/RegistryForensicsCheatSheet

Initial version of personal cheatsheet for windows registry forensics

Windows Registry Forensics Cheat Sheet


Load the appropriate hives in the software of your choice and follow these conventions for this cheatsheet:

"" - Indicates the field value to look for.
'' - Indicates the arbitrary placeholder for identifiers.
{} - Indicates the arbitrary placeholder for GUID.
() - Extra relevant information.

Control Set:
SYSTEM > Select > "Current"

Computer Name:
SYSTEM > ControlSetXXX > Control > ComputerName > "ComputerName"

Current Timezone:
SYSTEM > ControlSetXXX > Control > TimeZoneInformation > "TimeZoneKeyName"

Operating System Bit Version:
SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows NT > CurrentVersion > "BuildLabEx"

System Install Date:
SOFTWARE > Microsoft > WindowsNT > CurrentVersion > "InstallDate"
NOTE:- Decode it from Unix format.

Last Logged On User:
SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Authentication > LogonUI > "LastLoggedOnUser"

Last Shutdown Time:
SYSTEM > ControlSetXXX > Control > Windows > "ShutdownTime"
NOTE:- Decode it from Hex format.

Autostart Applications:
NTUSER.dat > Software > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Run

Searched terms in Windows:
NTUSER.dat > Software > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Explorer > WordWheelQuery

Recently Accessed Files:
NTUSER.dat > Software > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Explorer > RecentDocs

Windows Run Queries:
NTUSER.dat > Software > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Explorer > RunMRU

Relative Identifier for a user:
SAM > Domains > Account > Users > Names > User

User Created Accounts (Look for Relative Identifiers > 1000):
SAM > Domains > Account > Users > Names

Machine Identifier (Last 12 bytes):
SAM > Domains > Account > "V"
NOTE:- Group into 3 sets of 4, convert to little endian and convert from hex to dec.

USB devices connected:
SYSTEM > ControlSetXXX > Enum > USBSTOR

Serial Number of USB device mounted:
SYSTEM > MountedDevices

Physical Network Cards:
SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows NT > CurrentVersion > NetworkCards

Network Interfaces:
SYSTEM > ControlSetXXX > Services > Tcpip > Parameters > Interfaces

Network Connections:
SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows NT > CurrentVersion > NetworkList

Install date of applications:
Amcache.hve > {GUID} > InventoryApplication > 'ProgramID' > "InstallDate"

Last executed time of applications:
NTUSER.dat > Software > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Explorer > UserAssist> {GUID} (ROT13 encoded)

Pagefile cleared at shutdown? (Used for swapping RAM):
SYSTEM > ControlSetXXX > Control > Session Manager > Memory Management > "ClearPageFileAtShutdown"
NOTE:- If value is 0, then look for the pagefile.sys file for the memory capture.