Unit-5

Working with Windows and DOS

Systems
 Objectives

• Explain the purpose and structure of file systems

• Describe Microsoft file structures
• Explain the structure of New Technology File
System (NTFS) disks
• List some options for decrypting drives encrypted
with whole disk encryption
 Objectives (continued)
• A file system is a storage structure on a computer
that organizes data. It allows users to access data
quickly and easily. Windows offers various file
systems: NTFS, FAT32 , FAT16,FAT 12 etc.
• Explain how the Windows Registry works
• Describe Microsoft startup tasks
• Describe MS-DOS startup tasks
• Explain the purpose of a virtual machine
DIFF BETWEEN VARIOUS WINDOWS FILE SYSTEM
• NTFS: Support for transferring big files with no limit. The most ideal file
system for hard drives and external hard drives.
• FAT32: Support for transferring a single file within 4GB. Used as the file
system for SD card, USB flash drive.
• From the comparison table, it's clear that NTFS contains more advanced
features than FAT, for example in performance, security, reliability. NTFS
supports big file storage on high-capacity storage devices like an internal or
external hard drive. While for SD cards, USB flash drives, FAT32 will be
the best.
• If you have decided to set NTFS as the file system for your device, follow
and try any method to switch your device file system to NTFS without losing
any data.
Understanding File Systems
 Understanding File Systems

• File system
– Gives OS a road map to data on a disk
• Type of file system an OS uses determines how
data is stored on the disk
• A file system is usually directly related to an OS
• When you need to access a suspect’s computer to
acquire or inspect data
– You should be familiar with the computer’s platform
 Understanding the Boot Sequence

• Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor

(CMOS)
– Computer stores system configuration and date and
time information in the CMOS
• When power to the system is off
• Basic Input/Output System (BIOS)
– Contains programs that perform input and output at
the hardware level
 Understanding the Boot Sequence
(continued)

• Bootstrap process
– Contained in ROM, tells the computer how to
proceed
– Displays the key or keys you press to open the
CMOS setup screen
• Could be Delete, F2, F10, Ctrl+Alt+Insert, Ctrl+A,
Ctrl+S, Ctrl+F1, or something else
• CMOS should be modified to boot from a forensic
floppy disk or CD
BIOS Setup Utility
 Understanding Disk Drives

• Disk drives are made up of one or more platters

coated with magnetic material
• Disk drive components
– Geometry
– Head
– Tracks
– Cylinders
– Sectors
• Holds 512 bytes, you cannot read or write anything
less than a sector
Exploring Microsoft File
Structures
 Exploring Microsoft File Structures
• In Microsoft file structures, sectors are grouped to
form clusters
– Storage allocation units of one or more sectors
• Clusters are typically 512, 1024, 2048, 4096, or more
bytes each
• Combining sectors minimizes the overhead of writing
or reading files to a disk
 Exploring Microsoft File Structures (continued)

• Clusters are numbered sequentially starting at 2

– First sector of all disks contains a system area, the
boot record, and a file structure database
• OS assigns these cluster numbers, called logical
addresses
• Sector numbers are called physical addresses
• Clusters and their addresses are specific to a
logical disk drive, which is a disk partition
 Disk Partitions
• A partition is a logical drive
• FAT16 does not recognize disks larger than 2 GB
– Note error on page 202 of textbook
• It's 2 GB, not 2 MB
– Large disks have to be partitioned
• Partition Types
– NTFS: 07
– FAT: 06
– FAT32: 0B
Viewing the Partition Table HxD
 Master Boot Record

• On Windows and DOS computer systems

– Boot disk contains a file called the Master Boot Record
(MBR)

• MBR stores information about partitions on a disk and

their locations, size, and other important items

• Several software products can modify the MBR,

such as Partition Magic’s Boot Magic
 Examining FAT Disks
• File Allocation Table (FAT)
– File structure database that Microsoft originally
designed for floppy disks
– Used before Windows NT and 2000
• FAT database is typically written to a disk’s
outermost track and contains:
– Filenames, directory names, date and time stamps,
the starting cluster number, and file attributes
• FAT versions
– FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, FATX (for Xbox), and VFAT
 FAT Versions
• FAT12—for floppy disks, max size 16 MB
• FAT16—allows hard disk sizes up to 2 GB
• FAT32— allows hard disk sizes up to 2 TB •
• FATX—For Xbox media
– The date stamps start at the year 2000, unlike the other FAT
formats that start at 1980
• VFAT (Virtual File Allocation Table)
– Allows long file names on Windows (MS-DOS had 8.3
limitation)
 Examining FAT Disks (continued)
• Cluster sizes vary according to the hard disk size
and file system
• This table is for FAT-16
 Examining FAT Disks (continued)
• Microsoft OSs allocate disk space for files by
clusters
– Results in drive slack
• Unused space in a cluster between the end of an
active file and the end of the cluster
• Drive slack includes:
– RAM slack and file slack
• An unintentional side effect of FAT16 having large
clusters was that it reduced fragmentation
– As cluster size increased
Examining FAT Disks (continued)
 Examining FAT Disks (continued)

