Episode
Course 36 - Windows Forensics and Tools | Episode 6: From System Hives to Forensic Analysis
- Podcast
- CyberCode Academy
- Published
- Jun 4, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1235
- Processing state
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Summary
In this lesson, you’ll learn about: Windows Registry structure and forensic analysis1. What is the Windows Registry? A centralized configuration database in Windows Stores system, user, and application settings 🔹 Core Idea Think of it as the brain of Windows configuration 2. Registry StructureThe registry is organized in a strict hierarchy:🔹 Components Hives Keys Subkeys Values 🔹 Analogy Hive → main database file Key → folder Value → actual data entry 3. Main Root Keys🔹 Key Windows Registry Roots HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (HKLM) HKEY_CURRENT_USER (HKCU) 🔹 What they represent HKLM → system-wide settings HKCU → settings for the logged-in user 4. Physical Storage of Registry Hives Stored on disk in: C:\Windows\System32\config 🔹 Why this matters Investigators can extract registry data directly from disk Even if Windows is not bootable 5. Core HKLM Sub-Hives🔹 SAM (Security Accounts Manager) Stores: User accounts Password hashes 🔹 SECURITY Hive Stores: Local security policy LSA secrets Authentication data 🔹 SOFTWARE Hive Stores: Installed applications Configuration settings 🔹 SYSTEM Hive Stores: Drivers Services Boot configuration 👉 Key Insight: These hives are critical for system and user reconstruction 6. Modern Windows Registry Extensions🔹 Newer Hives BCD (Boot Configuration Data) Controls boot process ELAM (Early Launch Anti-Malware) Protects early boot stage Browser-related application data hives 👉 Purpose: Improve security and system initialization 7. Forensic Extraction Tools🔹 Common Tools FTK Imager Used to extract registry hives from disk Registry viewers (offline analysis tools) 🔹 Why FTK Imager matters Bypasses OS restrictions Works on live or dead systems 8. Registry Analysis Workflow🔹 Step-by-step process Acquire disk image Extract registry hives Load into analysis too…