered in previous chapters on how to acquire Windows artifacts and how important such operations are, acquiring the Windows Registry is a crucial step in any forensic investigation, as it contains a wealth of information about the system and its users. There are several methods for acquiring the registry, and the choice of method may depend on the nature of the investigation, the resources available, and the type of system being examined.
One common method for acquiring the registry is through the use of forensic imaging tools, such as EnCase, FTK Imager, or dd. These tools allow for a bit-by-bit copy of the registry hive files to be created, which can then be analyzed in a forensically sound manner. It is important to ensure that the imaging tool used is compatible with the operating system version being examined and that it creates a verified and authenticated copy of the hive files.
Another method for acquiring the registry...