• When you run out of room for an allocated cluster

– OS allocates another cluster for your file, which
creates more slack space on the disk
• As files grow and require more disk space,
assigned clusters are chained together
– The chain can be broken or fragmented
ProDiscover Showing Cluster Chain
 Examining FAT Disks (continued)

• When the OS stores data in a FAT file system, it

assigns a starting cluster position to a file
– Data for the file is written to the first sector of the first
assigned cluster
• When this first assigned cluster is filled and runs
out of room
– FAT assigns the next available cluster to the file
• If the next available cluster isn’t contiguous to the
current cluster
– File becomes fragmented
 Deleting FAT Files

• In Microsoft OSs, when a file is deleted

– Directory entry is marked as a deleted file
• With the HEX E5 (σ) character replacing the first letter
of the filename
• FAT chain for that file is set to 0
• Data in the file remains on the disk drive
• Area of the disk where the deleted file resides
becomes unallocated disk space
– Available to receive new data from newly created
files or other files needing more space
iClicker Questions
Which of these always contains
512 bytes?

A.Head
B.Track
C.Cylinder
D.Sector
E.Cluster
Which of these has a capacity
that varies with partition size?

A.Head
B.Track
C.Cylinder
D.Sector
E.Cluster
Which file system has a
maximum partition size of 2 GB?

A.FAT12
B.FAT16
C.FAT32
D.FATX
E.VFAT
 Examining NTFS Disks

• New Technology File System (NTFS)

– Introduced with Windows NT
– Recommended file system for Windows 200 Pro,
XP, and later versions through Windows 7 at least
• Improvements over FAT file systems
– NTFS provides more information about a file
– NTFS gives more control over files and folders
• NTFS was Microsoft’s move toward a journaling file
system
 Examining NTFS Disks (continued)

• In NTFS, everything written to the disk is

considered a file
• On an NTFS disk
– First data set is the Partition Boot Sector
– Next is Master File Table (MFT)
• NTFS results in much less file slack space
• Clusters are smaller for smaller disk drives
• NTFS also uses Unicode
– An international data format
 NTFS File System

• MFT contains information about all files on the disk

– Including the system files the OS uses
• In the MFT, the first 15 records are reserved for
system files
• Records in the MFT are called metadata
 NTFS Compressed Files
• NTFS provides compression similar to FAT
DriveSpace 3
• Under NTFS, files, folders, or entire volumes can
be compressed
• Most computer forensics tools can uncompress
and analyze compressed Windows data
 NTFS Encrypting File System (EFS)

• Encrypting File System (EFS)

– Introduced with Windows 2000
– Implements a public key and private key method of
encrypting files, folders, or disk volumes
• When EFS is used in Windows 2000
– A recovery certificate is generated and sent to the
local Windows administrator account
• Users can apply EFS to files stored on their local
workstations or a remote server
 Deleting NTFS Files

• When a file is deleted in Windows XP, 2000, or NT

– The OS renames it and moves it to the Recycle Bin
• Can use the Del (delete) MS-DOS command
– Eliminates the file from the MFT listing in the same
way FAT does
Understanding Whole Disk
Encryption
Understanding Whole Disk Encryption

• In recent years, there has been more concern

about loss of
– Personal identity information (PII) and trade
secrets caused by computer theft
• Of particular concern is the theft of laptop
computers and other handheld devices
• To help prevent loss of information, software
vendors now provide whole disk encryption
Understanding Whole Disk Encryption
(continued)

• Current whole disk encryption tools offer the

following features:
– Preboot authentication
– Full or partial disk encryption with secure hibernation
– Advanced encryption algorithms
– Key management function
– A Trusted Platform Module (TPM) microchip to
generate encryption keys and authenticate logins
Understanding Whole Disk Encryption
(continued)

• Whole disk encryption tools encrypt each sector of

a drive separately
• Many of these tools encrypt the drive’s boot sector
– To prevent any efforts to bypass the secured drive’s
partition
• To examine an encrypted drive, decrypt it first
– Run a vendor-specific program to decrypt the drive
 Examining Microsoft BitLocker

• Available only with Vista/Win 7 Enterprise and

Ultimate editions
• Hardware and software requirements
– A computer capable of running Windows Vista/7
– The TPM microchip, version 1.2 or newer
– A computer BIOS compliant with Trusted Computing
Group (TCG)
– Two NTFS partitions; a 1.5 GB or 100 MB partition
use just for BitLocker, and the partition containing
Windows
– The BIOS configured so that the hard drive boots
first before checking other bootable peripherals
Examining Third-Party Disk Encryption
Tools
• Some available third-party WDE utilities:
– PGP Whole Disk Encryption
– Voltage SecureDisk
– Utimaco SafeGuard Easy
– Jetico BestCrypt Volume Encryption
– SoftWinter Sentry 2020 for Windows XP
• Some available open-source encryption tools:
– TrueCrypt
– CrossCrypt
– FreeOTFE
Understanding the Windows
Registry
 Understanding the Windows Registry

