Windows Forensics: Digital Clues Hidden in Your System

Ever wonder what your computer remembers about you? Turns out, it’s keeping detailed notes on everything you do, ofc and sometimes those notes can help in solving crimes.

Your Windows PC is basically a digital detective, quietly documenting every click, every file you open, and every USB stick you plug in. These are called forensic artifacts, paint a surprisingly detailed picture of computer activity that can persist long after files are deleted or drives are wiped.

What Are Forensic Artifacts?

These are like your computer’s version of fingerprints at a crime scene. Just like how touching a glass leaves behind oils from your skin, using a computer leaves behind data traces in unexpected places. These digital footprints can reveal who did what, when they did it, and sometimes even why.

Unlike the Hollywood version of computer forensics, with dramatic password cracking and Matrix-style hacking, real digital investigations often focus on these simple but incredibly revealing traces.

1. Metadata: Data of data

Every document on your computer comes with tags that record its history. This metadata includes creation dates, who last modified the file, and what software was used to make it.

2. EXIF Data: When Photos Snitch

Your smartphone camera doesn’t just capture what you see, it records a surprising amount of technical data. Every photo can contain the camera model, exact timestamp, and most importantly, GPS coordinates.

This data has solved countless cases. Criminals have been caught because vacation photos posted online contained GPS coordinates leading directly to their hideout. Even something as innocent as selling items on Facebook Marketplace can accidentally reveal your home address through photo metadata.

3. Prefetch Files: App Usage Report Card

Windows keeps performance files called Prefetch to make programs load faster. But these files also create an excellent record of what software has been run on the computer, how often, and when.

Even if someone deletes a malicious program after using it, the Prefetch file remains as proof it was there. It’s like leaving a parking receipt in your car after visiting somewhere you claim you’ve never been.

4. Shellbags: Your Browsing History for Folders

Every time you open a folder in File Explorer, Windows remembers details about that folder, its size settings, view preferences, and location. These records, called Shellbags, can survive even when the original folders are deleted.

Investigators have used Shellbag data to prove someone accessed specific folders on external drives, even when those drives were later encrypted or destroyed. It’s digital proof of “I was here.”

Shellbags track how folders were viewed in Windows Explorer. They can expose:

• Access to unusual or hidden directories

  
  

• Changes in folder view preferences
  

• Past browsing history — even for deleted folders
  

For instance, Shellbags might show repeated access to a sensitive folder on a shared office computer, even if the folder no longer exists.

5. LNK Files: Permanent Record

Windows creates shortcut (.LNK) files to improve performance, and these shortcuts remember details about the original files they pointed to. Even after deleting a document completely, its LNK file might still exist with the original filename, location, and timestamps.

LNK files even record the volume serial number of USB drives, creating a unique fingerprint of the storage device used.

6. Recent Items Lists (MRU)

Most Recently Used lists are everywhere in Windows, recent documents in Word, recent searches in File Explorer, recently opened folders. These lists create a timeline of user activity that’s often overlooked by people trying to cover their tracks.

It’s like having a “recently played” list on your music app, except it covers everything you do on your computer.

7. Thumbcache: Persistent Preview

To make image folders load faster, Windows creates thumbnail previews and stores them in a hidden database. Here’s the surprising part, these thumbnails can survive long after the original images are deleted.

In harassment and exploitation cases, investigators have recovered crucial evidence solely from these thumbnail caches when the original photos were long gone.

8. Event Logs: Windows’ Flight Recorder

Windows keeps detailed logs of system events, every login, every software installation, every security change. These logs are timestamped and can provide an incredibly detailed timeline of system activity.

Event ID 4624 shows successful logins, while 4634 shows logouts. If someone claims they weren’t using a computer during a specific time, these logs can quickly prove otherwise.

9. USB Connection History

Every USB device that connects to a Windows computer leaves a permanent record including the manufacturer, model, serial number, and first/last connection times. This data persists in the registry even after the device is removed.

This has been crucial in corporate espionage cases where investigators needed to prove exactly which USB drive was used to steal data, and when.

To check, Run this command in powershell with administrator rights:

Get-ItemProperty -Path “HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR\*\*” | 
Select-Object FriendlyName, PSChildName

What This Means for You

Understanding these forensic artifacts is important:

• For privacy: Be aware that your computer tracks more than you think. Simply deleting files doesn’t eliminate all traces of them.

  
  

• For security: If your computer is compromised, these artifacts can help determine what an attacker did and when they did it.
  

• For IT professionals: These traces are invaluable for incident response and understanding how security breaches occurred.
  

See yaa all on next Thursday!