# Course 36 - Windows Forensics and Tools | Episode 6: From System Hives to Forensic Analysis

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Podcast: [CyberCode Academy](https://stenobird.com/podcast/cybercode-academy-7578615)
Published: 2026-06-04T06:00:02+00:00
Episode link: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/course-36-windows-forensics-and-tools-episode-6-from-system-hives-to-forensic-analysis--72013648
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72013648/bypassing_windows_to_extract_registry_hives.mp3
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Duration seconds: 1235

## Resource

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…

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