• Registry
– A database that stores hardware and software
configuration information, network connections, user
preferences, and setup information
• For investigative purposes, the Registry can
contain valuable evidence
• To view the Registry, you can use:
– Regedit (Registry Editor) program for Windows 9x
systems
– Regedt32 for Windows 2000 and XP
 Exploring the Organization of the
Windows Registry
• Registry terminology:
– Registry
– Registry Editor
– HKEY
– Key
– Subkey
– Branch
– Value
– Default value
– Hives
Exploring the Organization of the
Windows Registry (continued)
Exploring the Organization of the
Windows Registry (continued)
Understanding Microsoft
Startup Tasks
 Understanding Microsoft Startup
Tasks

• Learn what files are accessed when Windows

starts
• This information helps you determine when a
suspect’s computer was last accessed
– Important with computers that might have been used
after an incident was reported
 Startup in Windows NT and Later

• All Windows NT computers perform the following

steps when the computer is turned on:
– Power-on self test (POST)
– Initial startup
– Boot loader
– Hardware detection and configuration
– Kernel loading
– User logon
 Startup Process for Windows Vista

• Uses the new Extensible Firmware Interface ( EFI)

as well as the older BIOS system.
• NT Loader (NTLDR) has been replaced by three
boot utilities
– Bootmgr.exe—displays list of operating systems
– Winload.exe—loads kernel, HAL, and drivers
– Winresume.exe—restarts Vista after hibernation
• See link Ch 6g
 Startup Files for Windows XP

• NT Loader (NTLDR)
• Boot.ini
• BootSect.dos
• NTDetect.com
• NTBootdd.sys
• Ntoskrnl.exe
• Hal.dll
• Pagefile.sys
• Device drivers
 Startup in Windows NT and Later
(continued)

• Windows XP System Files

 Startup in Windows NT and Later
(continued)

• Contamination Concerns with Windows XP

– When you start a Windows XP NTFS workstation,
several files are accessed immediately
• The last access date and time stamp for the files
change to the current date and time
– Destroys any potential evidence
• That shows when a Windows XP workstation was last
used
 Startup in Windows 9x/Me

• System files in Windows 9x/Me containing valuable

information can be altered easily during startup
• Windows 9x and Windows Me have similar boot
processes
– With Windows Me you can’t boot to a true MS-DOS
mode
• Windows 9x OSs have two modes:
– DOS protected-mode interface (DPMI)
– Protected-mode GUI
Startup in Windows 9x/Me (continued)

• The system files used by Windows 9x have their

origin in MS-DOS 6.22
– Io.sys communicates between a computer’s BIOS,
the hardware, and the OS kernel
• If F8 is pressed during startup, Io.sys loads the
Windows Startup menu
– Msdos.sys is a hidden text file containing startup
options for Windows 9x
– Command.com provides a command prompt when
booting to MS-DOS mode (DPMI)
Understanding MS-DOS
Startup Tasks
Understanding MS-DOS Startup Tasks

• Two files are used to configure MS-DOS at startup:

– Config.sys
• A text file containing commands that typically run only
at system startup to enhance the computer’s DOS
configuration
– Autoexec.bat
• A batch file containing customized settings for MS-
DOS that runs automatically
• Io.sys is the first file loaded after the ROM
bootstrap loader finds the disk drive
Understanding MS-DOS Startup Tasks
(continued)

• Msdos.sys is the second program to load into RAM

immediately after Io.sys
– It looks for the Config.sys file to configure device
drivers and other settings
• Msdos.sys then loads Command.com
• As the loading of Command.com nears completion,
Msdos.sys looks for and loads Autoexec.bat
Understanding Virtual
Machines
 Understanding Virtual Machines

• Virtual machine
– Allows you to create a representation of another
computer on an existing physical computer
• A virtual machine is just a few files on your hard
drive
– Must allocate space to it
• A virtual machine recognizes components of the
physical machine it’s loaded on
– Virtual OS is limited by the physical machine’s OS
 Understanding Virtual Machines
(continued)

• In computer forensics
– Virtual machines make it possible to restore a
suspect drive on your virtual machine
• And run nonstandard software the suspect might have
loaded
• From a network forensics standpoint, you need to
be aware of some potential issues, such as:
– A virtual machine used to attack another system or
network
 Creating a Virtual Machine

• Two popular applications for creating virtual

machines
– VMware and Microsoft Virtual PC
• Using Virtual PC
– You must download and install Virtual PC first
Creating a Virtual Machine (continued)
Creating a Virtual Machine (continued)
Creating a Virtual Machine (continued)
• You need an ISO image of an OS
– Because no OSs are provided with Virtual PC
• Virtual PC creates two files for each virtual
machine:
– A .vhd file, which is the actual virtual hard disk
– A .vmc file, which keeps track of configurations you
make to that disk
• See what type of physical machine your virtual
machine thinks it’s running
– Open the Virtual PC Console, and click Settings
Creating a Virtual Machine (continued)
Creating a Virtual Machine (continued)