Software
Hi.
I need to investigate a number of PCs and find out with a degree of certainty which applications have ever been installed on them.
My starting point is that I don't know what I'm looking for, other than "non-standard" applications e.g. file-shredding / erasing software.
Is there an easy way to do this?
Thanks
Peter
by peter Accepted solution
by older mycroft Accepted solution
How many PCs and more importantly, how many resultant harddrives?
Your degree of certainty is a flexible animal: are you looking for rudimentary evidence or evidence that would stand up in a Court of Law?
If you consult a Forensic Data Recovery company, it will cost you a lot of money but you will be asked to be far more specific as to what you are looking for, otherwise the search (and resultant cost) could be prohibitive.
The file shredding / erasing software you mention is designed for the sole purpose of evading detection so, depending on how good it was, your search may prove to be in vain.
As for an easy way to do this, Data Recovery is never easy but usually costly, and given your criteria I think it may be pointless.
by mdphoenix Accepted solution
Before going any further, is shut off those computers before your chances of recovering anything are greatly reduced.
The next thing I'd do is create a sector copy of each drive. That way, if you screw something up, you can make another duplicate and continue. The more these drives are on with the operating system loaded on them, the more difficult data recovery will become. You're going to need some recovery software to look at any previously deleted files. There are even format recovery programs. I like Easy Recovery. There are other free programs. One's just called "recovery.exe" It does a FAIR job, but I wouldn't rely on it heavily.
Hope this helps.
by dr dij Accepted solution
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