Talk:Internet Explorer History File Format - Revision history

Joachim Metz: /* Move as DAT */

2009-06-06T08:10:35Z

‎Move as DAT

Jessek: /* Different Formats of index.dat */

2007-06-20T13:42:20Z

‎Different Formats of index.dat

Jessek: /* File Locations */

2007-06-20T12:49:23Z

‎File Locations

Jessek: /* Move as DAT */

2007-06-20T12:48:30Z

‎Move as DAT

Kristofer: /* File Locations */

2007-06-19T07:17:27Z

‎File Locations

Kristofer: Bunch of ideas - move as DAT, add file locations, add a link, note differences between different index.dat files

2007-06-19T07:15:32Z

Bunch of ideas - move as DAT, add file locations, add a link, note differences between different index.dat files

New page

Planning on doing the following, any comments, ideas, objections?:

== Move as DAT ==

I think this page should be moved as "DAT" and then let all Internet Explorer History File Format links redirect to the format DAT. Then in the DAT page, a little about how .dat is a common extention used by many programs to name their data files, and then the majority of the page about index.dat files specifically. --[[User:Kristofer|Kristofer]] 00:15, 19 June 2007 (PDT)

== File Locations ==

After moving, more of the major file locations of the index.dat should be added too.
I will type out the full paths later, but quickly for example, the temp internet files, cookies, history, userdat, folders. Also the ones in the system account in the windows directory, and note other accounts exist like the all users, administrator, network account, and i386 folder doesn't count does it? Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but the Content.IE6 and History.IE6 folders should be Content.IE5 and History.IE5, regardless of IE 5, 6, or 7 being installed. --[[User:Kristofer|Kristofer]] 00:15, 19 June 2007 (PDT)

== Links ==

http://www.latenighthacking.com/projects/2003/reIndexDat/ is a great link in my opinion going through the methods of discovering the format of this unofficially documented file. It would be great, through the help of everyone, to fill in the missing parts of the general format and outline it here, for future programmers needing to do forensics with these files. --[[User:Kristofer|Kristofer]] 00:15, 19 June 2007 (PDT)

== Different Formats of index.dat ==

We can write about the differences between the temporary internet files index.dat file, history index.dat file, and cookies index.dat file, while including the file paths of the other index.dat files but not emphasising on them, like the one in UserData folders.

Speaking about the three major ones seperately is important because some things are differen't between them, like the REDR tag is not in any history index.dat files, yet we have it listed on the current page. And in the URL tag, in the temporary internet files index.dat, the file name of the local cached file is specified with the originating URL. Another difference off the top of my head, the history index.dat files include page title names, and temporary internet files index.dat doesn't. --[[User:Kristofer|Kristofer]] 00:15, 19 June 2007 (PDT)

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:42, 20 June 2007
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	Speaking about the three major ones seperately is important because some things are differen't between them, like the REDR tag is not in any history index.dat files, yet we have it listed on the current page. And in the URL tag, in the temporary internet files index.dat, the file name of the local cached file is specified with the originating URL. Another difference off the top of my head, the history index.dat files include page title names, and temporary internet files index.dat doesn't. --[[User:Kristofer\|Kristofer]] 00:15, 19 June 2007 (PDT)		Speaking about the three major ones seperately is important because some things are differen't between them, like the REDR tag is not in any history index.dat files, yet we have it listed on the current page. And in the URL tag, in the temporary internet files index.dat, the file name of the local cached file is specified with the originating URL. Another difference off the top of my head, the history index.dat files include page title names, and temporary internet files index.dat doesn't. --[[User:Kristofer\|Kristofer]] 00:15, 19 June 2007 (PDT)
		+	: I think we should have a page of commonalities, but it should be separate from each of the format specific pages. That is, the [[Microsoft Windows Cookie Format]] page could have a short section on the common elements with a link to [[Common elements in Windows History Files]]. Maybe the "main" template would work well? [[User:Jessek\|Jessek]] 06:42, 20 June 2007 (PDT)

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:48, 20 June 2007
Line 4:		Line 4:

	I think this page should be moved as "DAT" and then let all Internet Explorer History File Format links redirect to the format DAT. Then in the DAT page, a little about how .dat is a common extention used by many programs to name their data files, and then the majority of the page about index.dat files specifically. --[[User:Kristofer\|Kristofer]] 00:15, 19 June 2007 (PDT)		I think this page should be moved as "DAT" and then let all Internet Explorer History File Format links redirect to the format DAT. Then in the DAT page, a little about how .dat is a common extention used by many programs to name their data files, and then the majority of the page about index.dat files specifically. --[[User:Kristofer\|Kristofer]] 00:15, 19 June 2007 (PDT)
		+	:Because so many other programs use .dat as an extension, I don't think it's a good idea to make the .dat page all about Internet Explorer. Instead I think the .dat page should be a list of the programs that use .dat files, including Internet Explorer. I like having a page title that holds the true meaning, not a shorthand. [[User:Jessek\|Jessek]] 05:48, 20 June 2007 (PDT)

	== File Locations ==		== File Locations ==

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 I think this page should be moved as "DAT" and then let all Internet Explorer History File Format links redirect to the format DAT.  Then in the DAT page, a little about how .dat is a common extention used by many programs to name their data files, and then the majority of the page about index.dat files specifically.  --[[User:Kristofer|Kristofer]] 00:15, 19 June 2007 (PDT)
 :Because so many other programs use .dat as an extension, I don't think it's a good idea to make the .dat page all about Internet Explorer. Instead I think the .dat page should be a list of the programs that use .dat files, including Internet Explorer. I like having a page title that holds the true meaning, not a shorthand. [[User:Jessek|Jessek]] 05:48, 20 June 2007 (PDT)
 == File Locations ==

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 After moving, more of the major file locations of the index.dat should be added too.
 I will type out the full paths later, but quickly for example, the temp internet files, cookies, history, userdat, folders.  Also the ones in the system account in the windows directory, and note other accounts exist like the all users, administrator, network account, and i386 folder doesn't count does it?  Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but the History.IE6 folder should be History.IE5, regardless of IE 5, 6, or 7 being installed.  --[[User:Kristofer|Kristofer]] 00:15, 19 June 2007 (PDT)
 == Links ==